OG Lower than expected

[jrtoastyman]

Just finished brewing our second batch of beer over the weekend, a stout. We are using a Brewer's Best kit, which uses steeped grains and DME/LME. For the second time, the OG was less than the range we were shooting for per the instructions. Even prior to filling to 5 gallons, we were at 1.028 rather than the 1.046-1.050 range indicated. This same thing happened with our previous batch, which was an IPA.

I'm kinda at a loss. I feel like we've followed the instructions to a "T," and I'm not really understanding where we're going wrong. What impact will this lower OG have on the beer, if any?

Thanks for any insight!

 

[freisste]

Your wort is striated. You are sampling from a depth that is more watery.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Ok, thanks. Is this as easy as stirring the wort prior to sampling?

 

[freisste]

Yes. Just make sure it isn't too hot because you could end up with an issue called hot side aeration which causes off flavors. Then again, most people on here claim that it is essentially a myth on the homebrew level.

But it shouldn't make any difference because when you get near pitching temperatures, you should be well below the lower limit for HSA. Sampling should be the last thing you do before pitching yeast and sealing things up.

 

[woozy]

The extract has a specific amount of sugar in it. And the water has a specific volume. Hence you will have the exact OG listed in the instructions (assuming they were correct.) Therefore, your descrepencies are the result of unmixed wort. When you wort cools you want to aerate it anyway (for the yeast; this is the *only* time you want to aerate) so stir the snot out of that wort.

Hot side aeration (introducing air by excessive stirring at high temperatures which is supposedly bad for your beer) *is* a myth but I believe you should never let others (even those more experienced than you) tell you what to think so you'll have to come to your own conclusion on that (but here's a hint; commercial breweries *shoot* hot wort through pipes at 100s of gallons per minute from six feet into fermenters and they never have issues with hot side aeration.)

 

[woozy]

Oh, and the low OG will have*no* impact on your beer because you don't really have a lower OG.

 

[derbycitybrewer]

Are u taking this ready with the hot wort? Are your re calculating the difference from the heat?

 

[freisste]

I'm guessing "reading" got autocorrected into "ready", but that is a good point. While I doubt it is the issue in this case considering the massive discrepancy, make sure to use your hydrometer at the temperature it is calibrated for (or make the correction).

 

[woozy]

Good point about the heat difference. You can use this but it's only a rough guide.

But such a massive discrepency can't be solely do to heat alone. (Unless you are at boiling or near boiling.)

 

[derbycitybrewer]

I'm guessing "reading" got autocorrected into "ready", but that is a good point. While I doubt it is the issue in this case considering the massive discrepancy, make sure to use your hydrometer at the temperature it is calibrated for (or make the correction).

Yea, damn auto correct lol. Doubt it's to much but if he's taking it at high temps it could boost it 10 points. But either way its lower than expected.