Low OG - using dried malt extract

[KRASHED]

Due to technical difficulties in my last brew day, (dropping my mash tun and spilling wort all over the floor) my OG ended up being 1.043 and not the target 1.063.

It’s an IPA and I would like to keep the alcohol content up around 6%. I’m projected to be 4%

That being said I’m thinking of using DME but I’ve never used it. It’s a 10 gallon batch and doing the calculations I’m supposed to use 5 pounds of DME. Seems like a lot and I don’t want to ruin this batch.

Am Ok to dump this right in the fermenter?

 

[IslandLizard]

5 pounds of DME is quite a lot.
If added dry, the stuff floats, then clumps. Fermentation turbulence should dissolve it over time, but chances are quite a bit will stick to the side of your fermenter above the beer line.
I would pre-dissolve it in enough (boiling) water to make it pourable. I'd say you'd need at least 2 quarts of water for that, likely more.

If you're heating the syrup up a bit to say 150F to pasteurize it (5-10 minutes is plenty) do it very slowly and under constant stirring and scraping the bottom as it will caramelize and scorch easily at that consistency.

BTW, don't you make yeast starters? That's where all grain brewers still use DME.

Make sure you have the spare headspace for the added syrup. You'll also need some extra DME to compensate for the added water volume if you want to reach that 1.063 gravity. Although the difference between 1.060 and 1.063 will be hard to notice in the end.

To raise 20 points in 10 gallons add 200 points
DME is 43 ppg
200/43 = 4.7 pounds of DME