How do increase ABV but not adversely effect taste?

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akthor

akthor

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I am making all the beer for a friends wedding come fall. We are going to make some different beers so he can decide on the 4 kinds that will be offered. This weekend we are going to make a Red Ale and a Pale Ale.

So since it will be an open bar I would prefer if folks got fewer stronger beers as opposed to a bunch of less alcohol beer since I am paying for everything involved with the beer as my present to him.

I would like to bump up the ABV by 1% at least but I would like to not have it hurt the flavor. Yes there will be more alcohol flavor but I don't want any other adverse flavors.

Here are my two recipes. If you have an extract recipe that you think is better and will have a higher ABV feel free to post it.

Red Ale

• Hopped Light Malt Extract (1 can)
• Unhopped Light Malt Extract (1 can)
• Melanoidin Malt Grain (4 oz)
• Hop Pellets (1 oz)
• Ale Yeast (1 pack)

Pale Ale

• Hopped Light Malt Extract – 1 can
• Light Dried Malt Extract – 2 lbs
• Crystal Malt Grains – 6 oz
• Hop Pellets – 1 oz
• Ale Yeast – 1 pack
 
You could add table sugar or corn sugar to boost the ABV. At 1% you would need to add approximately 1-1.25 lbs. of sugar. At that rate you're going to thin your beer out and give it more of a dry flavor. You could add other simple sugars, like honey, brown sugar, etc. but you will get the same effect. On a session beer that might make too thin of a beer.

Your other option is to add more malt by adding extract (1.5lbs) or do a partial mash of some two row (2 lbs.).
 
Could you add a small amount of Everclear before bottling? I know its cheating, but would it work?
 
What is your target ABV % range for the brews?

Since this is supposed to be a wedding present, why use hopped extract? I would do at least a mini-mash or partial mash recipe if it was a wedding gift from me. Sure, it's a little more work, but it's well worth it. Plus, you can simply use more grain in the mash, or add more DME (light or extra light) to the recipe to boost the OG (and ABV %)...

Your recipes, as they stand now, are in the ~4-4.5% ABV range...

You could just add enough DME (light or extra light) to your posted recipe's to boost the alcohol level.

For the Red Ale recipe, what type of red ale is it?? You do need to specify you know... What size are the LME cans?? What L value are the caramel/crystal malt you're looking to use in the Pale Ale? Is that English or American Pale Ale?

How about going to a liquor store, with a solid beer selection, pick some of each style you're thinking of using, then have him try THOSE out? Go for ones that you can locate solid clone recipe's for. Then, try cloning the beers he selected and see how close they are (keep at least one of each on hand to compare, or make sure you can get more later).

Be sure to give the brews enough time in primary before bottling/kegging... If kegging, slow carbonate on gas (two weeks at serving temp, with the correct CO2 pressure to hit the CO2 volumes)... If you're going to keg, then you might want to also filter the brew to make presentation better. Or use other fining methods (gelatin, etc.) to make clearer, or reduced chill haze, brew.

Are you planning on making 5 or 10 gallon batches? Instead of four different beers (assuming 5 gallon batches there) why not get them to pick two, and make 10 gallon batches? Offer a lighter brew, like a pale ale, red ale or amber ale. Plus something darker/heavier like a porter.

Of course, using extracts for 10 gallon batches is going to cost a LOT... Well, compared with either a partial mash or going all grain. :D I'm going to be making a 10 gallon cream ale on the 26th (all grain)... The total cost is under $50 for ingredients (actually less than that since the sponsor is chipping in $40). My 5 gallon all grain batches are running about $15-$17 per batch.

If you have ~6 months to brew something, why not do it up proper? Step up your game and put some effort into it... After all, how would YOU feel if someone gave you a wedding present that was the lowest grade version of something?
 
I only have the equipment to really do 5 gallon batches. I also have a fractured L5 vertabrae right now so even doing 5 gallon batches is gonna be a challenge.

Again I am using extracts for ease of use. My extract recipes taste as good if not better than my friends who does all grain.

Would like about 5.5% ABV

If I add DME will that change the flavor? Thin the beer of make it dry like using dextrose or table sugar?

It's a Red Ale no idea what kind. I just posted the simplified version.

