A strong beer?

I want a beer with a lot of alcohol in it. I am going to a party for myself and want to bring it to the party for my friends. They are not home brew drinkers, so I would like something that looks like an APA with a smooth taste. Any suggestions?

I'd go buy some coors and a cheap bottle of vodka.
Then read www.howtobrew.com

+1 but i'd go with some busch instead of coors

orfy said:

I'd go buy some coors and a cheap bottle of vodka.
Then read www.howtobrew.com

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good idea

If you're just looking to get people drunk (a waste of good homebrew IMHO), why don't you make Apfelwein? It's easy to make, drinkable, and has a ~10% ABV.

High Life and a roll of toilet paper

orfy said:

I'd go buy some coors and a cheap bottle of vodka.
Then read www.howtobrew.com

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lmao... instant classic!

orfy said:

I'd go buy some coors and a cheap bottle of vodka.
Then read www.howtobrew.com

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you know, they actually package and distribute that concoction, its called Panther Ice

Assuming (from the technical nature of your question) that you're an all-grain brewer with the skills for a triple decoction mash and the facilities for extended lagering, I think a doppelbock on the lighter end of the SRM scale for the style (so it "looks like an APA") would be just the ticket.

I normally would thank everyone for their post. However, I do not believe I will this time. I am not sure why you guys thought being rude was so funny. I wanted a good home brew to share with my friends. However, I only received smart assed answers. Think about this guys. Why would I ask a home brew forum; if I wanted crap like you guys suggested? As for the last post way to welcome a new home brewer.

Wow, you guys are cold, rightly so, but still.

I'm in a giving mood tonight. Hit your local homebrew store and pick up a kit that looks like the style you're interested in. They usually have great directions and it's no harder than boiling water. It's the right way to start out a brewing hobby and will taste great. You will have some weeks to wait until you can drink it though. If you don't have equipment, you can usually get by with a 65 dollar kit in the beginning.

-RS

Chad,
You're post made you sound like an underage kid looking to make hootch. If you had any idea how many of these posts show up here on a weekly basis, you'd understand the attitude you received and it was made worse by the fact that you're a brand new participant. You might be of legal age, appreciative of good brew, and still be interested in high alcohol beers. Afterall, barleywines, trippels, and eisbocks are all recognized styles right?

Ok, so buy yourself a kit. Northernbrewer has a big selection of high gravity beers. You have to let them age for at least a few months before they smooth out so I hope you have patience.

Wow.

If you care about brewing how come you don't know that yeast use sugar to create alcohol.

Seriously you need to do some reading if you want to make (good) beer.
It is fundamental knowledge that more sugar = more alcohol.
This can come from more grain, malt, sugar.
You can even buy a no brainer product called alcohol booster from AHB.

Making beer just for the Alcohol is not what this forum is about and the question you asked gets asked by under aged kids all the time.

What a bunch of EAC's...

Thanks for the info. I will look at some of these kits. I guess I should have asked about a "Big Beer." However, I am new to home brew and did not know what they were called. I know yeast converts sugar to alcohol and the more sugars you have the more alcohol you get. Where did the assumption I did not know this come from? I wanted to make a good quality beer to share with my friends. The only reason I asked about one with high alcohol is because I wanted something with a kick. I could get natty ice but it sucks. I received a privet email from one of the forum members with a couple of good suggestions I am going to try. Also, thanks to everyone who gave serous answers.

Brewer_Chad said:

I want a beer with a lot of alcohol in it. I am going to a party for myself and want to bring it to the party for my friends. They are not home brew drinkers, so I would like something that looks like an APA with a smooth taste. Any suggestions?

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Why don't you just brew a classic APA? I guarantee it'll blow their minds if they're of the BMC crowd.

If that's too hoppy then maybe a bitter would be in order.

Basically, you can't make an APA with "lots of alcohol", the flavor profile will not support a high ABV. Also, high alcohol styles take months to become drinkable and I suspect you are looking for something for the holidays.

I have to agree with one earlier post about reading.
Books, magazines (Brew Your Own is my favorite), and websites (this and others), are all a fantastic source of information about this new addiction that you have been cursed with.

Once you start brewing, and learning about what it is you are brewing, you won't want to stop. I am still very new to it myself, but I am definitely hooked, and I am driving my wife nuts with all of the reading material that I am always going through.

