Need Help Raising ABV

[ILBMF]

I've got this bourbon oak red ale I brew and it's about 5.0 to 5.4 % and I'd like to raise it to about 6.5 to 7.0% and could use a little help. I'm posting the grain bill and hop schedule. Keep in mind I want to keep the present color. Thanks to anyone with some help.

10 gallon batch

18 lbs 2-row
2.0 lbs British crystal 45*
1 lb US crystal 40*
2.66 oz (74 grams) chocolate malt
1.32 oz (32 grams) black patent malt

2.0 oz willamette 4.5% 60 min
1.0 oz willamette 4.5% 50 min
2.0 oz yak goldings 4.7% 0 min
1.0 oz willamette 4.5% 0 min

 

[andrewmaixner]

If you just want to add a couple percent ABV, add dextrose/sucrose at the end of boil (very common to do in double IPAs), or everclear post-fermentation. If you want more body too, add more base malt.

 

[slym2none]

Add three pounds of DME (or one 3.3# can of LME) at the end of the boil.

 

[ILBMF]

What about corn sugar? I do want to dry it out some and lighten the mouth feel. If so, how much? And I was thinking about some brown sugar

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Add bourbon?

 

[andrewmaixner]

What about corn sugar? I do want to dry it out some and lighten the mouth feel. If so, how much? And I was thinking about some brown sugar

Dextrose is corn sugar. Add whatever amount gets the ABV where you want it.

 

[ILBMF]

Yeah, I know that. I was asking how much to get in that 6.5 to 7.0 range.

FloppyKnockers, oh yeah, I add a cup of bourbon and a pair of toasted oak spirals to each 5 gallon keg

 

[helibrewer]

Just scale up the recipe, brewing software makes it very easy.

 

[ILBMF]

I don't have brewing software, that's why I am asking for a little help. I only brew about 5 different beers, mostly IPA's and I know exactly what I want, but this one is a beer I make for my wife for the holidays and she asked me to juice it up.

 

[andrewmaixner]

I don't mean to come across as snarky, but this sounds like a "do my homework for me" request.

Here's a really simple free calculator: http://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg/

playing with that for your recipe indicates that 1 kilo of dextrose in 10 gallons will increase alcohol by about 1%. You can also do the exact calculation with the known PPG of 46 for dextrose.

 

[ILBMF]

Well you actually do come across as a little snarky. I wasn't aware of any free calculator. If I had known about it I would have used it. I just brew in my garage every couple of months for the past 10 years and was asking for a little help. I'm no brew master and need no help with what I drink, just trying to hook my wife up with this recipe.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Well you actually do come across as a little snarky. I wasn't aware of any free calculator. If I had known about it I would have used it. I just brew in my garage every couple of months for the past 10 years and was asking for a little help. I'm no brew master and need no help with what I drink, just trying to hook my wife up with this recipe.

aah. Yes, there are a lot of free calculators, and even some free recipe software out there. http://www.brewersfriend.com/stats/ links to a bunch of free calculators,
For a few bucks, I have also definitely found the beersmith mobile app to be really useful for quick recipe building and adjustments / calculations.

If you're interested in learning more about the numbers and how to do the calculations, a good resource for understanding all of it is John Palmer's "how to brew" book, an older version of which is also available free online.

 

[ILBMF]

I appreciate it, but I pretty much just brew my stuff and just vary some hops types and small changes in mash temps depending on the time of year. I do enjoy discovering new hops. Mosaic is a new favorite of mine and I mainly just like keeping a killer IPA on tap at all times.

 

[RevKev]

What about corn sugar? I do want to dry it out some and lighten the mouth feel. If so, how much? And I was thinking about some brown sugar

Add 1 pound of corn or cane sugar, about a pound. Nothing more than 10% of total fermentables.

 

[ILBMF]

Will do