HELP! 1st time AG

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Flaminghedgehog

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Just doing my 1st AG. Nice n simple small batch (11litre) in 15L pot
Steeped:
1.5kg Pale malt
80Gram Chocolate
200G Crystal 60L
150G Biscuit
in 9L water @ 70C finished at 65C after 60 min
brief sparge and squeeze in 2L water @75C
11L total boil volume

The prob is according to ianh's spreadsheet and brewmate I should have about 1037OG. Instead I have 1042 @ 55C which apparently gives 1055OG cooled.

How the hell is it so far out? Grind was very fine as I am BIABing but brewmate says I need 100% efficiency to achieve this OG

Was supposed to be about 4%-4.5%ABV. Do I just add some water after boil to adjust?

Any ideas?
 
Only new to this my self. But I would cool it down to pitch temp and take a new reading. Also did you finish with the right end volume? Was the mash 70c or was that your strike? If your sure of the OG you can adjust it in the fermenter..

Sorry but thats all I got...

Cheers
 
Flaminghedgehog said:
Just doing my 1st AG. Nice n simple small batch (11litre) in 15L pot
Steeped:
1.5kg Pale malt
80Gram Chocolate
200G Crystal 60L
150G Biscuit
in 9L water @ 70C finished at 65C after 60 min
brief sparge and squeeze in 2L water @75C
11L total boil volume

The prob is according to ianh's spreadsheet and brewmate I should have about 1037OG. Instead I have 1042 @ 55C which apparently gives 1055OG cooled.

How the hell is it so far out? Grind was very fine as I am BIABing but brewmate says I need 100% efficiency to achieve this OG

Was supposed to be about 4%-4.5%ABV. Do I just add some water after boil to adjust?

Any ideas?
What was your rest temp, not 70deg was it?
If pre-boil is 1.037 & you have 1.055 cooled, add water before you boil to get it back down to 1.037 & adjust your hops for the now new volume to keep it inline with your expected recipe figures. I Biab & use BrewMate. Use one programme or the other as they give different values so stick with one only. Don't crush too fine it just adds to trub loss.
Skip the sparge too, a sacc rest for 90mins & a mash out will boost efficiency but you seemed to have hit big efficiency with those numbers.
Can you give us your grain absorption ratio & boil off % & how long are you boiling for?
 
Thanks for the response. Expecting someone would point out some noob mistake I have made. Have cooled off a sample and it is at 1052. Hydrometer tests OK. Strike was 74C

Does bittering change the OG? Reading taken before any hops added
 
that's a pretty high mash in... I take it all these readings are pre-boil, yes?
 
roverfj1200 said:
What was your end volume and what was it ment to be?
Can only boil 11L on stove top safely so added 9L from steep to 2L sparge and am topping up with boiling water during boil to maintain approx 11L

Was aiming for 11L in fermenter but will have to add 4 litres to bring it to target OG
 
Yeah. Don't add up at all...... Under 2kg of grain for that OG.... Well ferment it and drink it..

I would leave it at 11L... But thats only what I would do.


Cheers.
 
Cheers for the replies people!

Cooling the wort now and will take your advice Roverfj1200. Will be much higher ABV than I generally go for but if I water it down I will always wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't so I will leave it as is
 
OK figured out my noob error. Have incorrectly marked the volume levels on the side of the pot. Checked it by pouring in 1 litre at a time. Was only 9L not 11L!

After altering the volume to the correct amount I have 1044

I new it would be a dumbass mistake!
 
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