Higher OG than expected

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urg8rb8

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I mashed a dunkel hefe and was expecting 1.064 and I got 1.072. Looks like the ABV is going to be higher than expected. Should I had more water to the fermenter to get to 1.064?

What Would HomeBrewTalk do?
 
You could add water (free of chlorine/chloramine) or leave it as-is. Either way, the bitterness perception (BU:GU ratio) will be a little lower than expected, but should still be fine.
 
If you've got the room for it I'd add some water to avoid throwing off the balance as mentioned, but I wouldn't sweat it too much if it were me
 
It is really about consistency. If you are dialing in a recipe and want to make this beer over and over the. I would adjust the water. However, I would not adjust in the fermenter, the best pace to make the adjustment would be at the beginning of the boil. You need to know your system, your boil off rate and such so that you have a clear understanding of what you want your pre boil volume to be. If you wait to top off I. The fermenter, or any time post boil you are diluting the hops as well.

If you are just brewing a batch to brew a batch and might never brew this one again, or just want a little extra punch in the ABV then let it ride and just takes some notes in case you find it to be fantastic.
 
I've decided to just let it ride. ABV isn't too ridiculously much higher so I'm not too worried about. It will still be good.
 
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