how did my OG get so high???

[Baza]

so I'm trying to make a milk stout using extract with steeped grains. Beersmith and brewersfriend predicted OG of 1.059/1.060 but I ended 1.079

my recipe was
700g (1.5lbs) crystal 80
350g (.75lbs) choc malt
250g (.55lbs) carafa malt

steeped in 11.5 ltr water at 65 - 70 degrees C (155F) for 30 min
3.4 kg (7.5lbs) of LME (1/2 at the start of the boil 1/2 at the end)
500g (1.1lbs) lactose at the end of the boil
35g hops

cooled and topped off to 19ltr (5 gallons)

I took the gravity twice with two hydrometres and got 1.079

I triple checked weights no extra sugar etc was added

how did this happen? is it me or beersmith that is wrong. the recipe was set to extract

Also, Now I'm started should I try and change anything

I've added a ltr of water and brought OG 1.074 and pitched a 1.5ltr starter using S-04
fermentation started within a few hours and is steady temp is 16 degrees (61F) will this finish OK?

Im guessing that IBU is going to be way down should boil up 10g of hops in 1ltr of water to increase IBU?

 

[Gavin C]

Measurement error.

Incomplete mixing of the top up water prior to taking a reading or taking the reading before adding water are common problems with measuring OG in extract batches.

I get an OG of 1.061 when I enter your data in BS


Edit: With no top-up and a batch size of 3.8 gallons your OG is right on 1.079.

When did you take the gravity reading?

 

[Baza]

measured gravity after all the water and starter where added. measured then stirred and remeasured still got 1.079.

 

[eadavis80]

Any chance the hydrometer is off?

 

[Baza]

I used two different hydrometers and tested in in plain water