OG way too low

[andrewp]

just finished cooling a pumpkin ale for a 3 gal. batch. thought i was all set to pitch the yeast but when i looked at the hydrometer my OG was 1.028.

my boil was about 2 gal. so i had to add 1 gal to top it off. is my reading thrown off because i'm reading the top water? i have a small turkey baster that only gets down into the wort about 3 inches at best (no sex jokes please).

whats up with my wort?

 

[elmetal]

you need to mix it up.

always. the denser 2 gallons will just rest on the bottom.

it's always good to mix up partial boils, and while fermentation won't matter much if it's not mixed, it's better for your reading. mix it up so you oxygenate it at the same time.

it's 2 birds with 1 stone

 

[andrewp]

thanks. yah thats what it ended up being. i mixed it up a few more times and the reading was spot on. 1.048.