Really high OG - Extract

[Will_the-new-brewer]

So I am on my 8th extract brew and got a really high reading on my OG...1.085 when it is estimated to be 1.045-50.

The only thing I did different this time around was measure with the trub that was left in the boil kettle.

Should I be concerned? I drew the hydrometer sample, pitched yeast, and then measured once it cooled a little bit.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

So I must have had too much trub in the bottom. Although I pitched the yeast already, I am assuming that it hasn't started yet (less than 2 hrs after pitching) and took another sample. It was within range...1.047.

 

[DVCNick]

I've been told that your hydrometer sample needs to be free of suspended solids or it will mess up the reading. What I did on one batch that had a bunch of "stuff" in it was cool down the sample, which dropped everything out. Then let it warm back up to room temp and got a good reading off the remaining clear wort.

 

[Calder]

Suspended solids will not make any difference to the hydrometer reading.

There are a lot of reports of incorrect OG readings with extract brews. The sugars do not fully mix. Even if you think you have fully mixed everything, you can still have different gravities thru the wort. The usual report is for a low OG because the reading was taken from wort at the top of the container. You say you took it from the bottom of the kettle; did you add extract at the end of the boil - probably didn't fully mix, so you got a higher reading.

 

[RM-MN]

So I am on my 8th extract brew and got a really high reading on my OG...1.085 when it is estimated to be 1.045-50.

The only thing I did different this time around was measure with the trub that was left in the boil kettle.

Should I be concerned? I drew the hydrometer sample, pitched yeast, and then measured once it cooled a little bit.

I'll sometimes recommend that exrract kit brewers not bother with the OG reading and instead just accept the kit's estimated because it will be more accurate than many of the readings. Why? Because the extract has a known amount of sugars in it and if you use the right amount of water you are guaranteed to hit the estimated OG.

It can be incredibly difficult to get proper mixing of the extract with top off water. The extract is much denser and wants to sink to the bottom and unless you have a long spoon to stir it you aren't getting down to where the extract is.

 

[Smellyglove]

I've been told that your hydrometer sample needs to be free of suspended solids or it will mess up the reading. What I did on one batch that had a bunch of "stuff" in it was cool down the sample, which dropped everything out. Then let it warm back up to room temp and got a good reading off the remaining clear wort.

Suspended solids will not alter your hydrometer reading in the same way you will not float any higher in the water in a swimming pool full of people comparing to a pool with only you in it.

 

[DVCNick]

Sorry about the wrong info about the solids.
I was told that by an experienced guy I know who has made some pretty good stuff in my opinion (not a guy on the forum).
Now I'm gonna ask him about it again to see if I misunderstood...

That's why I'm in the newbie forum!

 

[Smellyglove]

Maybe he meant a refractometer.

 

[parjay]

Did you use top off water? You could get a really high reading if you added water to the fermenter and not your kettle.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

Did you use top off water? You could get a really high reading if you added water to the fermenter and not your kettle.

I did. I tried starting off with more water so I didn't have to use as much top off--still needed some.

 

[parjay]

So did you measure the gravity with or without the top off water?

I did. I tried starting off with more water so I didn't have to use as much top off--still needed some.

 

[kh54s10]

If you measured before adding the top up water your gravity will be way high. The OG is with the top up water.

If you don't mix top up water REALLY well your reading could easily be off. High if you get a "thick" sample, low if you get mostly the top up water.

If it was a kit, you used all the ingredients and ended up with the proper volume into the fermenter your OG will be really close to what the kit predicted.