Move from Extract to Mini-Mash

It was actually a somewhat tongue-in-cheek comment, but in general, within a particular style (IPA or otherwise), higher gravity would be balanced by more bitterness. So if you overshoot the OG, you can compensate (within reason) with more hops. Or I suppose you could dump some wort and dilute what's left with water.

 

I was thinking more in terms of nailing an OG for style. I was making a hef and I had an extra 10 gravity points after all was said and done. I didn't want a 6.5% abv hef, so I added water, this having the added benefit of making more beer. I'm wondering if people typically take gravity measurements before boiling (and if so, how) and adjust their gravity then - which could be a challenge for me anyways unless I did a split boil.

 

A lot of people take pre-boil gravity readings. You just have to account for the extra volume and the temperature. If the gravity comes up short, you can add DME. The math is pretty straight forward. Is the math what you're looking for?

 

I do pretty much as Vikeman says above. I use a refractometer to estimate my preboil gravity. I tend not to bother to make adjustments unless I am off by > 5-10 gravity points or so. I prefer not to adjust my volume. If the wort gravity is low, I'll add DME, but if it is high, I'm inclined to live with a stronger version of my original plans. If I had aspirations of nailing the style for a competition, I guess I'd make the necessary dilution adjustment.