Trying to fix low OG after boil

[mbm]

Please forgive me if this question has been answered or asked before...

So I planned a 5 gallon NEIPA using the brew in a bag method with a close to 13lb grain bill. My kettle is only 8 gallon so after adding the water I did not have the room to add all the grain. Probably used about 90%. Everything went good with the brew but I only did 1 gravity measurement and it was in the fermenter right before I pitched the yeast. It was 1.038 which seems very low for an IPA. Ive read about adding sugar to primary. Anyone have any advice on an amount or method , I’ve got a decent amount of corn sugar on hand, and also 1.5lb of Pilsen malt extract

 

[RPh_Guy]

Is this 5 gallons?
Even if you only added 11lb grain, a 1.038 is only around 47% brewhouse efficiency. Might want to figure out what went wrong there.

First I would double check the gravity reading.
If that's right, 1.5lb pilsen DME you should get up to 1.051, which seems pretty reasonable.

Cheers

 

[IslandLizard]

What @RPh_Guy said.^ That's really low!
How was that grain milled? Very coarse perhaps?
Was it very old grain?
What was your mash water temp, checked your thermometer?

I always take a (refractometer) gravity reading of my first runnings so I can catch (unexpected) irregularities early.

Use a BIAB calculator to estimate the water volume (and temp) for a certain grain bill in your size kettle.

 

[balrog]

Second the recommendation to use a BIAB calc; and pull a gallon strike water aside after strike temp reached to dough in and add if it'll fit, sparge with, or just add to kettle. 8G is tight for 5g batches BIAB unless you hold some mash water aside until after pulling the grain bag.