Low OG

[homerun]

I just realized I had a really low OG and I just switched to my secondary. Is my ABV screwed or is there a way I would raise it?

 

[Pappers_]

Hi Homerun, I'm sorry I don't understand your question. Did you take a gravity reading before your beer fermented (on your brew day)? What was it?

Did you then let your beer ferment, and then recently moved it to secondary? If you took a gravity reading then, what was it?

 

[homerun]

My OG was 1.040 when I put into secondary it was 1.010. My OG should have been around 1.050 or so and idk why I didn't catch it sooner.

 

[beergolf]

My OG was 1.040 when I put into secondary it was 1.010. My OG should have been around 1.050 or so and idk why I didn't catch it sooner.

Was it a partial boil with top off water? If so it just was not mixed up enough to get and accurate OG. You are fine.

 

[homerun]

I didn't think about that lol thanks beergolf.

 

[Pappers_]

Yes, that's what happens most of the time. Another option would be if your volume was way off (say 6 gallons instead of 5 gallons). Or if you mis-weighed your extract.

But 99% chance that your original gravity was just fine, as Beergolf said.

 

[silentsoul]

How is the best way to measure the gravity? Do you measure in the carboy or do you just pull a sample and then stick the hydrometer in the sample?

 

[JakeFegely]

Pull a sample, put it into the tube and then put the hydrometer in the tube. That's better than too much messing around in the beer. Make certain that whatever you pull the sample with is well sanitized. Open the fermenter only long enough to pull the sample and then close it.