Increasing Alcohol- Noob

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Hey

I know this has been posted probably 1000 times, but would appreciate some help.

I'm pretty new to brewing but over the last few weeks read a heap of information. I just bottled my first batch of coopers lager last night and starting to plan my next batch either a Stout or Ale, but I want it to be a bit stronger around the 5% mark, but don't to spend heaps just somthing simple that will boost alcohol content but won't make it taste like cider.

Apart from the regular ingredients I use like Coopers extract, coopers yeast & 1kg BE1. What other additional addictives could I use to increase the alcohol content?

I was thinking maybe 500g of LDM or 500g of BE1 or BE2 or plain old dex?

What you guys think?

Thanks

 

[jbumpstead]

Hey

I know this has been posted probably 1000 times, but would appreciate some help.

I'm pretty new to brewing but over the last few weeks read a heap of information. I just bottled my first batch of coopers lager last night and starting to plan my next batch either a Stout or Ale, but I want it to be a bit stronger around the 5% mark, but don't to spend heaps just somthing simple that will boost alcohol content but won't make it taste like cider.

Apart from the regular ingredients I use like Coopers extract, coopers yeast & 1kg BE1. What other additional addictives could I use to increase the alcohol content?

I was thinking maybe 500g of LDM or 500g of BE1 or BE2 or plain old dex?

What you guys think?

Thanks

Just plain old dex. It'll give you a drier beer, as opposed to more malty. It depends on what you want to achieve taste wise though.

PS: First post! Congrats, welcome to the Forum!



edit: Added PS.

 

[petesbrew]

If you're doing a stout, I reckon you need some body in it.
Instead of dex or sugar, i'd be adding maybe 500g dark malt extract.

Or you could research the toucan method.

 

[mxd]

you can also reduce the mount of water you add, i.e standard kit and kilo then 18 ltrs of water.

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Thanks guys for the info, really appreciate it.

So does the adding of malt increase the flavour as well as make it more fuller?

 

[Bribie G]

Particularly in a stout, adding extra LDME will give a more rounded flavour.
In my kits days I often found that with a lighter beer such as Coopers Lager, the following would produce a nice clean brew over 5%:

1 Can of Coopers Lager
1 Pack of Brew Enhancer 2
500g Dextrose
Hop teabag (Cluster, Cascade etc) added at the start.

The BE2 contains dextrose but also some LDME and some Maltodextrin (see another current thread - ok in small doses but don't go overboard) so you get a bit of extra flavour and body
The additional dextrose will bring the strength up a bit without getting out of balance.

The hop teabag will give a bit more hop character to balance the stronger beer. If you like hop teabags you can buy the pelleted hops for a fraction of the price and just throw the equivalent amount into the fermenter.

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Particularly in a stout, adding extra LDME will give a more rounded flavour.
In my kits days I often found that with a lighter beer such as Coopers Lager, the following would produce a nice clean brew over 5%:

1 Can of Coopers Lager
1 Pack of Brew Enhancer 2
500g Dextrose
Hop teabag (Cluster, Cascade etc) added at the start.

The BE2 contains dextrose but also some LDME and some Maltodextrin (see another current thread - ok in small doses but don't go overboard) so you get a bit of extra flavour and body
The additional dextrose will bring the strength up a bit without getting out of balance.

The hop teabag will give a bit more hop character to balance the stronger beer. If you like hop teabags you can buy the pelleted hops for a fraction of the price and just throw the equivalent amount into the fermenter.

Thanks BribieG, that was big help just the info I was after. I think I will give this a go.

 

[HoppingMad]

Any form of fermentable material containing sugar can up your alcohol.

That can be sugar (dextrose, brown sugar, lactose, sucrose, glucose, coopers & LHBS brew boosters etc)
That can be syrups (maple syrup, golden syrup etc)
That can be dryed malt extracts (LDME etc)
That can be extract (such as unhopped extract from the store or an extra can of kit - ie. Double canning)
That can be adding more crystal malt in a mini mash.
This can be adding naturally occuring sugary items such as fruit and berries.

In short more adding more fermentable sugar in the form of any of the above = more alcohol.
Yeast feeds on sugar, producing alcohol in effect. So the more you put in for yeast feeding time, the more head spin you'll get. :icon_drunk:

Just be aware that throwing too much sugar in a brew can have an unwelcome side effect - this is known as 'bottle bombs'. Search under that subject and you'll find out all about that.

Good luck with your next supercharged brew!

Hopper.

 

[Gormand]

Add Dark Dry Malt Extract to a stout, you wont regeret it. I think my last stout had 2kg in it + I only topped up to 19L and I added some maltodex(Maybe 500g). It didnt carb very well (Undercarbed I think) But is a healthy 7%ish if I recall correctly. Also nice and thick like a good stout should be, taste is pretty good but I dont really like the random hop I used to give it more flavour so I wouldnt do that next time.

So I say extra DDME and only 19-20L and enjoy.

 

[petesbrew]

I guess you can add as much sugar as you want, but it's also a matter of balancing that alcohol with flavour, body, bitterness, etc, so you get an enjoyable strong beer, rather than 2 stroke fuel.
Bribie answered best I think.