Barleywine Original Gravity

[golmar]

Hi,

I just brewed an extract kit from Northern Brewer for a Barleywine. It indicated an OG of 1085 and suggested that using only four gallons would yield an OG of 1100. I went for 4 gallons (estimated, I have a five gallon carboy without gallon markings on it but I'm pretty sure I was close). My OG was about 1073. I'm not sure what I did wrong. There were 12 ounces of liquid extract of which 9 were added at last 15 minutes. The only thing I can think of is that the water I added to bring it up to four gallons did not totally mix with the wort.

Any suggestions?

[DannyW]

If your volume measurements were close and you added all the extract at some point, then you will be at or above 1.100. Measuring less than that means incomplete mixing, which happens all the time.

To truly have 1.073 you would have to have more than 6 gallons of total volume. If you did that in a 5 gallon carboy you would have wet feet.

Are your feet wet?

[golmar]

LOL, no my feet aren't wet. Will the wort mix during fermentation or should i mix it around now?

[Bugeater]

Don't worry, the yeast will find it without having to stir. Actually the yeast may be a little better off with that incomplete mixing. They will face less osmotic stress in the lower gravity portion of the wort and be in better shape to chew into the higher gravity portion.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[golmar]

One last question. I took the gravity reading from a sample I pulled before sealing up the carboy. Can I do a follow up reading from that sample (which, again, started at a "false" 1073) or should I pull a new sample from the carboy? If I can, what gravity should I look for?