Northern Brewer Dead Ringer IPA OG reading

[Sqhead]

I brewed the extract kit and aerated before taking the sample (which may be the problem).
The temperature was down around 80 degrees. I don't have an exact temp since my boiling thermometer starts at 100F.
The volume was at 5 gallons when I measured. I guess it could be that I didn't mix the wort in with the water very well but I did shake the fermenter pretty good.

On a side note:
I would invest in a better thermometer. You should not be estimating temperature when it comes time to pitch your yeast.
Good luck with the brew and let us know how it turns out.

[Ozwald]

I think it should be also noted that since your hydrometer isn't likely calibrated for 80, to use an accurate thermometer and an adjustment calculator. This wouldn't account for such a spread, but it will provide a closer reading. Also to make sure there's no bubbles pushing the hydrometer up creating a higher reading. Give it a nice spin a time or two. Especially with a pre-boil reading, I collect the sample & continue working on the brew and sanitizing aspects. This gives it time to settle out to a more accurate reading. Those lines are pretty close on most hydrometers, and an inaccurate temp combined with the aeration could push your reading significantly off.

+1 on getting a different thermometer for the job. You wouldn't use a hammer to drive a screw (although I've used the butt of a screwdriver to drive picture hanging nails several times ) I picked up several from a kitchen supply store on the cheap & calibrate them frequently. If something looks odd I can always pull out another thermometer or 2 to make sure I'm getting an accurate measurement.

[Ozwald]

And since we're on the topic, I found a neat trick when it comes to measuring the temperature of a sample in a testing cylinder. I had a really bad day & dropped a hydrometer in the sink. Luckily I make sure I always have at least 2. I'm a fan of the typical kitchen thermometers which have a dial on the top & the stem coming straight out the back. I used to just balance the dial on the edge of the cylinder. I had my last hydrometer in the sample and the thermometer perched on the edge as usual. I came back from the brew system to find that the thermometer had fallen in & wedged itself between the cylinder wall & the hydrometer stem. I worked on getting that bugger out for a while, and ended up snapping the stem of the hydrometer off.

Looking around the kitchen I found a metal top to a glass jar that was slightly bigger in circumference than the top of the cylinder (I think it was a small bottle of sweet & sour sauce). I dremeled a hole in the middle & washed it up. Now I just pop that on top & drop the stem of the thermometer through the hole. Even without the hydrometer in there, I don't risk dunking my thermometers anymore.