Hello guys, Been doing a porter yesterday and ended up with a little bit high Pre-Boil reading using an ATC refractometer.
The recipe called for a OG of 1.058 @ 5.25G @ 75% efficiency.
My Pre-Boil volume was 8Gallons. ( Yeah i'm loosing quite alot of wort while boiling.)
I then figured out my Pre-Boil gravity should be 1.038 (58 x 5.25/8)
I took a reading using the refractometer and found a PBG of 1.043.
A little bit high I decided to adjust it. 1.043 - 1.038 is a 5points difference.
(5 point/38 = 13.15% x 8Gallon) = Adding 1.05Gallon water.
I then added the desired water to my Pre-Boil wort ended up with 9Gallon and removed 1 Gallon so i then get 8Gallon again.
Took a second Pre-Boil Reading using the Refractometer. BAM 1.038 as expected i was really happy.
I then boiled my wort for 60min ended up with i little more wort then expected
(5.75G vs 5.25G). Took i final reading both using my refractometer and hydrometer once the wort was cooled. Ended up with an OG of 1.052 (Expected OG was 1.058)
I wondering what i did wrong. I mean i adjusted my Pre-Boil gravity. Got it right were it needed to be. But ended up with a lower OG than expected.
Should i just have boiled a little bit longer to get to 5.25 gallon and gain some more efficiency point ?
Thank you
David
The recipe called for a OG of 1.058 @ 5.25G @ 75% efficiency.
My Pre-Boil volume was 8Gallons. ( Yeah i'm loosing quite alot of wort while boiling.)
I then figured out my Pre-Boil gravity should be 1.038 (58 x 5.25/8)
I took a reading using the refractometer and found a PBG of 1.043.
A little bit high I decided to adjust it. 1.043 - 1.038 is a 5points difference.
(5 point/38 = 13.15% x 8Gallon) = Adding 1.05Gallon water.
I then added the desired water to my Pre-Boil wort ended up with 9Gallon and removed 1 Gallon so i then get 8Gallon again.
Took a second Pre-Boil Reading using the Refractometer. BAM 1.038 as expected i was really happy.
I then boiled my wort for 60min ended up with i little more wort then expected
(5.75G vs 5.25G). Took i final reading both using my refractometer and hydrometer once the wort was cooled. Ended up with an OG of 1.052 (Expected OG was 1.058)
I wondering what i did wrong. I mean i adjusted my Pre-Boil gravity. Got it right were it needed to be. But ended up with a lower OG than expected.
Should i just have boiled a little bit longer to get to 5.25 gallon and gain some more efficiency point ?
Thank you
David