Missed my OG by 20 points!

[J A]

I must confess, I didn't measure it...never had the need to before.

If you don't know what your pre-boil and post boil volumes are, you'll never be able to predict the OG. Or for that matter the hop isomerization to predict IBUs.
Extracts are really predictable. Steeping grains not so much, but you didn't have any. You either had more volume in post-boil or less extract than you think you had. Or both...20 points off is not likely (maybe even not possible) except from just not having the ingredients and volumes that are entered into the calculator.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Think How to Brew by John palmer is a good read for new brewers , there are more advanced books out there written by some very clever people but John does get the basics across in a easy to understand way

 

[Gorm]

Think How to Brew by John palmer is a good read for new brewers , there are more advanced books out there written by some very clever people but John does get the basics across in a easy to understand way

Thank you Mr. Pirate. I will take a good read of Mr. Palmer. As I've said, I'm still a newbie and appreciate everyone's input and encouragement.

 

[J A]

Another thing that'd probably be helpful is to read all the FAQs and get a good understanding of how the recipe calculator works. Once you have a handle on how various entries and ingredients interact, you can figure out recipes easily and predict outcomes.
It's invaluable for ending up with the beer you started out to make.

 

[Gorm]

Another thing that'd probably be helpful is to read all the FAQs and get a good understanding of how the recipe calculator works. Once you have a handle on how various entries and ingredients interact, you can figure out recipes easily and predict outcomes.
It's invaluable for ending up with the beer you started out to make.

Thank you JA. I will. I have tried to read some of the FAQ's on various issues but they seem rather abstract until there is something I am dealing with directly. But you are right. I certainly have a direction to follow at this point.
Thanks again.

 

[GFHomebrew]

The more you brew form the more It just seems to make sense And then you want to learn more to keep tweeking your brew skills to churn out more consistent tastey beer.

 

[J A]

And once the basic concepts of boiloff, dilution, efficiency, etc. make sense, the calculator becomes just a way to keep track of those variables and predict the outcome. In the end, it's still all about the process and what you actually do on any given brew day to get sugar into the fermenter for the yeast to consume.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Once you get the science down pat then you move into the artistic side of brewing .
Getting my house pale ale to where it is now has taken many brews with small changes , even subbing malts to tweak the body and head , different hops and schedules .....now it truly is a wonderful beer and extremely popular with my friends

 

[GFHomebrew]

Once you get the science down pat then you move into the artistic side of brewing .
Getting my house pale ale to where it is now has taken many brews with small changes , even subbing malts to tweak the body and head , different hops and schedules .....now it truly is a wonderful beer and extremely popular with my friends

Did you design this recipe from scratch mark or was it an attempted clone that took you off on a tangent?

 

[Mark D Pirate]

The original was Dr Smurtos golden ale , I started there and have changed almost every ingredient so mine now ....

I still owe the Dr a bottle of my version of his beer