Boosting Alcohol content??

Is there a special way to up the alcohol content? It would probably make the beer taste strange though.. right? yeah probably...

if you want to increase alcohol %, then add more fermentables during the boil. Adding some extra light DME will boost alcohol without any off flavors that some sugars might add. What ranges are you looking to reach?

It seems a lot of extract kits (which is what i have to use at the moment) are at 5% and I would like to get it up to about 7%.. nothing too crazy.. maybe a little less.

Since I am using extracts I could just order some DME with that, is there anything special I need to do?

Well you need to make sure you add some hops to balance any extra DME so it tastes good as well as being strong.

Find a recipe for a good strong IPA and try that.

Dont go to crazy with the DME either. Or else you wont be able to keep bottle caps or or the bottoms from blowing out.

Except, if you ferment properly, then it'll be fine. I don't understand the above post.

Add honey to your batches will completely ferment out boosting your alcohol content with out leaving any odd flavors. The major downside is that honey can be expensive. Check out this link:

http://***********/feature/924.html

davy said:

Add honey to your batches will completely ferment out boosting your alcohol content with out leaving any odd flavors. The major downside is that honey can be expensive. Check out this link:

http://***********/feature/924.html

Click to expand...

And it will keep your finished beer lighter and dryer.

Dump in some Makers Mark That probably wouldn't do much for the taste of your beer, but it would sure raise the alcohol level!

My next brew will be a Nut Brown Extract (w/ steeping grains). I was thinking of adding a bit of honey to boost the alcohol. Any suggestions on how much I should add. What other effects will this have? I know the sweetness be nixed in the boil and I figure it may cut some of the hops flavor. Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

Jim

Could always do what they do to eisbock... chill the beer to the point where the water freezes and the alcohol doesnt, and then remove the ice. That concentrates the alcohol.

When I first started out brewing, I would use True Brew kits, usually a continental light or american cream ale. Then I started adding "things" to these kits. I did the above kits, then added 2 lbs of honey to the batches at the end of the boil. Jacked the alcohol content right up. Nice flavor and aroma. Then I started adding 3 lbs of extra light dme along with the 2 lbs of honey...nice flavor and aroma, but a bit too strong alcohol wise. SWMBO never liked extra "hoppy" ales, so I always stayed with the amounts in the kits, never compensated for the extra fermentables. They all turned out pretty good.

loop

How close to the end of the boil did you add the honey? What was the ratio of lbs of honey to gallons of water?

I've done it at many different times during the boil, none really made any difference that I could tell. I usually do it with 10 to 15 minutes left in the boil. 2 lbs of honey for a 5 gallon batch. I do partial boils, so I top off to 5 gallons after I've done the boil.


loop

i have heard the using less H2O during the boil along with adding honey will bring up the alcohol. Will this hurt the overall taste of the beer?

Some sugars will create off flavors, usually cidery.. this is usually the case with table sugar. Corn sugar (priming sugar) probably won't have this effect but it will make your beer more watery as it will all ferment into alcohol without adding any body or flavor. This is why most suggest that you just use additional extract or, if you're an all grain brewer, more grains. Honey is another option but it can have a thinning effect as well that may or may not be desireable. It's also pricey and does lend a flavor of sorts to the brew - some like it, I'm not really too fond of it but that's just me.

Probably the biggest concern with making a big beer is that you balance it otherwise it will have a strong alcohol taste and be thin and watery. Think Steel Reserve or Natural Ice... so, to avoid this, you need to be sure to balance the alcohol with grains (or extract) and/or hops. That way you can avoid that Steel Reserve nastiness and have a strong IPA or Imperial Stout instead.

Have fun, but don't go overboard. I will say that a 6.2% abv beer is noticably stronger than the typical swill - you wouldn't think so but it is.. at least in my experience.