Question on missing OG target

[cweston]

I've read various posts lamented missing the target OG by a lot on an all-grain batch because of lower than anticipated efficiency.

I'm planning to take a hydrometer reading of the collected wort, adjust for temperature, and calculate the SG when it's boiled down to 5.5 gallons (or whatever the batch size is).

If it's way low, I'll add some DME: it just happens to work out neatly that 2 oz of DME should add one gravity point to a 5.5 gallon batch.

I'm just wondering why anyone wouldn't do this, if you're going to go to the trouble of taking hydrometer readings at all. Seems like a small amount of trouble to avoid ending up with a 1030 beer when you're shooting for 1050.

I can see why a purist would not want to add DME. In that case, I'd probably boil longer and just shoot for a smaller batch.

Seems like waitng until pitching time to take a hydrometer reading just adds fear and worrying. What am I missing?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I did exactly this for 2-3 batches until I got Promash dialled in pretty well. I'm generally close enough for gov't work these days, but I always have some DME around for exactly this scenario (and starters).

 

[Blender]

I think it is a good plan and will do the same thing for my initial AG brews. Since I don't crush my grains yet that is one variable that I cannot account for at this time.

 

[voodoochild7]

My first all grain turned out to be 1030 but I like to experiment 'till I find out how to get things working for me. I don't mind if this turns out to be a lighter beer anyway summers coming.

 

[Kaiser]

Like the others, I did this for my first AG batches. But there it was even anticipated since they were higher gravity beers (Doppelbock and Maibock).

When I grind the grain at the LHBS I inspect the grind and make shure it is ok. So far my efficiency was pretty consistent. And since I batch sparge, there is not much that can go wrong. So I stopped keeping DME at hand. After I collected 24L (~6.5 gal) of wort, I measure its gravity. Then I determine what the post boil volume should be and start the timed boil. If I don't expect to boil down to the necessary volume, I would have to extend the boil. At 20-15 min left, before I place the chiller into the boil, I check the volume in the kettle and start boiling the amount of water I need to add at the end to get to the anticipated post boil volume and gravity. I then add the water when it is boiling. Usually I need to add 2-3L (2-3 qts).

For starters, I usually have wort left over or may run the lauter for a final time.

Kai

 

[Eleusis]

Pretty much standard operating procedure for the first few AG batches, if you ask me.... you positively cannot be left with 1.035 wort.