why am i getting a low OG?

[jabumbo]

A few days ago I started my second batch which resulted in an OG of 1.020 (the recipe said it should be 1.045).

I just moved said batch into the carboy and resulted a gravity of 1.08



Is there any particular reason my gravity would be so low to start? I had this same type of issue with my first batch and so I figure I must be doing something wrong.

(side note- batch 1 tasted fine, just about 1.5% lower ABV than the recipe stated)

 

[Parker36]

Recipe? I'm assuming the FG was 1.008 and not 1.08?

 

[Stoopidwon]

would need to see recipe to give a decent answer to that... probably not enough fermentables.

 

[jabumbo]

recipe = instructions. and yes, 1.008. oops...


both of my batches have been made using "brewers best" extract kits. the batch in question was the english brown ale.


my initial thought was that it was related to some boil over when the malt was added. i started with 2.5 gallons as the instructions suggested, but only had about 2 gallons once the boil was completed.

 

[Parker36]

Ok, tell us what the "instructions" were. What did you add in and how much?

 

[Stoopidwon]

thats strange considering that you are using kits....maybe a bad hydrometer... I dont really know.

 

[Nurmey]

99% of the time the reason for this is not mixing the wort and top off water enough to get a good reading. Wort being much heavier than water sinks to the bottom and doesn't want to mix. When you take your reading it is mostly top off water.

With an extract kit it isn't possible to be that far off unless you forgot to add all the ingredients.

 

[JKoravos]

99% of the time the reason for this is not mixing the wort and top off water enough to get a good reading. Wort being much heavier than water sinks to the bottom and doesn't want to mix. When you take your reading it is mostly top off water.

With an extract kit it isn't possible to be that far off unless you forgot to add all the ingredients.

+1


It sounds like everything is fine to me. The FG is a little low, but not ridiculously low. If it tastes good, drink it.

 

[ChshreCat]

With an extract kit it isn't possible to be that far off unless you forgot to add all the ingredients.

or added way too much water somehow.

+1 on getting a thin sample because everything didn't mix in the fermenter. Happens all the time. You have to stir the living crap out of it to really get a good sample on a partial boil.

 

[jabumbo]

i didn't worry too much, since the first batch tasted fine with slightly low gravity results, so i'm hoping this is the same case.


so is it safe to say that my boil over from adding the malt isn't really effecting much in my final product then? maybe just some of the potential potency of the beer?

 

[corvax13]

You are correct - your average boil over doesn't really have too much of an effect - not to the point of ruining your beer or anything.