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OG lower than expected using BS

Reebo

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I am returning to extract brewing after a 15 yr layoff, new to the forum and software.  I decided to make a Hefe for my first beer as I enjoy it this time of year.  I created a recipe with 4 lbs wheat dme, 2.5 lbs of pils dme.  In BS I chose the ingredient type of Dry Extract and for the recipe type I choose Extract and Batch size of 5 gallon.  BS came up with an Est OG of 1.054 for the recipe which i thought was low but it's been a while.  I use to calculate it simply, if I remember correctly, 1 lb of DME would roughly equal 1% alcohol.  Anyhow, I brewed it up and got a OG of 1.063 at 70 degrees.  I wasn't going for an Imperial Hefe, so I will probably water it down depending on the final gravity.

So is it me or am i calculating something wrong in BeerSmith?

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm not sure it would explain this,  probably not,  but what you you understand by the term "Batch size?"    In BS2, it refers to the volume that you want going into your fermenter,  not the bottling of kegging volume.


Brian.
 
Reebo said:
I created a recipe with 4 lbs wheat dme, 2.5 lbs of pils dme.  In BS I chose the ingredient type of Dry Extract and for the recipe type I choose Extract and Batch size of 5 gallon.  BS came up with an Est OG of 1.054 for the recipe which i thought was low

Using 1.044 PPG for DME would roughly yield 44*6.5/5 = 1.057 just on the sugars, and then a 60-minute boil would concentrate it down by 5-10 points by evaporation, so I think Wingeezer is right about the volumes being lower on brew day than what was entered in BSmith. 

The amount of wort sugar is fairly predictable, so the amount of water diluting those sugars might be the issue.  Did you start with 6.0 or 6.5 gallons before boiling? 
 
Hey guys,

Thank you for the input.  I did start out with roughly 6 gallons and boiled it down to 5 gallons.  I wonder if my mark on my primary is off but maybe the volume is lower then I thought it was.  I will be transferring it today to my glass carboy with maybe a little top off of water.

Thanks again,

Lee
 
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