Extract attenuation problem

For my upcoming brew I want to do an irish red from northern brewer
Irish Red Ale - Extract Kit
OG: 1040 / Ready: 6 weeks

If it ferments down to 1.010 it will be 3.9% abv according to beer smith. Is there any way I could add just enough DME to get it to around 4.9% or would this adversely effect the flavor?

I think it would be fine to add about 1.25 pounds of DME but it will also affect your hop balance. You should really add a proportional amount of hops as well to keep it in balance. What is the AA% on the hops they sent you? If it is an ounce of pellets at anything between 5% and 6% (leaf at 5.5% to 6.5%), you are fine with what you have. If they are 4.5% or less (less than 5% if leaf hops), you will need more.

What if I were to add it closer to the end of the boil? So you think a pound will raise the ABV about a point or so? That was a big question I was pondering. I have a morbid fear of adding too much sugar and ruining my batch.

Frost said:

For my upcoming brew I want to do an irish red from northern brewer
Irish Red Ale - Extract Kit
OG: 1040 / Ready: 6 weeks

If it ferments down to 1.010 it will be 3.9% abv according to beer smith. Is there any way I could add just enough DME to get it to around 4.9% or would this adversely effect the flavor?

Click to expand...

Hop Balance is a concern.

There are a lot of schools of thought on this product...but I'm a big fan of it.

Use BrewVint 1% Alcohol Boost.
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