Issues with OG being too high.

[micfiygd]

I have had issues with some of my OG's being much higher than they should have been. I'm talking about getting readings of 1.070 when it should have been around 1.050.

To be quite honest I am bit unsure as to what the gravity readings tell you. I know the hydrometer measures the density of the liquid, but what factors could influence a reading so much that it could be that far off?

 

[cluckk]

It uses buoyancy to measure the sugars suspended in the water. If you've ever seen pictures of people floating on top of the water in the dead sea, or noticed the water line difference between a boat on a fresh water lake and the same boat on salt water, it is the same principle that causes the change in the float level of the hydrometer. More sugars dissolved in the water, the higher it floats--because the water being displaced weighs more so it takes more weight to displace the same amount of water. Other things that can affect this are temperature or dissolved gasses--there are others, but they elude me right now. Temperature in the one most new brewers get tripped up by. A sample that measures 1.040 at 65 degrees, will measure 1.063 at 160 degrees.

There are online calculators to use for adjusting for temperature.

 

[whoaru99]

Could be the hydrometer isn't reading correctly. Check it in water should read ~1.000.

Could be too much water was boiled off / not enough top off water added.

Is this regarding extract kits or?

 

[Jayhem]

Yup, temperature of the wort is key. Most hydrometers are calibrated at 60F or 68F. Hot wort will read MUCH higher.

Also if you are adding top-off water to your wort (doing partial boils) then it is likely that the wort is not fully mixing with the water so your sample might have been higher in sugar content than the whole.

 

[micfiygd]

I am doing extract brews and using water to top off.

I am taking my reading after the wort has been cool, transferred to my fermenter, topped with water THEN i take a reading. Should I be taking the reading at a different time?

 

[chezteth]

Another thing that can happen if you are doing extract batches is stratification. If the top up water isn't properly mixed you could end up with a hydro sample that contains more sugars thus accounting for the higher reading.
Cheers,
Brandon

 

[Revvy]

We get this question 10 times a day...

Read this thread...

 

[Jayhem]

I am doing extract brews and using water to top off.

I am taking my reading after the wort has been cool, transferred to my fermenter, topped with water THEN i take a reading. Should I be taking the reading at a different time?

You are doing it right. Are you mixing the topped off water in well to the wort with a paddle?

 

[micfiygd]

Yeah I had been stirring quite vigorously.

Do I need to give the wort time to settle before taking the reading?

 

[whoaru99]

No.

If you made the kit per the instructions, used all the ingredients without adding any more, made the final volume (boiled wort + top off water) what the kit says it should be, then it's virtually impossible the OG is off that far regardless what your hydrometer reading shows.

The VERY first thing to do is check your hydrometer with water at 60-68F. It should read ~1.000. Does it?

 

[techbrewie]

If your OG is too high after taking a reading @ 60-70 deg. add water and mix until desired og is attained.

 

[jmh286]

Yup, temperature of the wort is key. Most hydrometers are calibrated at 60F or 68F. Hot wort will read MUCH higher.

Actually hot wort will read lower on a hydrometer. That's what the correction tables that most hydrometers come with are for