Correcting a low OG mistake in secondary?

I'm brewing with extracts and steeped grain. This is my second time doing this particular recipe, the first time I had 8lbs of DME, and got an alcohol % of 7.9%. This beer is intended for a more general audience and I was hoping to knock it to down to a more average amount, so (stupidly, I know, i should've done/looked up the calculations) dropped it down to 5 lbs and I only got an OG of 1.040, which I fear is going to be way too weak. (The first batch FG was 1.020)

Any one have any suggestions on the best way to correct this, if even possible without ruining it? Should I buy some more malt and add some when a move it to secondary? Are there other types of sugars I can add that would add something, taste wise? (It's an octoberfest)

Or is the beer probably alright, just a little on the weak side?

RDWHAHB. i recommend you just leave the beer alone. but if you are worried you can add more DME or even table sugar. just do your math and mix with water and boil. then siphon into your fermenter below the water line. fermentation will pick up again. if you want to add a taste any sweet substance that has a taste other than sweet will add flavor. honey, molasses, maple sugar.

It should come out around 4%, which is the low-end for an Oktoberfest.

I'd be fine with 4%. I'm getting 2.6% when I type it into a calculator.

I don't know if I'll get down to a lower FG than the 1.020 I got last time.

You'll probably get 1.010, assuming the attenuation percentage stays the same.

Personal preference on what you *should* do, but you could absolutely boil up some more DME in a small amount of water, cool it, and add it to your primary before you transfer. That won't be a problem.

I'd leave it be. If you add to secondary, all that DME has to be fermented, and you'll have very little yeast, and end up turning 'secondary' into 'primary part deux'.

Live and learn. it'll be a light o-fest.