High OG

[Josh VanDerbeck]

What could be a reason for my OG to be high? The recipe I’m using says it should be between 1.054-1.057. It was at 1.074.

Will this affect the final product? Thank you in advance from a noob.

 

[Electricbrew]

Extract or all grain?

 

[jrgtr42]

poor mixing is likely the cause, at least if you use top-off water.
Hard to see a full-boil, especially all-grain come out that much higher than expected, unless you're planning for extraordinarily low efficiency, then get extraordinarily high efficiency.
Also, did you calibrate your hygrometer? distilled water at about 65 degree F should read exactly 0.000.
Some details of your brew would help us determine what went wrong.
And as far as affecting it? you'll likely end up with higher alcohol content than you would have.

 

[Electricbrew]

The above, but also curious of batch size? I’m thinking boil off may have something to do with it...

 

[Josh VanDerbeck]

Extract or all grain?

Extract

 

[Josh VanDerbeck]

It was the first batch I have tried, it was very small, it was 1.5 gallons at the start. It’s a chocolate stout and was done with extract. I think my boil may have been too high the first 10-15 minutes but everything else seemed fine.

I didn’t calibrate my hygrometer. That could also be it.

Thanks for the info and thoughts.

 

[Tim H]

You will see "issues" amplified with small-batch brews. If you have the money, I recommend getting a refractometer (see link below) instead of a hydrometer to measure gravity during your brew session. This handy device will help you make adjustments during the boil and get you dialed into targeted levels. Also, I recommend you put some measured amount of water in your kettle and let it run for 30-60 minutes to determine the boil-off rate.

https://www.amazon.com/Ade-Advanced...42405&s=gateway&sprefix=refrac,aps,131&sr=8-4

 

[bracconiere]

i just want to say welcome all! we be makin' some alcohol round here. and it sounds like the OP be startin' out on a good foot!

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to HBT! Enjoy your brewing adventures!

With extract brewing, gravities are very predictable unless you spill or leave lots of wort behind in the kettle.
Your post boil volume is the big variable, but all the sugars are still there, more or less concentrated.

You don't need a violently rolling boil, a good simmer (rippling on the surface) is plenty. Boiling off half a gallon to a gallon an hour is very average, and with smaller batches or boil volumes that's a significant amount. Now topping off in your fermenter to your intended batch size should fix that. After topping up, stir extremely well and thoroughly to homogenize the wort before taking a gravity reading.

Especially with partial boils, don't boil all the extract, only a part (half or less) and add the remainder at flameout.

 

[applescrap]

I didn't get a hydrometer until a few months ago. Ultimately it has been fun and plenty of knowledge about brewing practice can be gleaned. Not to put too fine a point on it, but you have mixed extract and water and have made beer and that is step one. You are on your way to being an awesome brewer!

There are recipes on the forum that dont even boil the extract. So there is the spectrum. From those of us who make beer and it's no big trip to real masters who relentlessly toil at their practice buying any equipment needed and going to any lengths. Theres room on the broom for all of us. So back to your question. Iirc the hydrometer has temperature adjustments too based on wort temp when measured. The measurements if correct and mixed etc...say that maybe you boiled a little too much off. So, stronger beer. Yay in my book, others want to repeat the recipe perfectly everytime and that's cool to. Now for what I call real brewing. You can top the water up. Others here can advise way better on that then me.

Learning about your water volumes beginning middle and end is part of the process and you are on your way there. Every brew rig is different and learning yours is both necessary and part of the fun. Great work and keep brewing, cheers.

 

[snarf7]

I had something similar happen when I was learning the ropes, turned out to be an error converting to metric and I wound up putting almost twice the required amount of extract in the brew...wound up with a weird but drinkable 9.5% beer instead of the expected 5%