Gravity question.

You'll get much more response over at rec.crafts.brewing, the dedicated brewing newsgroup.

Are you brewing with grain or with extract? Either way, regardless of cause, the easiest way to get your starting gravity to where you want it to be is to add more malt. The reasons why you're ending up short are going to vary depending on whether you're brewing with extract or grain. But, as I mentioned, post your question in r.c.b. and you'll likely get more responses - and ones from people who've actually brewed in the last few years (unlike me).

-Steve

I'm assuming that you are brewing from extract. If so, what you describe is very common: when you put your boiled wort into the fermenter & top up with water, it doesn't thoroughly mix. The sample you take is generally from the top of the fermenter, and it's lower in gravity than the bottom.

Basically if you mix really well, you should get a correct reading. otoh, measuring OG is probably not that important when brewing with extracts because you *know* the amount of fermentables you've added. It's easy to calculate.

Well, it depends on the hydrometer. Most of them will say what temperature they are calibrated for, and temperature correction tables are readily available from a number of sources (some hydrometers come with a temp correction table, most homebrew books have them, and a simple google search will work, too).

you should try adding some more malt extract. if i'm not mistaken, and i probably am, a pound of dried malt extract (dme) will add something like 0.005 points to your og. when i first started brewing with kits, i always added two pounds of dme to everything i brewed. (and if i was drinking at the same time i might have added four pounds...)

and yes, you are correct about the alcohol being lower. a quick google search will turn up the formula used for calculating alcohol content.

kevin

Chris Mares wrote:

You may get a better response by using the rec.crafts.brewing newsgroup.