American Pale Ale.

I am brewing for testing because I have my own kegerator and a big trip in May that I also need beer for so we will be drinking these and if he likes I will make more for the wedding.

I do a month in primary and usually 3 or 4 weeks at 12psi in the kegerator before drinking. These wedding brews will be sitting for a longer period so I will do a month in primary and the prime them with sugar and let them sit. Some may sit 3 months some less but all will sit for at least a month.I will then cold crash them and jump them to a clean keg for travel.

I'm sorry I don't agree with you about brewing it proper. Any kind of brewing by any method as long as its done right and as long as the ingredients are fresh is proper. Extract recipes can taste just as good as all grain. And as I said some of mine have tasted better than my friends AG recipes.

And since it was requested of me by the groom to make the beer for the wedding and the groom has been drinking my home brew for months now I guess it must be ok ;)


Golddiggie said:
What is your target ABV % range for the brews?

Since this is supposed to be a wedding present, why use hopped extract? I would do at least a mini-mash or partial mash recipe if it was a wedding gift from me. Sure, it's a little more work, but it's well worth it. Plus, you can simply use more grain in the mash, or add more DME (light or extra light) to the recipe to boost the OG (and ABV %)...

Your recipes, as they stand now, are in the ~4-4.5% ABV range...

You could just add enough DME (light or extra light) to your posted recipe's to boost the alcohol level.

For the Red Ale recipe, what type of red ale is it?? You do need to specify you know... What size are the LME cans?? What L value are the caramel/crystal malt you're looking to use in the Pale Ale? Is that English or American Pale Ale?

How about going to a liquor store, with a solid beer selection, pick some of each style you're thinking of using, then have him try THOSE out? Go for ones that you can locate solid clone recipe's for. Then, try cloning the beers he selected and see how close they are (keep at least one of each on hand to compare, or make sure you can get more later).

Be sure to give the brews enough time in primary before bottling/kegging... If kegging, slow carbonate on gas (two weeks at serving temp, with the correct CO2 pressure to hit the CO2 volumes)... If you're going to keg, then you might want to also filter the brew to make presentation better. Or use other fining methods (gelatin, etc.) to make clearer, or reduced chill haze, brew.

Are you planning on making 5 or 10 gallon batches? Instead of four different beers (assuming 5 gallon batches there) why not get them to pick two, and make 10 gallon batches? Offer a lighter brew, like a pale ale, red ale or amber ale. Plus something darker/heavier like a porter.

Of course, using extracts for 10 gallon batches is going to cost a LOT... Well, compared with either a partial mash or going all grain. :D I'm going to be making a 10 gallon cream ale on the 26th (all grain)... The total cost is under $50 for ingredients (actually less than that since the sponsor is chipping in $40). My 5 gallon all grain batches are running about $15-$17 per batch.

If you have ~6 months to brew something, why not do it up proper? Step up your game and put some effort into it... After all, how would YOU feel if someone gave you a wedding present that was the lowest grade version of something?
Click to expand...
 
If you're content to keep brewing extract, fine... I think your friend has to be doing something really wrong if he's not getting really good beer from all grain.

I would dump the pre-hopped extract and add your own hops. I would also decide on an actual red style for that brew... Even when I was brewing extract batches, I used unhopped LME... Got really good beer from those batches. Getting great beer from all grain batches.

I still think you should get the friend before a good array of craft brews, and pick ~4 (or 6) of those that he likes, or would like on tap. Then get clone recipes and go that route. If you get even close to the original, I don't think anyone will complain... Just keep to things that are carbonated with CO2/sugar and not on nitrogen... Unless you have a nitrogen setup that you'll be bringing with you...

I do understand about bad backs. I've had one for over 30 years... I can handle the BIAB method for all grain. Get a friend to help if you need it. While I do find it's easier to brew when you have someone strong to lift the grain bag, it's not required. You just need to plan the brew properly... You can get a solid brew with 12-14 pounds of grain (total) and manage to transfer it into the sparge pot (use a step stool, I did on Sunday and it made things MUCH easier on my back)...
 
One option is to just add less water and make a smaller batch. This keeps everything in balance.

Adding more DME or LME has a similar effect, but it does reduce the hop levels, relatively speaking, though this may not be an issue for most styles.

