Original gravity seems low... did i mess up somewhere???

[kuips]

So, i just finished my very first batch of homebrew and I am very excited about it - the whole process seemed to go easily and smooth. I just pitched the yeast and took a hydrometer reading. When i took the reading the temp was about 72F (I know a bit high) and I got a reading somewhere around 1.046... The recipe call for and OG of 1.067 (im assuming at 60F). So it seems like i am really low. Did I do something wrong - did i just add to much water?

I am sure it will still taste great, but I do not want the ABV to be really low...

I did a 3 gal boil, I made an IPA.

Thanks

 

[mosquitocontrol]

If you are doing extract, its more then likely the water did not fully mix with the wort. It will take some time. If you did not stir completely (which isn't necessary) then the top off water will be on top and lower your OG reading. For partial boils I guarantee it must have been very close to the OG stated in the recipe.

 

[kuips]

I was doing extract. Should I take another reading in a day or two? or do you think it was pretty much at what the recipe said?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Yooper]

I was doing extract. Should I take another reading in a day or two? or do you think it was pretty much at what the recipe said?

Thanks for the help!

A reading in a day or two won't help- since fermentation should be well underway by then.

If you used the extract in the kit, and used the correct amount of water, it HAS to be correct. The sugars can't just disappear. But in a heavier wort, topped up with water, it's very hard to get a correct reading. Even with stirring, the heavier wort sinks and the lighter wort floats. That's not a problem, since the yeast knows where to find the sugars, so don't worry about it. check it in a week, at the earliest!

 

[Revvy]

It's a pretty common issue for ANYONE using extract and then topping off with water (and that includes partial mashes) to have an error in reading the OG...In fact, it is actually nearly impossible to mix the wort and the top off water in a way to get an accurate OG reading...

Brewers get a low reading if they get more of the top off water than the wort, conversely they get a higher number if they grabbed more of the extract than the top off water in their sample.

When I am doing an extract with grain recipe I make sure to stir for a minimum of 5 minutes (whipping up a froth to aerate as well) before I draw a grav sample and pitch my yeast....It really is an effort to integrate the wort with the top off water...This is a fairly common new brewer issue we get on here...unless you under or over topped off or the final volume for the kit was 5 gallons and you topped off to 5.5, then the issue, sorry to say, is "operator error"

it doesn't matter what your reading was.....the "real reading" in an extract batch is what it said it would be in the recipe or beersmith....Whether or not you mixed it up enough before you took the reading it mixed itself up fine during fermentation.

So unless you had a final volume a gallon or so higher than 5 gallons....you recipe will be fine and at the OG it was supposed to be,

I bet your OG is EXACTLY what it is supposed to be.

And during fermentation the wort and water will mix up just fine on it's own.

 

[kuips]

it was a heavier wort topped with water, not a kit. so there is a chance i put a bit too much water in.

so when I take my FG and want to figure out my ABV should i just use the recipe stated OG?

I am sure I am just over-thinking/worrying about this....

Thanks