OG and Full Boil

[instinct2]

Did my 3rd brew this weekend and decided to try a full boil with Northern Brewer's Caribou Slober. I started the boil with just under 6 1/2 gallons of water. Had one boil over (my pot is not quite big enough I guess). Was able to cool my wort down to 80-82%, but my hydrometer reading was 0.142 Calibrated should be around 0.145. Northern Brewer suggests 0.152

Did I have to much water at the start? or what did I do wrong? I feel like its over 5 gallons in my carboy when looking at it.

How will this affect the brew? What should I've done to get the reading to 0.152?

 

[Distroid]

Is this an extract or AG recipe?
If you have more than 5 gallons in the carboy it's going to thin out the wort some and you'll have a lower gravity reading. I think the average boil off rate is just under 1gal/hr. Meaning in 1 hour you will have about 1 gallon of water evaporate, which would've left you at 5.5 gallons going into the primary. I'd say try to figure out exactly what your boil off rate is so you can be a little more precise with future batches.
As far as your current brew, it'll have a tad less body, but it'll still be some mighty tasty slobber.

 

[helibrewer]

With an extract kit, your OG will be as indicated by the recipe if your volume is correct since there is no conversion issue to change efficiency.

 

[instinct2]

Ok that must be it. I started off with about 6 1/4 gallons.

Could I have done anything to bump the OG up?
How much difference does the taste change when the OG gravity is off?

 

[duboman]

Ok that must be it. I started off with about 6 1/4 gallons.

Could I have done anything to bump the OG up?
How much difference does the taste change when the OG gravity is off?

You could have boiled longer to reduce the volume and increase the gravity accordingly

Obviously with lower OG your ABV will be lower and the beer may taste a bit thinner but all in all you made beer!