First Brew in 8 years and.....

[DSMbrewer]

I did an extract w/specialty grains that should have had a OG of 1.066 and the reading i took was 1.057. grain bill pretty simple. had grains on for 45 min @ 155*. Could anyone help with the disparity in the OG and how the difference is that large. should I adjust terminal gravity based on OG to see when fermentation is complete?
Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Rick500]

Unless you added more water than the recipe called for, there just isn't going to be as big of a difference in the OG as you've measured.

It's pretty difficult to get the top-off water and wort mixed thoroughly, so I suspect your reading is just off because you got more top-off water and less wort in your sample.

If I were you, I would just assume this to be the case (unless you did in fact add more water than the recipe called for, or less extract), and turn the yeasties loose to do their thing.

 

[DSMbrewer]

The sample did come off the top if I remember correctly! Thanks for that! Any way to insure a better wort mix in the future?

 

[wyzazz]

The sample did come off the top if I remember correctly! Thanks for that! Any way to insure a better wort mix in the future?

Doing a full boil is really the only way of mixing everything up before fermentation, that is short of running a paint mixer in your wort for 10mins or so.

 

[samc]

When I did partial boils I just mixed it up for a minute with a spoon. Your not trying to integrate incompatible liquids like oil & water, wort & water will mix quickly. If you are using a carboy, then stop up the opening and rock it back and forth gently for a bit.

 

[bknifefight]

I have had this happen many times in my extract batches. And like what was said, it is hard to get a measurement that is so much "off." As a result, I don't even take an initial FG reading and just trust what Beer Smith says it will be. Simple enough.

 

[starrfish]

had the same problem with my last high gravity partial mash partial boil.

I took my sample before my 10min aeration shake. came out really low... 20+ points low.

hmmmm paint mixer for 10min... my hernias can't handle a 10 min shake anymore... wonder if this would do for aeration and for mixing high gravity partials...