using light malt extract

I have read a few times that when extract brewing, always use light malt extract as the base for the beer, then using the steeping grains to, for the lack of a better word, shape the beer. If I wanted to substitute amber, or dark extract with light extract in a recipe, how would i know how to adjust the steeping grains (if needed to at all)?
Also, I started brewing about a month and a half ago and have done about 5 batches, and all of them have been about 7-10 gravity points below what the recipe original gravity recommends. Any suggestions on what might cause the consistent lower original gravity?

speedie789 said:

I have read a few times that when extract brewing, always use light malt extract as the base for the beer, then using the steeping grains to, for the lack of a better word, shape the beer. If I wanted to substitute amber, or dark extract with light extract in a recipe, how would i know how to adjust the steeping grains (if needed to at all)?
Also, I started brewing about a month and a half ago and have done about 5 batches, and all of them have been about 7-10 gravity points below what the recipe original gravity recommends. Any suggestions on what might cause the consistent lower original gravity?

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It depends on the recipe. We can help you change a recipe, if you need it. It's not just substituting one-for-one- it's taking the whole recipe into consideration to get the results you want.

The most common cause of inaccurate OG is inadequate mixing of the wort and top off water. But I'd make a guess here and say that since you're consistently 7-10 points low, that it's either your hydrometer or your water measurements. What I mean is that your hydrometer is reading low (test it in 60 degree distilled water to see if it reads 0) or that you're adding a couple of quarts too much water to the recipe. If you're not actually using an accurate pitcher to measure the water, and just going by the markings on a fermenter, that's the explanation I'd lean towards.

Thanks for the response. In regards to the use of light extract, that is something that I will probably start playing around with my next few batches.
With the OG question, I think you're right, I've been using the marking on the buckets. Hopefully before my next batch I will remember to measure it out to see if there's any difference in measurement.

This jogged my memory - thanks. In my first batch I used Amber instead of light and when I brew that same recipe 16 batches later I noticed a dubtle difference, I liked the Amber better for that Amber.

I had progress to mini mashing and substituted LME for DME and 2-row barley but forgot I had used Amber LME.