Festa Brew IPA Kit Modifications

Hello, I am new to brewing (and this forum) and my first batch of homebrew was the Brewhouse IPA kit. I pulled back the water that was added to the wort and dry hopped heavily with Cascade and Chinook. This turned out quite well. (marshallhomebrew.blogspot.com)

I am now getting ready to try the Festa Brew Western IPA kit. I want to try to make this a double IPA and was going to simmer the wort at 170 with some 2 row malt and then boil with some hops. Has anyone had any luck with modifications to this kit or does anyone have any suggestions as to how to increase the ABV and what hops to boil\dry hop with?

Thanks a bunch.

If you want to get more fermentable sugars out of grains you are really going to have to mash them. I take it by 'kit' you mean extract and some specialty grains that you are simply going to steep. To make your kit an DIPA you are going to need a higher gravity, (more sugars) and more hops at each addition.

The best way for you to do this would be to add more extract. Maybe 1.5 - 2 pounds extra. Add that to your recipe in beersmith or whatever program and see how it changes your OG.