Can you increase ABV while fermenting?

[Wilson1911]

The title question is poorly worded so please read below to understand what I am asking.

So I produced my first beer a few weeks back. I've been using the Brewers Best kits and made an English Pale Ale. It was supposed to be ~4.5% ABV but came out very low at 3.4%. The flavor is great but the alcohol content is needless to say very weak. I also have 2 other beers fermenting as well; a Russian Imperial Stout and Belgian Tripel both from the same kit company.

Q:
I just measured the Russian Imperial after 30 days and its ABV is approx. 5.2% where it is supposed to be in the 8% range. I transferred it to a carboy today where it will sit again for at least a month. Is there anything I can do at this point to increase the ABV, ie. add ingredients/sugars or even yeast?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Are these extract kits? What were the gravities expected from the kits? I assume you are using a hydrometer. are you measuring the wort/beer at the correct temperature?

 

[sudsmcgee]

It's nearly impossible to mess up the ABV of a kit. If you used all of the malt extract, the ABV is right. Most likely you used top off water and your SG reading was wrong due to dilution.

 

[JLem]

Q:
I just measured the Russian Imperial after 30 days and its ABV is approx. 5.2% where it is supposed to be in the 8% range. I transferred it to a carboy today where it will sit again for at least a month. Is there anything I can do at this point to increase the ABV, ie. add ingredients/sugars or even yeast?

How are you determining the ABV?

What was your OG? And what is the current gravity?

 

[kh54s10]

Agreed.

If you did not do anything drastically different from the directions your ABV will be what the kit was supposed to make.

 

[muthafuggle]

It's nearly impossible to mess up the ABV of a kit. If you used all of the malt extract, the ABV is right. Most likely you used top off water and your SG reading was wrong due to dilution.

This. ^^^^^

It is INCREDIBLY common to have inaccurate OG readings on your first few partial boils. The top up water and wort just don't get mixed properly and we get questions about "my gravity is too high or low".

It's Probably more accurate to assume that you hit your OG and figure your ABV from that number and the FG.

Assuming you are actually waiting to hit FG. Did you wait for three consecutive days at the same gravity (under 1.020 usually) to bottle?

One last thing, once the beer is in the fermenter, you should pretty much consider your ABV locked in. You could possibly monkey with it a tiny bit, but it's really not worth it. It's a 90% chance of effing up your beer vs 10% potentially making it a few points more alcohol AT MOST.

In my experience, at least....