That all being said, nothing beats experience.
Get a starter package so that you have the basic equipment, and go for it. If you are brewing extract with grains, an average batch will cost you about $20 - $25. For that, you end up with just over 2 cases of beer. A single case of a decent beer at Sams Club or Costco would cost you that much.

i think that for a beginner you're asking a lot if you want a taste that your friends will go for and a lot of alcohol. i'd just go for a simple pale ale and get the alcohol boost that some others suggested. if your friends are really bud/miller/coors people they probably won't take straight away to stronger beers.

and put some apfelwein up too - should cost less than $50 - and that includes buying all the equipment you need.

Everyone here has taken a few lumps when they have asked a stupid question.....especially me. I am certain that all comments were meant to be funny to you too. The question you asked was just too broad. If you were looking for a recipe, there is a recipe forum.

My recommendation based on your question would be: (5 gallons)

9 lbs extra light DME
3 oz cascade hops (30 min, 10 min, 5 min)
White labs irish ale yeast

cheezydemon said:

My recommendation based on your question would be: (5 gallons)

9 lbs extra light DME
3 oz cascade hops (30 min, 10 min, 5 min)
White labs irish ale yeast

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9 lbs of DME???
will that be drinkable before St. Patricks Day?
He could brew that up now, along with a good stout recipe,
and he would be all set for black and tans to go with his corned beef and cabbage.

hmm...
now that has me thinking.

I know what I am going to be brewing soon.:cross:

rabidgerbil said:

9 lbs of DME???
will that be drinkable before St. Patricks Day?
He could brew that up now, along with a good stout recipe,
and he would be all set for black and tans to go with his corned beef and cabbage.

hmm...
now that has me thinking.

I know what I am going to be brewing soon.:cross:

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Now that sounds like a hell of an idea....second that "i know what i'm brewing soon"

OblivionsGate said:

Now that sounds like a hell of an idea....second that "i know what i'm brewing soon"

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I just looked at your signature...
how did the White Christmas come out?
if it is good, will you post your recipe?
or have you already?
I guess I should have looked in the recipes forum first.

rabidgerbil said:

I have to agree with one earlier post about reading.
Books, magazines (Brew Your Own is my favorite), and websites (this and others), are all a fantastic source of information about this new addiction that you have been cursed with.

Once you start brewing, and learning about what it is you are brewing, you won't want to stop. I am still very new to it myself, but I am definitely hooked, and I am driving my wife nuts with all of the reading material that I am always going through.

That all being said, nothing beats experience.
Get a starter package so that you have the basic equipment, and go for it. If you are brewing extract with grains, an average batch will cost you about $20 - $25. For that, you end up with just over 2 cases of beer. A single case of a decent beer at Sams Club or Costco would cost you that much.

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I drive my girlfriend up the wall with reading material as well. "you're reading that book again?" comes out of her mouth about once a day when we go to bed and I am reading the book that came with my kit.

I just want to be as knowledgeable as I possibly can, so that I can make great brews. I haven't been this hooked on a hobby since I started playing with/programming computers back when i was 5.

firepunk said:

I drive my girlfriend up the wall with reading material as well. "you're reading that book again?" comes out of her mouth about once a day when we go to bed and I am reading the book that came with my kit.

I just want to be as knowledgeable as I possibly can, so that I can make great brews. I haven't been this hooked on a hobby since I started playing with/programming computers back when i was 5.

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Luckily my wife and I have been together for about 14 years now, between the dating and marriage, so she knows me well. She knows that I can be very obsessive about things, and she also knows that I am fanatical about reading materials. I started my subscription to BYO almost two years before I brewed my first batch.

I brewed two beers, years ago, and then nothing else until now... and now that I am back into it, I don't plan no stopping I figure, with two kegs, five primaries, and five secondaries, ten+ cases of empty bottles, and TONS of friends who want good beer, I should be able to brew at least a few times a month.

Yeah, i would like to keep a regular brew schedule like twice a month, and so far i've been able to. but thats my first two brews. We'll see how it goes. I think my biggest problem will be bottles. Getting enough of them and storing them. Right now my brewery is located in a broom closet that is about 2 buckets wide. I'm planning on converting it into a retarded 3rd cousin of the fermenter chiller. so I can better control the temp. Everytime my girlfriend hears the creak of the closet door I hear "You're beer is still there."

maybe I should start a new thread for this... we seem to have stolen this guys thread...:cross:

rabidgerbil said:

I just looked at your signature...
how did the White Christmas come out?
if it is good, will you post your recipe?
or have you already?
I guess I should have looked in the recipes forum first.

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nah, i havent posted it in the recipes yet, so its ok to ask!


