How do I get a stronger alcohol content?

[Tilson]

I was just wondering if anyone can tell me how to get a stronger beer, maybe around 8%?

 

[cweston]

I was just wondering if anyone can tell me how to get a stronger beer, maybe around 8%?

By adding more sugars for the yeast to convert into alcohol.

Most quality beer styles get all (or nearly all) their sugars from malted barley. You *can* add cheaper sugars like corn sugar or table sugar. These add little or nothing to your beer except higher alcohol content, and can create poor flavors at high concentrations (say, more than 10-15% of total sugars).

To get a beer in the 8% ABV range, you're looking for recipes with original gravities in the 1.080 range or more--styles like Belgian Tripel, Barleywine, Scotch Wee Heavy, or anything designated "Imperial" (e.g. imperial IPA or imperial stout).

These beers are somewhat more complicated to brew and generally require months of aging before they are at their best.

 

[Cheesefood]

I'd just like to ask this question:

Why are some people so interested in STRONGER beer? We see this all the time. Is it to get drunk quicker? Because that seems like a silly goal in my opinion. It's like saying "I want my night to end quicker and to feel worse tomorrow".

I understand strong beer (which is a challenge, IMO, since most STRONG beers taste like sh!te), but not making beer stronger. If you want to get drunk quicker, do shots.

 

[cweston]

LOL--I'd be thrilled if I could find a way to get the maltiness and body of a 1.065 beer in a 1.040 beer. Then I could drink a second one after the kids are in bed without falling asleep on the couch and getting fat.

 

[the_bird]

Austin Homebrew sells an "alcohol booster" that's supposed to increase the alcohol by about 1% without, they claim, inpacting the flavor. Most speculate that the booster is mostly just corn sugar. You CAN add a little bit of a simple, highly fermentable sugar like corn sugar to a recipe and kick up the alcohol, but it's a delicate balance. These sugars can impart an off-flavor if used in excess, and they will certainly dry out your beer (since they are so highly fermentable) and make it into something else.

Most would consider the quality of a beer that has been boosted in this way to be inferior. With that said, there are some excellent recipes out there for barleywines and Inperial IPAs that get well north of 8% - but it's appropriate for the style. They aren't guzzle beers, and they aren't easy to brew.

 

[knipknup]

The first 8 or so batches I brewed all happened to range between 6 and 9% ABV. Though they were good, I am sick of drinking them. I want a beer I can drink without having to avoid the stairs after a couple. As my brewing evolves, I am steering for 4-5% ABV so I can enjoy the brew. That being said, I have Denny Conn's Rye IPA just about ready for the secondary!!!!

 

[ayrton]

I gotta side with Cheese here. Upping the alcohol to 8% on any given beer may cause the beer to taste like...well, alcohol. If you like high ABV, try brewing a 'big' beer like the ones cweston mentioned.

 

[sirsloop]

I'd take a look at Belgian Strong and Dark Ales (see my trios pistoles thread), Bocks, Strong IPA's, or simply cook up a batch of Ed's 8.5% ABV Apfelwein. Its only 5-6 gallons for ~$16.

As far as making normal american ales or otherwise easy drinkers super strong only to get buzzed faster... yeah it happens but most people on this board brew beer as a hobby and for taste. The ol alcohol booster is not necessary in almost all cases. We all did it once and have grown out of it.

Fair warning, you're going to want to have a stash of beer on hand that you can drink while this stuff ages. It would be a shame to choke down a $50 Belgian Dark while its still green and wondering why it sucks. I dont plan on tapping this Trois Pistoles until AT LEAST May.

 

[jjasghar]

I've always taken it as, well more alcohol the n00b brewer can show off to his/her friends. Hell i'm still in that phase; when i talk about brewing to people they ask me if i could make anything stronger than say Chimay.

Though recently i've come to realize.... (after seeing that starbuck is actually alive )

Every time a start a new batch though i realize it's not the booze i'm enjoying, it's the process. I've bumped myself up to Partial Mash now, and hell i love it... i like the smell of plums that seems to appear in my apt.
Granted don't get me wrong, i love the product...but the ritual is so... relaxing.

