Correcting Gravity

[BlackDuck]

You may recall that I started a thread a few weeks ago about my inability to get to my predicted gravity lately. As a result of that conversation, I bought a Cereal Killer grain mill so I can better and more consistently grind my own grain. I also bought a refractometer so I can check the gravity at the beginning of the boil.

It's been years since I've touched dry malt extract. So my question is, what's the best way to add extract to the wort in order to correct the gravity if it comes in low? Do I just add it directly to the kettle and stir it in? Do I add it to a cup of boiling water, dissolve and add to the wort? How do I know how much extract to use to make the correction? So many questions...my head is about to explode!!!

[BlackDuck]

OK...so I found the tool in BeerSmith on how much DME to use to correct the error, so I'm good there. Now that leaves the question of how do I add it to the wort? Do I just add and mix?

[Dawg LB Steve]

If adjusting pre-boil just add in, if at the end I think if you take a reading with about 5 minutes left just add in then. DME is already pretty much made to be rid of DMS and other things that you need to do boils for w/grain. To be honest, once you start to mill your own I don't think you will need to correct the gravity.

[Dawg LB Steve]

Another thought occurred to me that possibly the LHBS scale may need calibrating also. I just bought a scale very reasonable, my LHBS has this exact scale. The one I was using only went to 11 Lbs, this goes to 55 Lbs.
https://www.amazon.com/UltraShip-Digita ... B000FSWB9K

[Beer-lord]

With that new refractometer, you can get a better idea how close you're coming to your needed OG but RedBEERd and I recently did a beer where we had too much water and we were a bit lower than we wanted and we added DME at about the last 8-10 minutes.
I never thought to even look at Beersmith for the amount to add.....Nice!

[BlackDuck]

Thanks guys.

Steve...I will take the gravity measurement pre-boil. I hope your right that grinding my own grain will most likely fix the problem. We did talk about the store's scale being off, although I don't think that's what it is. But I'll find out. I'll measure the uncrushed grain at the store then measure again at the house to compare.

Paul...In BeerSmith, go into Tools, then choose Adjust Gravity. You enter your actual gravity, your batch volume and your target gravity. It will tell you how much DME to add.

[Beer-lord]

I found that but thanks much for hitting me on the head with the idea. Figures they would have this or is this only in the newest version? Great software!!!!!!

[Inkleg]

It's been there all along Paul and works great. I used it one time to dilute my wort to keep from making an Imperial Saison.

[Kealia]

I've used the dillution tool but never realized I could also bump up gravity. I've always done the math by hand (when needed) but I guess I won't have to anymore. And since I stopped doing BIAB and got my mash tun last year I've been OVER on my gravity consistently. Not a bad problem to have, right?

BUt...when I had needed to do it in the past, I've typically boiled the DME for just a minute or two in the least amount of water possible, let it cool, then added it to the ferementor. I don;t check gravity until I'm moving the wort into the fermentor so that is the first time I know where I ended up.

[BlackDuck]

I don;t check gravity until I'm moving the wort into the fermentor so that is the first time I know where I ended up.

This is how I've always done it also. And I never corrected just because I didn't want to screw it up anymore. But since I've been coming up way short lately, I bought a refactometer and will now check pre-boil and correct then.

[Beer-lord]

Since I BIAB things usually go differently for me but I almost am never at my preboil gravity as listed by Beersmith. However, I start checking again about halfway thru the boil and that's when I really see where I am and need to be.
None of this matters if you have crush problems or, like me at times, mis-calculated my water volumes.