Starting gravity WAY too low.

[davemorton]

Found a HBC Full Extract Munich Helles kit I had forgotten about the other week, well out of date, but thought what the hell, ordered some new yeast and cracked on today.
Had some old candied sugar (about 200g) and also the left overs of a bag of spray malt (about 200g) so added them into the pot too. So along with the 2 x pouches of Pale Malt Extract (also out of date, came with the kit), enough sugars.
Well, just took my start reading, and its coming out at 1022?? I even brewed a little short of the 22L it is meant to be.
Any ideas please? Also, should I just add some more dissolved fementables tomorrow to try and sort it out, was hoping for about 6%.
First time lagering, cant believe I forgot I had bought this kit.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Did you stir it well enough? Perhaps there is uneven distribution of sugars that would account for the seemingly low reading.

 

[user 18729]

Check your hydrometer is calibrated in water at 20. Might also be that some sugar didn’t dissolve when you mixed it together. Either way if it tastes good in a few days time don’t worry

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Oh yes, I forgot it could be the hydrometer!

 

[dwhite60]

I just did a Coopers Real Ale kit. First kit I've done in over twenty years.

I had to stir this thing quite a while to get a good mix. You're probably fine.

 

[DavidDetroit]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculatorYou can plug in the numbers in on the calculator I pasted. It will give you peace of mind in case it was just a mixing problem and not a total volume issue.

 

[davemorton]

Its an old hydrometer thats always seemed okay, but thats the first job today. Should have been mixed okay but that is a possibility as I had added a couple litres of ice to bring it down to temperature. SO will give it a good rattle today and take another sample. Many thanks all.

 

[terrym]

Its most likely a mixing problem as others have said. So it's probably best to give it a long but gentle stir to get the undissolved sugars ( most likely LME at the bottom of the FV) into solution. However if you started yesterday your beer is getting to the point where air/oxygen may cause off flavours in your beer, si its best to stir without entraining any air into the beer.
And a simple check on your hydrometer is to test it in clean water at the calibration temperature (most likely 20*C but probably marked somewhere) when it should read 1.000.

 

[davemorton]

Many thanks to all. Gave it a good stir and got a much healthier reading of 1.058.