SG a little high

[Addicted]

I have been brewing extract brews with steeping grains,i have done about 7 now.I do full boils in an electric kettle.I'm starting to pay attention to the details now and wonder why my SG was high tonight.

I brewed a Excelsior Altbier from midwest tonight and the SG was 1.050,and was supposed to be 1.042-1.046.It was 1.050.My final volume was dead on 5 gallons.Is it because i steep my grains in a large volume of water,are the grains getting a higher efficiency that they would in a small volume of water like the kit instructions are for?

 

[loxnar]

I have been brewing extract brews with steeping grains,i have done about 7 now.I do full boils in an electric kettle.I'm starting to pay attention to the details now and wonder why my SG was high tonight.

I brewed a Excelsior Altbier from midwest tonight and the SG was 1.050,and was supposed to be 1.042-1.046.It was 1.050.My final volume was dead on 5 gallons.Is it because i steep my grains in a large volume of water,are the grains getting a higher efficiency that they would in a small volume of water like the kit instructions are for?

actually steeping grains in more water give you less effiiciency at steeping or diluting out the sugar enzymes. typically the ratio is 1 gallon per 1lb of grain although i know as in my case with some kettles you cant do it with just 1 gallon. anywho extract beers typically do end up finishing higher in the SG department being over a few points really isnt a huge deal. each batch is so unique without the exact same perameters (water, equipment, environment ie humidity and temperature) all affect the final outcome of the beer....RDWHAHB...all it really means is you get more alcohol

note if you convert all grain batches to extract you almost always end up with a higher gravity with the extract batch im sure someone can explain why but all i know is it is a general rule of thumb.