The wheat beer part came out great and I'm planning on making it as just itself sometime in the spring, but I don't know how the cran-rasberry part will taste yet.

I used 3lbs of canned rasberry puree (spelling) from the LHBS and 3lbs of sliced organic cranberries in the secondary. I'll let you know how it tastes after the whole "waiting game" is over!

I'm in the start of law school finals, remind me and I'll PM or post the recipe in a couple weeks when I get to my homebrew records.

Brewer_Chad said:

I normally would thank everyone for their post. However, I do not believe I will this time. I am not sure why you guys thought being rude was so funny. I wanted a good home brew to share with my friends. However, I only received smart assed answers. Think about this guys. Why would I ask a home brew forum; if I wanted crap like you guys suggested? As for the last post way to welcome a new home brewer.

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I agree with you..

mbaha said:

I agree with you..

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Excuse me?

You've insulted two moderators in nine posts, including one of the most universally beloved members of our community (what did you call her? REAL mature). If you haven't felt welcomed with open arms......

Brewer_Chad said:

I want a beer with a lot of alcohol in it. I am going to a party for myself and want to bring it to the party for my friends. They are not home brew drinkers, so I would like something that looks like an APA with a smooth taste. Any suggestions?

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Next time you post a question, I have a few suggestions that will help to have your question taken slightly more seriously.

- First, you might want to include your time constraints. Not all beer can be completed in 1-2-3-Drink. (That's 1 week primary, 2 week secondary, 3 week in bottles, then consume). Especially a style that is high in ABV% requires a long time to mellow so that it tastes good.

- Second, think about what you're asking for. Which of these things is the most important qualification? Do you want a high alcohol beer, or a beer that BMC drinkers can enjoy? (Almost always two different things.)

- Third, you might want to specify what you've done before. If we know what experiences you have had, we can give you a recommendation that applies to your situation.

I echo the sentiment that if high ABV% is your goal, then EdWort's Apfelwein is the way to go -- but I suspect that your "party" is probably for Christmas or New Years', and a batch of Apfelwein should ferment for 4 weeks, and then bottle condition for a minimum of 2 weeks JUST to build carbonation. As people have noted, the taste gets better after conditioning for at least a month-plus.

Best of luck.
c

firepunk said:

I drive my girlfriend up the wall with reading material as well. "you're reading that book again?" comes out of her mouth about once a day when we go to bed and I am reading the book that came with my kit.

I just want to be as knowledgeable as I possibly can, so that I can make great brews. I haven't been this hooked on a hobby since I started playing with/programming computers back when i was 5.

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That sounds incredibly familiar except that it's, "how many times do you need to read that book?". I keep telling her it's a text book not a novel.

Ok Chad how long til the party? I will assume you know that the bigger the beer the longer it will take for it to be ready to drink.

There are tons of recipes out there in any format (all grain, partial, or extract) that will fit the bill of high ABV or can be modified to accomplish this task.

I think the reason you are catching flack is most people brew to make the best beer they can so the people they offer it to will enjoy it. Not see if they can get them **** faced and watch them through it back up.

Another option is to brew a lighter beer and make two of them. If you're into drinking games and such two kegs might go further and be more fun than one. People don't get as sloppy drunk and the party goes on longer. Just a thought...

find a APA recipe cut the hops in half and add a two to three lbs of honey and use a good neutral White Labs California Yeast.

Ok the party is January 5, 2008. I have matured out of drinking games and don't want to see anybody puke. I just wanted something with a kick because I wanted to do something different. I started Apfelwein on 11/15/2007 so it should be ready to drink just in time. I am going to start a Stone IPA Clone recipe this week; I was told it will yield 7.5-8.2 ABV and be ready in 4-5 weeks. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Brewer_Chad said:

Ok the party is January 5, 2008. I have matured out of drinking games and don't want to see anybody puke. I just wanted something with a kick because I wanted to do something different. I started Apfelwein on 11/15/2007 so it should be ready to drink just in time. I am going to start a Stone IPA Clone recipe this week; I was told it will yield 7.5-8.2 ABV and be ready in 4-5 weeks. Thanks for all the suggestions.

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Glad to see that you can still "make it happen" in time. Hope you and your friends have a great time and enjoy your creations!

Do yourself a favor. Hide at least a sixer of the stone clone until march.

joebou4860 said:

Do yourself a favor. Hide at least a sixer of the stone clone until march.

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Mmmm... mellowed hops... yummy

Thats going to be cutting it close, but I wish you all the luck in making it happen. I hope everyone enjoys the brew.