Low OG

[tomlaw87]

Hello all again.

Right I've just made my coopers European lager and the original gravity was 1035 (has since changed to 1030). Is that normal? Just seems low with people quoting 1042 etc?
The thing is I made a normal coopers lager a couple of weeks ago and the OG on that was also 1036. Do you think my hydrometer could be broke? I have followed instructions to the T.

I used coopers lager/euro lager
Brew enhancer and the little packet of yeast that comes with it. I haven't got to adding my own things yet

Hope you can help. Don't want rubbish beer

 

[medusa1066]

Did you top off the fermenter with water? It is nearly impossible to thoroughly mix a full carboy. This could cause a bad sample.

 

[tomlaw87]

Filled to the 23 litre mark as it said too

 

[Fennis]

What temperature are you taking your reading at? What are you doing in your brewing process? I am assuming these kits are extract? How much water do you use in your boil, and how much are you topping off with in the end?

I wouldn't worry that you are making bad beer, it will still turn out to be beer, just with a low alcohol content. I guess it would be helpful if you would go into detail what processes you are going through so we can try to be more helpful to you.

 

[Fennis]

I just looked up the kit online, their instructions for the european lager kit say to fill up to 21 liters. Unless you made a typo, maybe the included instructions are incorrect, 2 additional liters would throw off the OG like that.

 

[tomlaw87]

The temp at the time was 22c/72f. It is just malt extract yeah. Just a tin.
Added two litres of boiling water, poured in the extract then added the brew enhancer. Stirred till it dissolved and then topped up to the 23 litre mark with cold water then took the reading. It keeps varying though. Could it be a broken one you think?

Thanks

 

[tomlaw87]

The 21 litres mark is just so you have two litres to get it warmer/cooler depending. Gives you a bit of leeway

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Filled to the 23 litre mark as it said too

when using top up water, it's really hard to mix it all in, so sometimes the liquid on the surface where you pull the sample from is thinner (lower OG) than the rest. it happens all the time and isn't an issue, it'll all mix in during fermentation. if brewing with extract and following all the directions, including water amounts, it's near impossible to actually miss your OG.

 

[tomlaw87]

I was actually thinking that while stirring. It won't be the same. I took the reading from the tap on it though and the brew was still a swirly.
Could be why . It's just I said add yeast ASAP haha.

 

[unionrdr]

You probably just didn't get the chilled wort & top off water mixed well. They don't mix all that easily. That usually accounts for low OG. Also,kit with little in the way of added fermentables will have the same effect. I pour both chilled wort & top off water through a fine mesh strainer propped on top of the fermenter. Aerates well,& removes grainy stuff. Then stir roughly 5 minutes straight. That'll mix it all better for more accurate readings.
Wow,this is weird. I went to clean some recycled bottles,came back,no responses. Responded myself,Bang! Whole page full?

 

[tomlaw87]

Haha cheers for the response guys.

So if it hasn't mixed, does that mean its just the reading that has come out wrong, as opposed to the brew it's self? If you know if you know what I mean.

 

[Huisache]

Haha cheers for the response guys.

So if it hasn't mixed, does that mean its just the reading that has come out wrong, as opposed to the brew it's self? If you know if you know what I mean.

That would be correct. The heavier (higher gravity) liquid is on bottom and the lighter (lower gravity) is on top where you took the sample from. Ran into the same problem before.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Haha cheers for the response guys.

So if it hasn't mixed, does that mean its just the reading that has come out wrong, as opposed to the brew it's self? If you know if you know what I mean.

yeah, it's not going to affect the final brew at all, fermentation will mix everything up.