Adding sugar adds ABV but will skew the taste toward lighter. This isn't always bad.

I guess the question is, what would you consider 'hurting' the flavor? It's probably hard to make it higher ABV and have it taste exactly the same. Are you okay with a bit more body and malt flavor?
 
One thing to remember is if you add bunch more extract, your going to upset the balance of malt and hop flavor, if you add more extract you might want to up the hop amounts a bit.
 
I'm still stuck on the original logic.
It costs more money to make more alcohol, so if the goal is to make it cost less since you're footing the whole bill, make lower ABV beers.

I mean, the people coming to the wedding reception...are they all BMC drinkers? That stuff isn't exactly high alcohol either, and if they like Coors Light, they may find a Pale Ale 'gross and bitter'.

Of course I live in Nebraska, who's official state beer is Busch Light, and people think a wheat beer is 'too heavy' (that insult is for you, dad!)

If you must though, I'd go the corn sugar route. Extract kits can be slightly less fermentable than the original style would be if done as all grain, so sometimes that sugar 'thinning' things out actually puts the beer into style guidelines.
 
Golddiggie said:
If you're content to keep brewing extract, fine... I think your friend has to be doing something really wrong if he's not getting really good beer from all grain.
Click to expand...

Probably :off:, but...

When I made the switch from extract to AG, the quality of my beer went down noticeably. I was suddenly in control of a lot more things, and I wasn't good at controlling them yet.

It took me a half dozen or so AG batches before I got it back on par with the extract.
 
i mean if your going kits why not just get one that has enough fermentables in it so that you dont need to throw a # of sugar in? alot of NB kits are fairly high gravity and priced pretty decently.
 
Ive given a lot of people that are BMC drinkers some of my beer, and the one that went over the best was a brewers best american cream ale. Crisp,clean and quite tasty. You can probably get the ingredient list somewhere online and by the extract in more of a bulk fashion, but the kits were pretty cheap.
 
I agree with the poster that says to go with a lover ABV beer... Me personally, if I usually drink 100 beers at a wedding, I'm going to drink 100 beers at your friend's wedding, just be more drunk than at a normal wedding. Most people (I think) at the wedding will probably be drinking socially, not to get drunk. So someone who is going to drink 5 beers, is going to drink the same, no matter what the ABV is. Just my thought.
 
Austin Homebrew has some sort of "ABV Boost" thing that supposedly adds 1% to any beer without affecting the flavor and I don't think they cost much. I have no idea if it works or not. Perhaps someone on here can vouch for or against them.
 
Golddiggie said:
If you're content to keep brewing extract, fine... I think your friend has to be doing something really wrong if he's not getting really good beer from all grain.
Click to expand...

He said some of his extract beers are better than some of his friends all-grain beers.

I've had plenty of very good extract beers and plenty of crap all-grain beer. In fact, I've brewed a couple of very good extract beers and plenty of crap all-grain beers.
 
I agree with some of the previous posters - you will likely have a large percentage of BMC drinkers there who will not even imbide. All the better for you.

A friend of mine asked me to do the same for his wedding of 100 people. About 30 are beer drinkers, and I called him crazy for thinking we could do homebrew and make people happy. I am going to get "Ew, whats that stuff at the bottom", and "This beer is way too bitter... do you have any Molson?" However, it is his wedding and I am happy to help. I will make a really easy to drink ale with few hops and fewer esters, and a hop bomb IPA. I could care less if anyone else likes the beer aside from me and my friend. 4 craft beers for your friends wedding is very ambitious, considering most people drink BMC :) Good luck to ya, what a nice thing to do.
 
I dont buy kits I buy the individual ingredients.

Less alcohol = they will drink more.

We are buying a keg of Bud Light for all the non-beer lovers.

We are ok with more body and malt flavor.
 
And a lot of the folks there will get hammered, lots of frat brothers. Also lots of real beer drinkers as in when they have the means they drink Sam Adams, Shipyard, Guinness etc. They also get growlers from the Oak Pond Brewery about an hour from here.

Just me and 3 of these guys killed a 5 gallon keg of Nut Brown during a football sunday. There will be a good 10X that number of the same level of drinkers at this shin dig.
 

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