Hello all ;
This Sunday did the all grain dead ringer did 1.5 quart per pound and came out to 4.125 gallons of water in mash temp never lower than 150 at the end of 60 minutes batch sparge three gallons of water twenty minutes post boil volume just under 5 gallon mark on the bucket topped off with about a quart or so of water.
Took gravity reading with hydrometer 1.055 that’s way off the 1.068 listed in recipe.never been that far off from a recipe. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong?
What is the batch size?
What is the pre boil volume?
What is the post boil volume?
Here is a “.” for you. 
It is most likely the crush. Close the gap some on the mill next time, or double crush. Either way your efficiency will shoot up like a rocket.
Batch size 5 gallons recipe dead ringer all grain from Northern Brewer, the grain was milled by northern brewer. My pre-boil volume collected a little over 6 gallons (about 6 and a quarter) post boil I collected about 4 and three quarter gallons added a quart of water to top off fermentor.
Yeast Suggested liquid from northern brewer Wyeast American Ale 1056. It’s chugging away right now just trying to figure out why the numbers turned out so low from those posted to recipe. This is my third all grain go. The first two were within a point of the posted O.G. and I finished within a point of posted F.G.
+1 to crush. With my last batch I did a double crush and went from the usual 74 or 75 % efficiency to 85% efficiency. While there are other methods for improving your efficiency, I think crush can help the most.
I always mill the grains myself. I suggest everyone do that and not rely on some unknown quality crush from a vendor, including our beloved NB.
You added water, maybe it didn’t get mixed up good when you took a reading.
Like mentioned, poor cursh from the store. Sample had more water than wort from the top off addition.
If you are going to have that much boil off, sparge with more water. Thus you will have more sugars.
You said your other 2 beers were close to the OG listed. Did you add top up water to those also?
All of the above ideas sound right. I’d add: calibrate your thermometer and hydrometer.
Inconsistent efficiency can drive you batty. Until you figure it out, focus on the final gravity, not the volume. Check your run-off gravity and first-runnings gravity. That will give you an idea if the enzyme gods are angry, Sparge into a separate container and measure the gravity. Then do the arithmetic to see how much of your sparge you need to add to the first runnings to hit the desired pre-boil gravity. Don’t top-up to the desired volume until you’ve checked the gravity.
