Basic recipe for strong beer!

[dbrump]

Hi, I'm a novice at this brewing lark but I have successfully made beer from several pre-mixed kits.
I would like to create my own brew from scratch and would like someone to kindly give me a basic recipe to try and eventually experiment with.
Kits are great, but I feel that I would get more satisfaction in creating my own. Oh and one last thing, something with a bit of a kick in the ABV department.

 

[unionrdr]

You could check out my Buckeye Burton ale recipe. It's all extract,but comes in at 6.8%. It's my rendition of the old #3 Burton ale of the 1890's. A rusty amber color,with a bit of malt sweetness & English style hops.

 

[evrose]

Hi, I'm a novice at this brewing lark but I have successfully made beer from several pre-mixed kits.
I would like to create my own brew from scratch and would like someone to kindly give me a basic recipe to try and eventually experiment with.
Kits are great, but I feel that I would get more satisfaction in creating my own. Oh and one last thing, something with a bit of a kick in the ABV department.

Hi and welcome.

You're going to have to be a bit more specific in your likes and dislikes. What you're asking is like saying, "I've made myself dinner a few times, but I'd welcome suggestions on what food I should make next." er... um...

There is a HUGE recipe database here on the site, sorted by style. Poke around those forums and you'll find recipes and discussions for hundreds of beers. What do you like? What commercial beers do you like?

Help us help you.

 

[strambo]

Here's the recipe for a Strong Ale I just brewed. I'm literally enjoying the first glass off the keg right now! It turned out well, and was inspired by Rogue's "Double Dead Guy" which is one of my favorites. I lowered the IBUs though, because I have the 2nd half of this batch on just over 4lbs of Marion Berries.

It is basically just a strong American Amber Ale

Batch size 5.15 gals, Partial Mash (for all extract, delete the 4lbs Munich and use 11lbs LME. Steep the crystal malts at 155 for 30 mins)

OG 1.082
FG 1.017
ABV 8.6%
IBU 47

4 lbs Munich (9 SRM)
1 lb C20
8oz C40
8lbs Pale LME
1.5 oz Perle 60 min
1 oz Cascade 20 min
.5 oz Cascade 5 min
.5 oz Cascade 0 min
Yeast SafeAle US-05 x2 packets

*edit: just to be clear, this is not a clone for Double Dead Guy, or supposed to be, just similar style....

 

[fnord]

Here's the recipe for a Strong Ale I just brewed. I'm literally enjoying the first glass off the keg right now! It turned out well, and was inspired by Rogue's "Double Dead Guy" which is one of my favorites. I lowered the IBUs though, because I have the 2nd half of this batch on just over 4lbs of Marion Berries.

It is basically just a strong American Amber Ale

Batch size 5.15 gals, Partial Mash (for all extract, delete the 4lbs Munich and use 11lbs LME. Steep the crystal malts at 155 for 30 mins)

OG 1.082
FG 1.017
ABV 8.6%
IBU 47

4 lbs Munich (9 SRM)
1 lb C20
8oz C40
8lbs Pale LME
1.5 oz Perle 60 min
1 oz Cascade 20 min
.5 oz Cascade 5 min
.5 oz Cascade 0 min
Yeast SafeAle US-05 x2 packets

*edit: just to be clear, this is not a clone for Double Dead Guy, or supposed to be, just similar style....

nevermind, misread the recipe

 

[RM-MN]

From scratch, eh? Well, first you buy 10 acres and plow it up, work the soil till lumps and weeds are gone and then plant barley at the rate of 1 1/2 to 2 bushels per acre. Then you wait for it to grow and mature......

oh, I bet you meant from a basic recipe instead of a kit.

 

[dbrump]

Hi and welcome.

You're going to have to be a bit more specific in your likes and dislikes. What you're asking is like saying, "I've made myself dinner a few times, but I'd welcome suggestions on what food I should make next." er... um...

There is a HUGE recipe database here on the site, sorted by style. Poke around those forums and you'll find recipes and discussions for hundreds of beers. What do you like? What commercial beers do you like?

Help us help you.

Ha ha,
I suppose I need to try more dinners (kits) so that I can tell you my preference.
I have started with darker ales- John Bull - Porter and fermenting now is Woodforde's Headcracker!
Something with body and kick!

 

[Yooper]

Ha ha,
I suppose I need to try more dinners (kits) so that I can tell you my preference.
I have started with darker ales- John Bull - Porter and fermenting now is Woodforde's Headcracker!
Something with body and kick!

Would you like an American style ale, or a British style ale? Do you want a stout, with roasty flavor? Would you rather have something hoppy?

One beer you may really like may be a malty barley wine type of beer. It's rich, full bodied, and with an alcohol warmth. Because of the high ABV, though, it may take a couple of months to make and then wait a bit for bottle conditioning.

If you let us know what you'd like (besides high alcohol) we could guide you to a great recipe that would be easy as well.

 

[JLem]

There's also the question of what you mean by "kick". There's a world of difference between brewing a 7% beer and a 10+% beer.

 

[dbrump]

There's also the question of what you mean by "kick". There's a world of difference between brewing a 7% beer and a 10+% beer.

Let's say a dark ale with approx 7% or higher.
I can predict the next 2 questions.
There are a million dark ales out there (full bodied, sweet, bitter). Pick one!
7 or higher, do you mean 8?

Something with body eg. London Porter, stout.
I would like to have a few and feel the effects of alcohol. (in a good way) The last batch I made I could drink till the cows came home. Sort of defeats the object when a brew lacks alcohol.

 

[Yooper]

Let's say a dark ale with approx 7% or higher.
I can predict the next 2 questions.
There are a million dark ales out there (full bodied, sweet, bitter). Pick one!
7 or higher, do you mean 8?

Something with body eg. London Porter, stout.
I would like to have a few and feel the effects of alcohol. (in a good way) The last batch I made I could drink till the cows came home. Sort of defeats the object when a brew lacks alcohol.

I make a lot of 3-4% ABV beers, because I love the flavor of beer but can't drink 5 or 6 9% beers in a sitting- so I think there is room for both.

In any case, it sounds like you want a big stout.

So, about a 8.5% ABV stout? That sounds like it would be what you're looking for, especially with fall coming.

I just looked at a recipe I was considering, from Brewing Classic Styles, and I love this one:

13.7 pounds English pale LME (if you can't get English, regular pale is ok)

1.5 pounds roasted barley
.5 pounds chocolate malt
1 pound special B
.5 pound caramunich
.5 pound chocolate malt
.5 pound pale choc0late malt

1.5 oz horizon hops 60 minutes
2 oz EKG hops 10 minutes
2 oz EKG hops 1 minute

4 packages Wyeast 1056, or 2 packages dry S05


Keep in mind that this will take a long time to mellow and meld, so it's a good beer for aging. Any "big" alcohol beers require some special care to ferment and will finish too sweet if not enough yeast is used. It also takes a bit longer to bottle carb a bigger beer like this, but it's worth it!

This would be a big rich full Russian Imperial Stout.

 

[dbrump]

Thanks, sounds good to me. I'll give it a try.