Bad efficiency with EXTRACT batch? Wtf?

[Monstar]

I have been brewing for 6 months now, and have made a LOT of great beer. I started all grain and have never done extract until today. I figured what the hell, everyone should brew an extract batch at least once in their lives right?

So the brew went fun, I was enjoying the simplicity of it... and when I took my OG reading it was 1.030, more than 25 points under what I expected! Here is the recipe, it was a 3 gallon batch.

4 lbs 3.2 oz Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 86.60 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 10.31 %
2.4 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 3.09 %
0.31 oz Fuggles [6.00 %] (60 min) Hops 9.6 IBU
0.31 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.70 %] (30 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
0.31 oz Fuggles [6.00 %] (20 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
0.31 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.70 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.030 SG

I started with 3 gallons of water, did a 90 minute boil, finished with around 1.5 gallons of wort. Racked it to the fermenter, filled it up to 3 gallons.

What happened? Any ideas?

 

[McGarnigle]

The standard response is you didn't mix the wort well enough before measuring. There's very little at stake when brewing extract with respect to gravity. The specialty grains contribute some, but aren't going to cost you 25 points no matter how poorly you steeped.

 

[Monstar]

The standard response is you didn't mix the wort well enough before measuring. There's very little at stake when brewing extract with respect to gravity. The specialty grains contribute some, but aren't going to cost you 25 points no matter how poorly you steeped.

Yea... I almost pooped myself when I took the reading. I use beersmith, and even after taking all the grains out and switching it to a 3.25 gallon batch it wasnt 25 points under.

Maybe Ill go take another reading... I did just shake the shiz out of it for aeration.

 

[Monstar]

Nope, still 1.030. Ugh.

 

[Xaphoeous]

What was your temp after adding water? If you're getting an OG reading in pretty hot wort, you need to compensate for the temp by adding to your reading. I don't know the calculation, I just use the hydrometer correction calculator in Brewzor.

 

[Xaphoeous]

Wait...temp correction still won't make up for 25 points...just ignore my previous post. Perhaps grab/borrow another hydrometer and see if perhaps something is wrong with yours?

 

[ChshreCat]

If you measured everything right, then your calculation is correct and your hydrometer is wrong. Even without the steeping grains, you're around 1.050.

 

[drathbone]

That would be my suggestion, check your hydrometer to see if it's calibrated. It's hard to miss with extract, you just have to adjust if you do a partial boil.

 

[akryder]

Perhaps grab/borrow another hydrometer and see if perhaps something is wrong with yours?

+1 The paper in the glass hydrometers can slip down....

 

[Monstar]

If you measured everything right, then your calculation is correct and your hydrometer is wrong. Even without the steeping grains, you're around 1.050.

Gracias. I came to this conclusion in my head while watching How I Met Your Mother, and you guys confirmed it for me.

Thanks for all the responses, you guys are awesome!

 

[Grinder12000]

On a side note - extracts are sort of inefficient anyway so in Beer Smith I lower the efficiency a tad. There seems to be more unfermentatle sugar in LME then you would expect.

Also it's nice to see an AG perso come down to partial mash for it's simplicity. So many times I see AG people look down at partial mash people.

 

[Monstar]

On a side note - extracts are sort of inefficient anyway so in Beer Smith I lower the efficiency a tad. There seems to be more unfermentatle sugar in LME then you would expect.

Ah, good to know. Now that I look at it though, I had my efficiency set at 75% (my all grain efficiency)... so now my missing the TG really doesn't make sense.

Also it's nice to see an AG perso come down to partial mash for it's simplicity. So many times I see AG people look down at partial mash people.

Thanks! I figured some people do it for years without switching to AG, so they must be making great beers! I really did enjoy the simplicity of it. If this batch tastes good Im going to continue doing some in the future, stuff like IPA's and those huge beers that take a million pounds of grain

 

[sjbeerman]

Also, it's not necessary to do a 90 minute boil for extract batches.

 

[Monstar]

Also, it's not necessary to do a 90 minute boil for extract batches.

Noted, but I didn't do it for DMS, I did it for a little extra carmelization I like what it adds to an ESB.