 

[paranode]

I've always taken it as, well more alcohol the n00b brewer can show off to his/her friends. Hell i'm still in that phase; when i talk about brewing to people they ask me if i could make anything stronger than say Chimay.

It's funny you would mention that because I told a coworker about the hobby and he seemed interested then a day or two later asked more about how it works and how he could brew a high-ABV beer.

 

[Tilson]

Well I was drinking a beer called Lion a beer from Sri Lanka which had a 8.0% alcohol content and I thought it tasted very nice, it’s a very good stout and I was just wondering how to make a stout with a higher alcohol content, I didn’t know some people were going to make a big fuss about it. BTW it’s not to get drunk, I tried it and liked it, I am a beginner so I was wondering how to do it. Thanks.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

It's kind of funny that we get this question every few weeks. I recently made a honey wheat that I wanted as my lawnmower beer and I obviously messed something up because it came out to a 7.4%ABV. I was actually wanting something much lower so I wouldn't be loaded after one!

 

[the_bird]

Look for an Imperial Stout recipe, there are a lot of them around. I don't know the Sri Lankan beer, but I've had some real nice stouts that are in the 8% - 10% range. High alcohol is fine as long as it's within the style guidelines, but we've also seen a LOT of (usually kids) around here who are just looking for the easiest way to get the biggest buzz. But, an Imperial Stout is a recipe that calls for a lot of malt and ends up with a lot of alcohol.

To answer the "how" question; lots of malt/malt extract. Some IS recipes might have a little bit of corn sugar (how "dry" was the beer you enjoyed?). Imperial Stouts usually want some aging. There will be a good amount of roasted barley, maybe some other dark roasted malts in there. They tend to have a few more hops that "regular" stouts.

 

[sirsloop]

fair enough... I've currently got 11 gallons of stuff at my place thats 8% or higher... and another 15 thats 4.5-5%. Drink what you like...

People that are used to drinking BMC are usually infatuated with alcohol content, because that generally is the only thing that distinguishes one beer from another. Marketing of commercial beers like Molson XXX, Ice beer, etc put the idea that higher alcohol beer is more desirable. When you step into the world of microbrew and homebrew... you realize what the truth.

 

[TheJadedDog]

I like to have 1 high gravity ale around (and this preceeded my foray into homebrewing), either a high ABV IPA or scotch ale of some kind. Right now I've got a Dead Guy clone that clocked in around 7% that's about ready to kick. After than I'm hoping the IPA I brewed last weekend will be somewhere in the mid sixes. I'm planning a Wee Heavy that may have to age longer than I anticipated but that's okay. Other than the one big beer on hand though everything else I've got is usually session, like a brown ale or ESB.

 

[robbase9]

People that are used to drinking BMC are usually infatuated with alcohol content, because that generally is the only thing that distinguishes one beer from another. Marketing of commercial beers like Molson XXX, Ice beer, etc put the idea that higher alcohol beer is more desirable. When you step into the world of microbrew and homebrew... you realize what the truth.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner.

So true, people drink BMC becuase it's cheap and gets them drunk. If there was a beer that they could drink that had more alcohol in it, it would get them drunk quicker and cheaper. All of it tastes the same, so load it up with alcohol and let me sleep with my sister. Yee Haw!

Well not exactly, but some do i guess.

 

[Cheesefood]

This is exactly why I want to get my son interested and involved in brewing. I want him to respect alcoholic beverages for their taste and complexity, not how many can be poured into a funnel and drank in one gulp.

It takes about 2 months to make a good beer, and one night to kill a case of swill. Having respect for the process and seeing how it's made will hopefully make him more interested in quality than quantity. If you grow up respecting beer, you won't want to violate your body with swill.

In return, he won't binge drink as much as drink to enjoy.

I hope.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

This is exactly why I want to get my son interested and involved in brewing. I want him to respect alcoholic beverages for their taste and complexity, not how many can be poured into a funnel and drank in one gulp.

