Gravity too low; what have I done wrong?

[Agentgonzo]

It's entirely up to you whether you want to add more DME. If you do, I would recommend boiling it in water for a few minutes, let it cool, then add it.

 

[user 43495]

My old-fashioned way usually yields 90-95% efficiency. Grain loose in a mash tun (coolbox adapted with bazooka and tap), sparging is v important, with liquor at 70-73 C. The late Dave Line reckoned that about 20% of efficiency was recoverable this way and I believe he was right. Hops also need to be loose in the boiler. No bags. A vigorous rolling boil is required. I don't use any fancy equipment; see my photos of a brewing day if you like.

 

[Twopan]

Many thanks

 

[Twopan]

Thank you to everyone for all your help and tips. In the end, I added 600g of Youngs beer enhancer (light malt extract and dextrose) to a saucepan in 2 litres of water and boiled for a couple of minutes. Cooled and added to the FV. This increased gravity by 9 points so I calculate the true OG to now be 1.055. It has fermented out to 1.007, lower than predicted even allowing for temperature adjustment. I shall bottle today as it has been stable for three days. Tastes like Leffe blonde even at this stage! ABV 6 3% so just about bang on. Next time I will dunk sparge!