Should I be worried?

[ampsman]

Made a standard porter 9 days ago.
I had scheduled a brew night with a buddy but wasnt able to get to the LHBS till the day off so I wasnt able to make a starter.
Everything went well with the brew though I appeared to miss my OG somehow, supposed to be 1.048-1.052 but ended up at 1.042...wondering if I just hadnt mixed in my top off water well enough?
So 9 days later I am at 1.016.
So if I had hit my OG then that would be the right FG, but I am not sure about my OG.
Should I just go with it and hope for the best?

This is extract by the way.

Extract:
7lbs lme
4oz maltodextrin

Steeping grains:
1lb crystal 40l
8oz black patent
4oz chocolate

hops:
1oz nothern brewer
1oz cascade

yeast:
WLP002

Ferm temp:
68

 

[hodge]

Your guess about mixing as being the fault of your lower gravity reading might be correct. I assume that if you were topping off, you got to the desired final volume in the primary.

Your beer at 1.016 is fine, just roll with it. It will probably taste great!

 

[acuenca]

Yeah... your og is more than likely exactly what the kit said it should be... just be sure to get 2-3 separate gravity readings to make sure that your done fermenting before you go on to bottle... most of us wait minimum 3 weeks with stable gravity anyways.

 

[AJBrew710]

Your guess about mixing as being the fault of your lower gravity reading might be correct. I assume that if you were topping off, you got to the desired final volume in the primary.

Your beer at 1.016 is fine, just roll with it. It will probably taste great!

Agreed. Plus, going from 1.042 to 1.016 is about 62% attenuation, which is almost at the range defined for the kind of yeast you use. A lot of guys do a minimum of 10 days for primary fermentation and leave it up to a month, so there may even be more fermentation left. I say don't worry and enjoy.

 

[hercher]

No. You shouldn't be worried. Target OG's are estimates, anyway. It isn't like you were shooting for 1.080 and hit 1.040. And the poster above is right about waiting until you have a 2-3 consecutive gravity readings with no change.

Give it time. It'll be very good.