Problems with SG

[Springpatch]

So when I made up my brewers best trippel I some stuff (different hops). So when I transfered to my primary the SG was 1.06, which was supposed to come out at 1.08. I figured my solution wasn't mixed enough, so I can the bucket a few good shakes to get it mixed. Well bout a week later (today) I am transfering it to my 2ndary. Took an SG reading an it was 1.02. What gives? What could I have done wrong to mess this up? Granted the beer smells great, and the bit I took out of the primary after siphoning was damn good, I want it to have a higher ABV.

Anything I can do in my 2ndary to fix this, or am I stuck.

 

[fatnoah]

Did you take a gravity reading after you shook the bucket up better?

 

[LKABrewer]

For an extract batch, as long as your volumes are correct your SG will be correct as well. If you volumes are too high, you will have low SG. If your volumes are too low, you will have high SG.

FG is a different story. How much yeast did you pitch for a 5 gallon 1.080 beer? Did you oxygenate? What type of yeast?

 

[Springpatch]

pitched a WL500 vial that had been put in starter for over 48 hours. I didn't take a SG unfortunately after I shook the **** out of the bucket. I just figured it would go up.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

A beer that starts at 1.080 and finishes at 1.020 will have an ABV (alcohol) of 8%. I suspect that you got a false reading when you put it in the primary. After a week the fermenting was basically done, so the hydrometer read 1.020. No problem. You used a kit and the final gravity turned out correct. Now wait to see that the final gravity is constant for three days and then bottle.