I'm thinking about brewing something out of this range Muntons | Home Beer Making Most of those kits have an OG of 1040° to 1044°, and they recommend the addition of 1kg of dextrose. If I want to increase the alcoholic content, should I add 2kg of dextrose instead of 1kg, with some additional hops to balance out the extra sweetness, and how much extra alcohol will I get by adding 1 more kg of dextrose?
Increasing alcohol strength
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yes.
1 lb of corn sugar should add about 6 gravity pts
the sugar shouldn't add any xtra sweetness - it should all ferment out
mnadamn
Well-Known Member
Just to warn you, you may be risking making a dryer beer in adding the extra sugar but it is a great way to boost the alc content
Evan!
Well-Known Member
If you're looking to get wasted, a handle of vodka will do it for you too, probably for a lot less $$, too 
Evan!
Well-Known Member
Isn't it just one of those things every new brewer does at least once?
-OCD
I never did, but maybe I'm an anomaly...?
flyangler18
Well-Known Member
Isn't it just one of those things every new brewer does at least once?
-OCD
Never did it here.
I only do all grain, but if I want a bigger beer I make a bigger grain bill.
Flame me if you want, but adding a bunch of sugar to a meager malt recipe gives you higher ABV at the result of a lowered malt character, and I would want BOTH to be increased proportionally to give the beer a fullness of flavor. Along with the increased maltiness and ABV, I would also increase the hops some, too, but this is just my opinion.
Steel City comes to mind.
Flame me if you want, but adding a bunch of sugar to a meager malt recipe gives you higher ABV at the result of a lowered malt character, and I would want BOTH to be increased proportionally to give the beer a fullness of flavor. Along with the increased maltiness and ABV, I would also increase the hops some, too, but this is just my opinion.
Steel City comes to mind.
One thing I've found with the pre-hopped kits, is that the instructions usually have you make a 6 gal batch. I've found that they usually taste better then when I make them as a 5 gal batch. This will boost the ABV a little and gives a richer tasting beer. The other change I make is that I skip the sugar and instead add a 3.3 lb can of unhoped malt extract.
If you what to increase the ABV more then this, every lb of corn sugar will add 0.9 to your ABV. I don't think you'll be happy with the results if you add 2 kgs of corn sugar, because your adding corn sugar to a recipe that already has a lot of corn sugar. Corn sugar is a cheep way of adding alcohol, but at the expense of flavor. You can also take my suggested recipe and add an extra 1 lb of malt extract. This will get you into the 6% ABV range. The result will be a very rich tasting beer. If you want to lighten it up, but keep the ABV, you could add a 1 lb of corn sugar instead of malt or split the difference and add 1/2 lb of each.
IMO, 2 kgs of corn sugar is way too much. That about 4.4 lbs. Honestly, I think 1kg is too much.
If you what to increase the ABV more then this, every lb of corn sugar will add 0.9 to your ABV. I don't think you'll be happy with the results if you add 2 kgs of corn sugar, because your adding corn sugar to a recipe that already has a lot of corn sugar. Corn sugar is a cheep way of adding alcohol, but at the expense of flavor. You can also take my suggested recipe and add an extra 1 lb of malt extract. This will get you into the 6% ABV range. The result will be a very rich tasting beer. If you want to lighten it up, but keep the ABV, you could add a 1 lb of corn sugar instead of malt or split the difference and add 1/2 lb of each.
IMO, 2 kgs of corn sugar is way too much. That about 4.4 lbs. Honestly, I think 1kg is too much.
ohiobrewtus
Well-Known Member
Well now... isn't that special?
I did it, I think that most new brewers probably do. In time, we all learn that there are much better ways to up the abv of a recipe, or that the abv really just isn't all that important as long as the beer tastes good.
Also, just my opinion, but I don't think you should add extra hops. Three reasons:
1) I don't think you have the experience necessary to know where the balance is. (This is not meant to be an insult. I just think it takes some experience to learn how different hop flavors and IBU affect the beer. I'm still learning this myself.)
2) If your going to add hops, why use a pre-hopped kit to begin with? You can use the extract w/ steeping grain method, and your looking at just about the same amount of work. Pre-hoped kits are suppose to make it easy. If your going to monkey with the recipe so much as to boil your own hops, why not just make the beer from scratch? You can make just about any beer you want with extract and steeping grains and there are tons of recipes online and in books. You can even buy kits with all the ingredients together. You can even find recipes that are designed for high ABV -- some as high as 10%.
3) When you add hops you have to boil them. (usually for an hour). But when doing this your boiling off the flavors and aromas from the pre-hopped kit.
1) I don't think you have the experience necessary to know where the balance is. (This is not meant to be an insult. I just think it takes some experience to learn how different hop flavors and IBU affect the beer. I'm still learning this myself.)
2) If your going to add hops, why use a pre-hopped kit to begin with? You can use the extract w/ steeping grain method, and your looking at just about the same amount of work. Pre-hoped kits are suppose to make it easy. If your going to monkey with the recipe so much as to boil your own hops, why not just make the beer from scratch? You can make just about any beer you want with extract and steeping grains and there are tons of recipes online and in books. You can even buy kits with all the ingredients together. You can even find recipes that are designed for high ABV -- some as high as 10%.
3) When you add hops you have to boil them. (usually for an hour). But when doing this your boiling off the flavors and aromas from the pre-hopped kit.
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
I tried it early on but not 4# in a 5 gal batch. I also went through a 'phase' where I was trying to get max ABV by making the most fermentable wort I could. They both increased ABV but neither made better beer. However, it was a learning experience.
Mr. Nice Guy
Well-Known Member
Try 2 kilos dried malt extract or 1.5 kilo malt extract syrup, whatever you can get. The amount of sugar you were considering would make a "cidery" thin beer. You could add a 1/2 kilo sugar to 3 kilos malt extract without comprimising the beer.
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