Hopping and taking readings

Two things.

1. Hopping. I have found a commercial brew that will remain unnamed that has a hoppy scent. I like it. A lot. I would like it even better if my beer approached a smell like the bag of hop pellets when I first open them. Is this possible? I know that aromatic hops are to be added at the end of the boil but not a single one of my batches has even approached the hoppiness of the commercial brew.

2. Gravity measurement. I made a brew today from an extract kit. I added a few small slices of apple to the boil just for fun. The docs that came with the kit said the OG should be 1.055-1.065. My OG? 1.110 What??!?! I look at the fermenter. It looks like a black and tan, only upside down. There is a definate line between the boiled wort and the water added to fill to volume. Just looking for confirmation here, but my guess is that I got all boiled wort and not a good mixture of the two. I don't think the sugar from a handfull of pieces from a macintosh apple (a small one at that) will bring the gravity up from a target of 1.065 to 1.110.

1. Dry hopping is probably what you're looking for. This is putting hops into the secondary and racking your beer onto the hops letting them sit for a week or so.

2. When did you take your reading? Before or after adding the top off water? That will have a HUGE influence on your readings. And if you are seeing a separation I'm guessing you didn't mix the wort and top off very well.

Dry hopping. Have heard the term dry hopping all over this web site but never thought that it meant putting hops in the secondary. This means I would have to boil the things, and wo me makes the term counter intuitive. Unless there is another way to sanitize the hops.

I took the reading right after I put the top off water in. I didn't want to assume my thoughts were correct, so I was looking for confirmation that what I suggested was probably what was going on. Achem's razor I guess. Seems the simplest answer to me anyway.

It's unheard of to get an infection from hops in the secondary, due to their antiseptic properties. You don't boil them first.

Sweet. I can't wait to smell it!

Why don't you fess up and tell us what commercial beer you like so much?

Well, after about a six pack I realized I do not like the thickness. What i do like is the very hoppy scent. Against my better judgment I will give a clue. Part of the brewery that contract brews this beer, burned a few weeks ago in upstate NY. Although I discriminate heavily on the types of beer that I like, this one has been the hoppiest commercial brew that I have had in a while. I promise it isn't BMC. I can't stand them and only drink them on really hot days when there isn't anything else...