Trying to right a wrong

[mobarger]

HI all - my first post
Also my first batch of beer. I used a kit - Brewer's Best IPA. I read my hydrometer incorrectly for OG and ended up incorrectly adding 3qts additional water in the fermenter. So my actual OG was 1.022 and not 1.06

An experienced brewer suggested I dry hop once fermentation stops, to kick it up a notch to compensate.

So today is day 6 in the fermenter. Right now it is percolating about every 10 seconds. I have not opened it to take any gravity readings. I bought some extra packs of Cascade pellets (2oz total) and am ready to transfer to a carboy.

Is this the right approach?
Do I wait for activity in the airlock to stop before transfer?

 

[Captain Damage]

No. Do not transfer until all after signs of fermentation - bubbling airlock - have stopped. Many of us, myself included, are currently advocating a no-secondary/long primary brewing strategy. Meaning we don't transfer the beer to to a secondary at all, even for dry hopping. Just put your hops in your primary fermenter (again, only after all signs of fermentation have stopped) and close it back up, bottle 5-7 days later.

 

[duboman]

HI all - my first post Also my first batch of beer. I used a kit - Brewer's Best IPA. I read my hydrometer incorrectly for OG and ended up incorrectly adding 3qts additional water in the fermenter. So my actual OG was 1.022 and not 1.06 An experienced brewer suggested I dry hop once fermentation stops, to kick it up a notch to compensate. So today is day 6 in the fermenter. Right now it is percolating about every 10 seconds. I have not opened it to take any gravity readings. I bought some extra packs of Cascade pellets (2oz total) and am ready to transfer to a carboy. Is this the right approach? Do I wait for activity in the airlock to stop before transfer?

While you added a little too much water I doubt you diluted the beer that much(don't remember the exact calculation)

As an extract kit the actual OG would be the recipes stated OG had you hit your volume. Typically you get a bad mix of wort and top off which skews your reading and they are either really high or really low.

As already mentioned, do not move the beer until you have verified final gravity and 6 days is too soon! Wait until day 10 or so and take a reading, then another a few days later. If the same, it's done and you can then proceed to dry hop

 

[Demus]

If you were at 1.060 in a 5 gallon batch and added 3 quarts, you'd only have diluted to 1.052. You probably took your sample from unmixed, watery wort from the top. If I'm right, not to worry. Go ahead and dry hop if you like, but your beer should be fine either way. If it really is only 1.022 dry hopping won't make much difference; that will be a very weak beer...

 

[kh54s10]

I agree that you did not dilute too much. If you dry hop wait until about a week before you plan to bottle. Make sure you have reached final gravity before dry hopping. The gravity will still be dropping while you no longer have any visible signs of fermentation.

I rarely secondary. You can add the dry hops directly to the primary. I like to use a paint strainer bag to contain them so I do not lose too much beer in the trub.