It takes about 2 months to make a good beer, and one night to kill a case of swill. Having respect for the process and seeing how it's made will hopefully make him more interested in quality than quantity. If you grow up respecting beer, you won't want to violate your body with swill.

In return, he won't binge drink as much as drink to enjoy.

I hope.

I totally hear ya man! That's exactly why I want my son involved in my brewing too! Of course, he's still a bit young (2yrs) but that's really my goal. I guess that's why they have Kinderbier in germany right?

 

[cweston]

In return, he won't binge drink as much as drink to enjoy.

I hope.

It's a nice thought, but it probably wont work

I was raised in a family with "European" attitudes about alcohol. My folks had wine with dinner long before that trend had widely caught on among Americans, they were moderate drinkers and never hid this from us kids. When we were teenagers, we could usually have wine with dinner if we wanted to (we generally didn't want to.)

When I was in college, even though the drinking age had been raised to 21, my parents always served me wine or bought a six-pack (they were not beer drinkers, but I was by then) for me when I visited. Moderate drinking (not for getting drunk) was the norm in my family.

Even so, I still engaged in all the same stupid drinking behaviors that most kids do as a college student. I did outgrow it reasonable quickly (before I graduated from college), so maybe their example helped *a little* in that regard.

 

[the_bird]

This is exactly why I want to get my son interested and involved in brewing. I want him to respect alcoholic beverages for their taste and complexity, not how many can be poured into a funnel and drank in one gulp.

It takes about 2 months to make a good beer, and one night to kill a case of swill. Having respect for the process and seeing how it's made will hopefully make him more interested in quality than quantity. If you grow up respecting beer, you won't want to violate your body with swill.

In return, he won't binge drink as much as drink to enjoy.

I hope.

This is why I want to get Cassie involved - so that Miles won't be able to get her stupid-drunk and take advantage of her...

 

[Cheesefood]

This is why I want to get Cassie involved - so that Miles won't be able to get her stupid-drunk and take advantage of her...

One night she'll come home woozy. Her breath will smell like vanilla beer, boosted up to 12% ABV. Advantages will be taken.

We're sure you'll give her a talking to about him. A long talking to. Probably around 6,000 times in one year alone. Anti-whore whoring will replace Post whoring.

However, Miles will probably end up like his old man - striking out more often than Sammy Sosa's last MLB year. So you'll only need to be worried if Cassie ends up really fat and easily drunk. And I've seen pictures of you, so fat probably won't happen.

 

[rdwj]

Even so, I still engaged in all the same stupid drinking behaviors that most kids do as a college student. I did outgrow it reasonable quickly (before I graduated from college), so maybe their example helped *a little* in that regard.

Everyone is going to drink themselves stupid in college - it's just part of the experience IMHO. Heck, I STILL do it on occasion. But answer this, did you find that you knew your limits and stay out of that REAL danger zone moreso than those that weren't raised as you were?

 

[Cass]

hahaha I agree. I am still in college (just finishing up) and I remember my first yr was just all getting smashed and beer-bonging. But you do grow out of it (i don't know if it has to do with maturity in most cases, i think the toll it takes on ur body is a big factor, LOL). And I mean, everyone still likes to get stupid-drunk once in awhile with friends. I have never been a big fan of the high ABV beers though, had a few of them, and they are just not that great (especially the "ice" beers, some of the foreign stuff is tolerable, Belgium and Germany have some decent high ABV brews). IMO, if you are there to get drunk, drink liquor. I love my rye, and rum too. I see beer as more of a casual drink, not really something to get loaded on. I usually have a couple beers every night, whether I have someone to drink with or not. I don't see it as a bad thing, as I'm not out to get drunk.

 

[loopmd]

Well I was drinking a beer called Lion a beer from Sri Lanka which had a 8.0% alcohol content and I thought it tasted very nice, it’s a very good stout and I was just wondering how to make a stout with a higher alcohol content, I didn’t know some people were going to make a big fuss about it. BTW it’s not to get drunk, I tried it and liked it, I am a beginner so I was wondering how to do it. Thanks.

