Hitting Target Original Gravity
Hitting target Original Gravity (OG) and target volume on brew day can often be a challenge. Some of the reasons why targets are not hit could be:
- Poor Conversion Efficiency (more on that here)
- Poor lautering/sparging efficiency
- Variable or unknown boil-off rate
- Uncalibrated refractometer
- Spills
During the boil, adjustments can be made by adding water to increase wort volume and lower gravity, or boiling longer to decrease wort volume and raise gravity. This calculator can help you hit your target gravity by calculating the amount of boil-off or dilution required to hit the gravity target.
Cautions On Adding Water Or Boiling Longer
When adding water during a boil (or any other time), make sure the water is good quality and is sufficiently free from Chlorine.
When boiling longer, be sure to adjust the timing of your late hop additions according to the revised end of the boil. Also, be careful of scorching during extended boils if there’s a potential of this happening with your set-up.
