low sg

[Rico6115]

i just got my next brew an english bitter.... just found out its starting gravity is only 1.033-1.037 and a final of 1.010-1.014...this would mean its alcohol content is gonna be pretty weak right?. I would like some recomendations on how to 1)boost the alc. and 2) recommend a nice beer kit with a nice alcohol content so i can get a lil teeepsie off the first one. i dont believe im in the position of making a recipe, im learnin off of my kit mistakes... thanks

 

[DeathBrewer]

getting a bigger gravity is as easy as adding extra sugar...more extract/sugar/honey...whatever is fermentable. you want to do it right, however, so you get the right taste. simply adding table sugar won't cut it

to boost the alcohol of your bitter, i would suggest adding some more extract...what are the ingredients at the moment/what kit is it?

 

[TheJadedDog]

An English Bitter does not have a lot of alcohol in it by definition, it is a session beer. If you want something with a higher ABV, pick a style that has a higher starting gravity like an IPA or something that can be easily scaled up like an Amber Ale, you can also check the recipe database to get an idea for the starting OGs for different styles and pick something you like.

As far as boosting the alcohol in what you've got, anytime you add fermentables, you have to adjust the other ingredients in order to maintain the right balance (recipe development is all about having the right ingredient ratios). Post the recipe and we can help you scale it up somewhat.

 

[Got Trub?]

Drink whiskey!

 

[Rico6115]

sorry for the delayed response, had a nice vacation. in the kit we have 3.3 lbs. gold LME. 1.4lb alexanders pale kicker...8 oz carapils, 8 oz caramel 10degree L(premixed) 2 oz kent goldings hops, and one dry yeast....I like gettin a buzz on after one that i could have possibly made its sweet. i definatly think my next brew even before this is going to be the sierra nevada clone. My gf actually asked for it when i went to the store! big step guys! but if we could tweak this a bit to give me somthing of even 4 or 12 % o yea and make it tast like beam! that would be grand. whisky is my weekend thing, dont hafto worry about waking up for work!