What's Gone Wrong?

[tatlock]

As mentioned in another thread i am brewing a 2 gallon batch of bitter this am.
2kg pale,(with some crystal and a bit of black malt).
I normally collect 3 gallons of wort pre boil and end up with 2 gallons of beer.
Today i stopped the sparge early as the sweet taste had gone so only collected just over 2 gallons.
i did a hydrometere reading and it said 1020!!
I don't normally bother taking a reading pre boil but this seems very low to me.
Also i am gonna have to top up to get my final volume correct.
Have i mucked this one up big time?
should i add sugar or malt extract?(i have 500g of the dried stuff).
All help greatley appreciated as i can't brew for another 3 weeks!

[booldawg]

What temperature was the wort when you took the reading? I'm sure theres a 'hydrometer correction' sticky on the forum somewhere, I've had a quick look but cant find it.

Hydrometers are calibrated to give accurate results at 20C. The warmer the liquid the lower reading it gives. You'll need to know the actual temperature of the wort when tested and consult the chart. I'm sure you have a plenty good gravity as most fly sparging stops at around 1008.

[tatlock]

I let the wort cool down to 20 degrees before i took the reading which makes me think something has gone wrong.

[tatlock]

just finished boil and the reading is now 1050!
i have no idea what happened i must have just misread it.
topped up to required voulume with water,added yeast and fingers crossed!

[Carpking]

Ive had that mate. Dunno for sure but i put it down to the 'weaker' wort being at the top when i took my reading. Now i stir before taking a reading to mix all the first wort with the weak stuff that comes out last.
Cobblers?

[tatlock]

Glad i'm not the only one!
Probably serves me right for trying to be too clever.
I am gonna stick to my old ways of brewing in future and ignore these new fangled inventions like a hydrometers

[oxford brewer]

Glad i'm not the only one!
Probably serves me right for trying to be too clever.
I am gonna stick to my old ways of brewing in future and ignore these new fangled inventions like a hydrometers

Wasnt it your tastebuds that let you down rather than the hydrometer though, as you said that the sweet taste had gone?