Much Lower OG than expected

[wolfman_Jay]

Did a mini-mash brew for a Rye Pale Ale this weekend with-
4lb. 2 Row Pilsner
1.5lb. Rye
.5lb. Dark Munich
3lb. light pils LME at end of boil...

My end OG numbers were WAY off. According to my app should have been 1.050. Read at only 1.030.
My numbers seemed on at the end of the mash, but there wasn't any raise after boil and addition of LME.

What could have gone wrong?!?

 

[johngaltsmotor]

Did you let the sample cool to room temperature before measuring? Temperature makes a huge difference. If you boiled for 60 minutes and added LME there is no way that your gravity didn't increase. Even if you didn't boil, adding 3lb LME will increase your gravity significantly.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

how was your crush? what mash temp? Need more info.

 

[wolfman_Jay]

I chilled to 70º before measuring. Always do. I agree it should have raised even a bit. When I measured the mash pour off it was filled a bit with grain residue so perhaps that gave me an inaccurate reading to begin with.
The Rye looked a bit whole. Never used rye before so wasn't sure if that was normal. Mashed at 150º for 1 hour. sparged with 170º with enough sparge water to bring up the volume to about 6 gals. as I have before. (Do a full boil starting with 6 gals to compensate for boil off.)

 

[feinbera]

No way that three pounds of extract didn't move your gravity.

Is it possible your first runnings and sparge runnings weren't well-mixed, or that the extract wasn't well-mixed with the combined runnings? Because, one of those readings has got to be wrong.

 

[wolfman_Jay]

feinbera. Nah. I get ya. I was thinking the same thing. Stupid me. I was taking the initial reading from the extracted mash water only and not before it was mixed with sparge and such. Still don't know why my target was SO off. Im usually only off about .001 gravity the most. I know my FINAL reading were done entirely correct.