How to increase alcohol content

Without taking away from body and flavor.

I have a 1.010 ending gravity beer which is around 3% if I'm not mistaken, and the taste at bottling was GREAT! I was wondering how can I get the ABV up without bringing the quality down?

Well, you can add more base malt to the recipe.

Did you calculate that by your OG?

Awfully unfortunate, my recipe is on my desktop PC and oh guess what? My power supply died while I was out of town for a week and the computer was off! So... yeah until I get a new power supply (ordered last night) I am unable to answer that question because I can't remember it from 4 weeks ago

At this point, there's nothing you want to do to that beer. In the future, you can up the malt and work on keeping it balanced.

carnevoodoo said:

At this point, there's nothing you want to do to that beer. In the future, you can up the malt and work on keeping it balanced.

Click to expand...

I certainly will! It's already bottled but just to clarify, adding more base malt into the wort will increase the ABV? What type of ratios are we talking here? this batch I did 50/50 liquid/dried. Light extract liquid 3.3 lbs and light extract dried 1lb.

The FG alone does not determine the Alcohol Percentage.

You can have a 15% abv beer with a FG of 1.010 or a 1% abv beer with a FG of 1.010

to find the % alcohol you must have the OG and FG

Where did you get the original recipe?

greeneyed said:

Where did you get the original recipe?

Click to expand...

I basically didn't use one. I took what I learned from my first batch (the day before) which was a kitted Red Ale, and applied some knowledge I have been learning from reading the forums, books, etc. and added some orange/lemon zest in addition to the aforementioned extracts. Used Light Barley to steep and cascade hops as boiling AND finishing hops. I also used 6oz instead of 5oz of dextrose in hopes I get a tad bit more carbonation -- that or the bottles will pop while I'm out of town this week lol

Do you remember the specifics of the recipe?

mackinskor said:

I also used 6oz instead of 5oz of dextrose in hopes I get a tad bit more carbonation -- that or the bottles will pop while I'm out of town this week lol

Click to expand...

Was this a 10 gallon batch?

greeneyed said:

Do you remember the specifics of the recipe?



Was this a 10 gallon batch?

Click to expand...

I don't remember every little detail, but no it was a 5gallon batch. the "kit" for the Red Ale had a 5oz package of the sugar and I used that as directed. Like I said I threw in 1 more ounce in hopes I'd get a bit more carbonation -- I asked my brother to check in on it every now and then so my room isn't flooded.

Those 5 oz packets that come with kits are already very high carbonation in my opinion.

The problem is that new brewers tend not to wait long enough for the bottles to properly carbonate.

weirdboy said:

Those 5 oz packets that come with kits are already very high carbonation in my opinion.

The problem is that new brewers tend not to wait long enough for the bottles to properly carbonate.

Click to expand...

Oh, well if 5oz is too much then 6 may be too much live and learn I suppose - I'll wait for the final product to make the real assessment though haha -- I'm giving them 14 days before I crack any bottles open. Of course, since I can't drink 48 beers in 2 days, I plan on these lasting at least another month after the fact so hopefully the last 12-18 beers will be the proper carbonation or at least as close as this new brewer can get I just hope the flavor is sexxxxyyyy

Please wait an extra week before cracking one. Or, at least note the carbonation level at 14 days, then compare it to 21 days.

weirdboy said:

Please wait an extra week before cracking one. Or, at least note the carbonation level at 14 days, then compare it to 21 days.

Click to expand...

That is the plan!