Mystery: Expected OG 1.089 but actual OG 1.054
I'm very much a newbie (this was my second batch) and I've looked up a bunch of reasons why measured and expected OG can differ but the difference seems extreme (to me) so I wanted to run it by the community to see how my process can be corrected, or what might have happened.
Recipe:
10 lb DME
1 lb Crystal 120L
13.6 oz Chocolate
3 oz hops
Brew Day:
Boil Vol: 3 gal
Unfortunately, I didn't measure final wort volume or keep track of how much water I had to add, which would have been very helpful to know.
I did have a little spillage during the transfer to carboy - it was a pretty small amount (rogue siphon hose for a split second - twice) but I wouldn't think that would account for the entire OG discrepancy.
I'm wondering if I boiled off more water than the recipe calculators expected - though wouldn't the amount of dissolved sugars be the same regardless of wort volume?
I checked two different recipe calculators and set the boil volume and target batch volume and both agree that my OG should have been around 1.090.
I'm wondering if perhaps my DME didn't dissolve all the way? I felt like I stirred and stirred, but maybe it didn't all mix in and got combined with the hop pellet sludge? I didn't see chunks of DME left behind, and reading I've done leads me to believe 3 gals was enough to dissolve 10 lb of DME.
I also took my first OG measurement right after I added the water to top off to 5 gal and shook/swirled it a bit. After the fact I though maybe the wort and water weren't fully mixed so I took a measurement the next day and still got 1.054. Is it possible it's more concentrated at the bottom? If so, would that affect fermentation at all?
In any case, I'm thinking 1.054 will likely leave me with a drinkable beer. RDWHAHB, right?
I'm very much a newbie (this was my second batch) and I've looked up a bunch of reasons why measured and expected OG can differ but the difference seems extreme (to me) so I wanted to run it by the community to see how my process can be corrected, or what might have happened.
Recipe:
10 lb DME
1 lb Crystal 120L
13.6 oz Chocolate
3 oz hops
Brew Day:
Boil Vol: 3 gal
- Steeped the Crystal and Chocolate @ 150-160°F for 30 mins
- Brought to boil
- Stirred in DME
- Brought back to boil
- Added hops
- Boiled for 60 mins
- Cooled wort with ice bath to 75°F
- Transferred to 6 gal glass carboy
- Topped off with pre-boiled water to 5 gal
Unfortunately, I didn't measure final wort volume or keep track of how much water I had to add, which would have been very helpful to know.
I did have a little spillage during the transfer to carboy - it was a pretty small amount (rogue siphon hose for a split second - twice) but I wouldn't think that would account for the entire OG discrepancy.
I'm wondering if I boiled off more water than the recipe calculators expected - though wouldn't the amount of dissolved sugars be the same regardless of wort volume?
I checked two different recipe calculators and set the boil volume and target batch volume and both agree that my OG should have been around 1.090.
I'm wondering if perhaps my DME didn't dissolve all the way? I felt like I stirred and stirred, but maybe it didn't all mix in and got combined with the hop pellet sludge? I didn't see chunks of DME left behind, and reading I've done leads me to believe 3 gals was enough to dissolve 10 lb of DME.
I also took my first OG measurement right after I added the water to top off to 5 gal and shook/swirled it a bit. After the fact I though maybe the wort and water weren't fully mixed so I took a measurement the next day and still got 1.054. Is it possible it's more concentrated at the bottom? If so, would that affect fermentation at all?
In any case, I'm thinking 1.054 will likely leave me with a drinkable beer. RDWHAHB, right?
