Still a noob looking for advice to kick my next batch up a notch

[Atomic]

I have made 2 batches so far. My first being ok but the second i made after reading more and understanding more this batch turned out great but my ABV was a little lower then the packaged ingredients said. My question now being I purchased a ingredient kit from True Brew it is a belgian ale what do i need to do to kick up the ABV? could i purchase any additional ingredients to spike it up? do i need more yeast and or sugar? The package says i could get 6+%. I would like to get it to 7 or above.



Ingredients included

Unhopped Light Malt Extract (1 can)
Extra Light Dried Malt Extract (1 lb)
Light Dried Malt Extract (1 lb)
Wheat Dried Malt Extract (1 lb)
Belgian Candy Sugar (1 lb)
Pale Grain Malt (.375 lb)
Grain Steeping Bag
Northern Brewer Hop Pellets (1 oz)
Styrian Goldings Hop Pellets (1 oz)
Czech Saaz Hop Pellets (1 oz)
Fermentis T-58 Ale Yeast (1 pack)
Priming Sugar (5 oz)

 

[marubozo]

If you want to maintain a quality flavor profile the best way to boost alcohol content is by increasing the malt in the recipe. This is what's converted to alcohol by the yeast and also leaves flavor behind. That being said, virtually any sugar that's added to the recipe will also be converted to alcohol by the yeast and can raise the alcohol content. The problem is that if you add just any old plain sugar (corn sugar for example) it's almost entirely fermentable which gives you alcohol, but does not add any flavors and may actually make your beer not taste quite as good, be extra dry, etc.

The other thing you want to consider is that not all yeast can tolerate higher alcohol content and you could create a problem there as well. That being said, you're using T-58 which can ferment upwards of 10%+ so you wouldn't have an issue in this case. But just keep that in mind before you try to boost the alcohol content of future brews.

 

[iron_city_ap]

There are a couple ways you can up the ABV, use less water or add more fermentables like the extract or sugar. By adding more fermentables, you may need to add more yeast, depending on how many cells are in the packet you are using.

That being said, try this one as is and see how you like it. You may think it is fine as is. But, if you want to kick it up a notch, try adding a little extra extract the next time. Go with the lightest stuff you can get, so it doesn't darken the beer too much. Remember though, it will also throw the flavor off a little. The more you add, the more the flavor will change... it really is a balancing act.

Marubozo put it much better.

 

[Atomic]

Thanks for the replies. So with the ingredients i have already including 3 lbs of malt extract plus 1 can of liquid extract would adding 1 more pound of extra light malt extract over do it? I was also thinking of adding Honey into the mix. I dont want the honey to be too strong so how much would you suggest adding?

 

[BendBrewer]

If you go to beersmith and use their free trial, you can add these extra ingredients to your recipe and get a good idea how it will effect your final product.

 

[MasterWan]

Go to your beer store and ask a bunch of questions, or order from NorthernBrewer over the phone. Both resources helped me get more efficient, and they can tell you exactly what you need to do what you are saying. Depending on the brew, just adding more malt may require some more hops as well. They can tell you what you need.

GL
Wan

 

[pkeeler]

What a strange kit, what is the point of all the different extracts? But I digress.

Adding any sugar will raise ABV. Adding more fermentables, but keeping hops steady, will lower overall bitterness and hop flavor. My suggestion would be to get another pound of crushed pale malt. That should bring OG up around 6-8 points, which is about 1% ABV (although its been 9 years since I steeped base grains). To counteract that, boil the first hops 5-10 min longer.

Another pound of DME will probably bring you to 7.5% alcohol, and you might want to add another 1 oz of goldings hop pellets for 30 min.

 

[Atomic]

Lol so i added what you said to my batch after about 10 hours i came home to check for activity in my airlock and the lid was blown completely off my ale pale i made sure it was locked down tight lol i put the lid back on and it is still bubbling like crazy but is the batch still good since the lid was blown off.. my girlfriend said she walked by it and it was fine so it might have been like that for maybe a couple hours at most till i got home? should i still continue?

 

[BendBrewer]

Absolutely continue, but now you get to learn about blow off tubes.

You need one.

 

[Atomic]

ok i was just scared of the oxygen getting to it...i wasnt sure if it would still be good to drink It is not possible to get anyone sick would it?

 

[pkeeler]

Even with the lid blown off, it is probably fine. People open fermented for millenia before airlocks were invented. The large amounts of CO2 exiting the fermenter will also keep anything airborne from getting in.

 

[BendBrewer]

Pretty sure that the Co2 would keep oxygen off of your beer.

And the alcohol would kill anything that would make you sick. A reason why people started making beer in the first place.

 

[demonrichie]

most likely the co2 goin out woulda kept nethin from gettin in u should b gud 2 go

 

[Atomic]

I just wanted to follow up with you guys this beer turned out great. I used the 3.2.1 method and just tasted this last night. everything i was looking for good color. tasty not to sweet nor too bitter and then the strong alcohol kick to finish. The head is a little lacking but hey im happy. thanks for the help. Now im doing my homework to move on to all-grain