Am going to bottle my Falconer's Flight IPA tomorrow, from a Brewer's Best kit. I didn't realize until looking at the box how much I was off in the OG. It called for a 1.075-1.079 OG and a 1.016-1.019 FG. I had around a 1.056-1.061 OG, and when I transferred to a secondary my gravity was already in the OG range, maybe slightly less, like 1.014-1.1015. How will a lower gravity reading affect the taste or alcohol content of a beer? And what are some of the typical reasons for a lower-than-expected gravity reading?
Did you do a partial of full boil? Adding too much water is probably the most common reason. Also your beer should be just fine with that OG and FG. Seems pretty standard to me so it should all be good.
Was this an extract kit? If so, it's pretty hard to actually miss the OG by much. Here are some reasons you may have been low (1-3), or more likely, just measured low (4-5). 1) The kit was short on extract 2) Not all the extract made it into the kettle 3) You topped off with water to more than 5 gallons 4) You didn't mix the top-off water with the wort thoroughly before measuring the OG 5) You measured the OG while the wort (and top off water) was still hot, and didn't adjust the reading for temperature.
I suggest you take measurements that are more accurate. OG was either 1.056 or 1.061 or in the middle. Missing your OG by 5 points is not a huge deal, but missing the measurement by 5 points points to an issue with consistency.
Thanks for the reply. Yeah it was an extract kit, with crushed grains as well. I didn't get all the extract out of the cans, but I didn't feel that I left a lot in, just a thin layer that stuck to the walls of the cans - tried to scrape out as much as I could. I may have added a little bit more than 5 gallons with the top-off water - put the wort into a plastic bucket and measured according to shadow along the 5 gallon. Wasn't exact but wasn't too far off I think. The temp was probably down to 75 degrees when I took the reading. It was hard to get an exact reading because there was foam blocking the hydro both times. I'll try and get a very clear reading when I bottle tomorrow. Does this affect the alcohol content drastically? I wouldn't mind if it lowers the intended alcohol content, which the kit says is supposed to be 7.5-8%. Thanks again.
It was a partial and I may have added a little more than 5 gallons. My last batch I had less than 5 after the boil off and I wanted to make sure I had a solid 5. It tasted pretty good - very bitter and hoppy - when I sampled during the transfer to the secondary.
75 F should correct to a higher OG by a few points. There are many easy online calculators that can help convert. To get the LME out of the cans you can pour some hot wort into them and swish it around and dump back into the pot. Or just use DME and avoid the problem entirely.
Yeah, foam blocked a clear reading. I could guess and split it down the middle of each reading. Any tips for getting around difficulty reading the hydrometer when foam or the "upward curve" throw off precision?
Seriously, just don't even worry about it. You're probably fine, and will be quite surprised as to how good the final batch tastes. If it tastes that good in secondary, it will probably taste great in bottles or on keg.
Relax, don't worry, and (soon) have a homebrew. You should have a beer ~5% abv, and I am sure it will taste good. And if it doesn't, well hey, my first batch sucked too! The solution to that is easy: brew another batch, and see how it goes.
For foam, just take a sample out and wait for the foam to settle. For temperature correction, see this... http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html For how to use a hydrometer... http://www.homebrewers.com/category/aatdvarks.videos.001_beginner.measuring-gravity/
No worries. Your wort will transform itself into a tasty ale despite your efforts. It may not be the beer you expected but it will still be beer.