Don't take it personally Tilson, it's just a lot of underage kids usually ask that type of question and then the hammer falls down on them. I can see why you'd be interested, it really is part of toying around with this hobby. I actually like to add honey to my beers and it really boosts the abv up. If you are doing a "kit" as a beginner, do your kit and then after the boil add 1 lb of honey to the mix. If your kit would get you to 5% - 6% abv the honey would probably get you another 1% or 2 for a 5 gallon batch. The beer that you tried probably has more things you like then the alc. content. Have fun experimenting and enjoy. Keep asking questions. We are all here to help you.


loop

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Well I was drinking a beer called Lion a beer from Sri Lanka which had a 8.0% alcohol content and I thought it tasted very nice, it’s a very good stout and I was just wondering how to make a stout with a higher alcohol content, I didn’t know some people were going to make a big fuss about it. BTW it’s not to get drunk, I tried it and liked it, I am a beginner so I was wondering how to do it. Thanks.

Look for an [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22imperial+stout%22+site%3Awww.homebrewtalk.com&btnG=Google+Search"]Imperial Stout recipe[/ame].

Here are the BHCP style guidelines:

Original Gravity: 1.075-1.100
Final Gravity: 1.018-1.034
Color: 30.0-45.0 SRM
Bitterness: 50.0-95.0 IBU
Carbonation: 1.8-2.6 vols
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0-13.0%

Description: Robust, strong, malty beer brewed for export to Russia. Rich, sweet, complex, velvety character in an intense dark all. Roast flavor, fruity, alcoholic and well aged.

Profile: Full bodied with velvety, chewy burnt, smoky, malty, fruity, complex flavors. Some coffee or roast cocoa evident. May have dark fruit character. Moderate to high hop flavor and aroma. Black color. High ester and fruitiness.

Ingredients: Lots of pale malt with plenty of roasted malt. English hops. American variations have more bitterness. English or American yeast. Slightly alkaline water.

Examples: Courage Imperial Stout, Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout, Thursty Dog Siberian Night, Great Lakes Blackout Stout​

 

[rdwj]

If you want to get drunk quicker, do shots.

...or drink Mapfelwein

 

[z987k]

Well I was drinking a beer called Lion a beer from Sri Lanka which had a 8.0% alcohol content and I thought it tasted very nice, it’s a very good stout and I was just wondering how to make a stout with a higher alcohol content, I didn’t know some people were going to make a big fuss about it. BTW it’s not to get drunk, I tried it and liked it, I am a beginner so I was wondering how to do it. Thanks.

Couldn't find a recipe for ya, but I found something though google that may give you a good start at constructing your own recipe for it.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t5815.html

 

[McKBrew]

I remember just a few months back wanting something with more punch, then recently I realized that alcohol content wasn't as important as the taste. Even so, I'd still like to brew something in the 8%+ range just to do it. I like the idea of having a beer sitting somewhere, slowly aging. Imagine the anticipation after waiting for 6mos or more to try a brew.

 

[grrtt78]

i think i have brewed around 8 batches now and my first 4 of my first 5 were really high abv (imperial stout, 2 high gravity brown ales, and a tripple). thats all i wanted to do when i first started. now i cant wait for my pale ale and hefeweizen to be ready so i can relax and sip a few and still be able to stand.

 

[Willsellout]

I admit I wanted to brew my own for several reasons...one of them being to increase the alcohol content a bit. But then I realized what kind of work is involved in creating a beer that is 7+ ABV. Alot of ingredients...expensive as well.
I just brewed an IPA that I'm hoping with finish at around 6.5-7% ABV. We will know in a week


Dan

 

[Brewpastor]

Boosted is the same as fortified in my book and that equates Malt Liquor, which I don't assosiate with craft brewing. Now, I am all for Big Beers like Barley wine, Imperial Stout, Old Ale, Imperial IPA. But those are designed to be big and balanced in their big-ness. But that is just me and my way isn't the only way. It IS the right way, but not the only way.