Our OG and FG readings are always high....

[chadm817]

My buddy and I are on our fifth extract kit. All have turned or drinkable that many people we give them to really enjoy them.

To make a long story shirt our SG readings are always high and our FG readings are always high.

The beers always have the right amount of alcohol. (Meaning if it was .05 high on the OG reading it was roughly .05 high in the FG reading.

We've tried dry yeast, we've tried smack packs we even recently did a starter.

The last beer was a midwest brew power pack porter and once again the OG reading was 1.07 instead of the recommended 1.063-1.067. This time we added probably 1/4 of a gallon more water than the normal 5 gallons and the OG reading was still high.......

Is this normal? Are there any recommendations? How can I get this right?

 

[Qhrumphf]

A couple possibilities:

-Are you reading the hydrometer correctly. Most you're supposed to read through the meniscus, but as far as I'm aware, there are some out there that you're supposed to read above. That could make you a couple points high
-Are you properly correcting for temperature?
-If you're brewing extract batches, they should not be off. If you're adding the right fermentables in the right amounts, and have the right batch size, they will not be off. Different amounts of fermentables, different kinds of fermentables, and different batch volumes will change the gravity. But for a known amount and combination of extracts/sugars in a known volume, the gravity will not be wrong, period. If you're topping up with water prior to taking the reading, you're probably not mixing thorougly enough.
-Are the volume markers you're using accurate? If your going off the lines on a bucket, measure yourself. If it says 5 gallons and it's really 4.75 gallons, that'll explain it.
-Some extracts have a habit of being slightly more unfermentable than they should be, and finishing a little higher than intended. Doesn't mean a stuck fermentation, but rather that the yeast have gone through any available fermentable sugars, and there's a higher than intended amount of unfermentable sugars.

 

[Darkness]

For a 5gal batch start with 6gal this is going to yield closer to 5. You are probably just short of 5 and just condensing the sugar into less wort.

 

[CraptainWirtz]

What does your hydrometer read in 60-degree F water (or whatever temp yours is calibrated to)? If it doesn't read 1.000, you need to tap the paper down until it reads correctly. Maybe you jostled your hydrometer and un-calibrated it.

 

[chadm817]

For a 5gal batch start with 6gal this is going to yield closer to 5. You are probably just short of 5 and just condensing the sugar into less wort.

If I started and the OG was too high is there anything I can do once fermenting? Meaning my FG reading is still high and it's done fermenting. There's no way to get it lower is there?