TacomaHomeBrew
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If I am doing a beer kit and want to raise the ABV can I add a little more LDME? Also, it tells me to fill it to the 23 liter mark, an I do less water? Thanks.
Beer kit help
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I would add more DME, corn sugar, or honey to boost the ABV...but do not add less water. I'd keep the water the same and just increase your sugar content overall. Personally, if I were looking to boost the ABV of a beer, I'd add honey. It will not change the taste of your beer, it will almost completely ferment out, and to me anyway it seems to smooth out the mouth feel a little bit.
Either will work, less water is probably a more balanced solution. Depending on how much extract you add, you might need to bump up your hop schedule to keep things in balance. Adding sugar will also work producing a drier and potentially thinner beer....but if you add too much it can get cidery.
Why not just pick a recipe that gives you what you want? Brew a Belgian Strong or an Old Ale.
Why not just pick a recipe that gives you what you want? Brew a Belgian Strong or an Old Ale.
RiffMagnum
Well-Known Member
I know that Austin Homebrew Supply offers a "Brewvint" alcohol boost option with all their extract kits. It's 55% maltose and 45% glucose and it's supposed to boost the ABV by 1% without changing taste or color. Not sure if i believe that or not though.
Honey will not really change the taste but it will dry and thin out the beer while raising the ABV. IMO adding the appropriate amount of DME would be the best way to go about it but also keep in mind the addition of any fermentable sugar will also add sweetness to the beer you so you will want to adjust your hops a little as well to balance it out.
Interesting....
I've been brewing all grain (always with my experienced neighbor) since last August, but I'm now on my 3rd batch 'solo'. My goal is to brew consistent batches on my own, then I'll start adding and tweaking.
I sorta made a mistake today on my batch sparge water amount. My recipe calls for 4.5 gallons and I put in 4.75! My last 2 starting gravities (just before pitching the yeast), have been 1.050. Today, I saw about 1.044. Temp of the wort was 76*F when I took my first ever hydrometer reading. I also saw the same gravity on my refractometer (I only used a refractometer on the first 2 batches, bought a hydrometer at AustinHomeBrew this past weekend).
What could I have done at post boil to raise the gravity a bit? My recipe is 4.5lbs each of 2 row barley and wheat. I also use .5 lb of cara-pils. My basic
recipe only uses 1oz of Hallertau hops which I add as soon as I see the first boil bubble. Then I boil for an entire hour.
I'm not worried at all, I know what my mess-up was, and I know my Danstar Munich will start farting CO2 tomorrow sometime. As Papazian, or whatever his name is says, "relax, have a home brew."
So I am.....
Add honey next time? Add hopped DME? Throw in about a dozen cubes of sugar?
I've been brewing all grain (always with my experienced neighbor) since last August, but I'm now on my 3rd batch 'solo'. My goal is to brew consistent batches on my own, then I'll start adding and tweaking.
I sorta made a mistake today on my batch sparge water amount. My recipe calls for 4.5 gallons and I put in 4.75! My last 2 starting gravities (just before pitching the yeast), have been 1.050. Today, I saw about 1.044. Temp of the wort was 76*F when I took my first ever hydrometer reading. I also saw the same gravity on my refractometer (I only used a refractometer on the first 2 batches, bought a hydrometer at AustinHomeBrew this past weekend).
What could I have done at post boil to raise the gravity a bit? My recipe is 4.5lbs each of 2 row barley and wheat. I also use .5 lb of cara-pils. My basic
recipe only uses 1oz of Hallertau hops which I add as soon as I see the first boil bubble. Then I boil for an entire hour.I'm not worried at all, I know what my mess-up was, and I know my Danstar Munich will start farting CO2 tomorrow sometime. As Papazian, or whatever his name is says, "relax, have a home brew."
So I am.....
Add honey next time? Add hopped DME? Throw in about a dozen cubes of sugar?
jestmaty said:Interesting....
I've been brewing all grain (always with my experienced neighbor) since last August, but I'm now on my 3rd batch 'solo'. My goal is to brew consistent batches on my own, then I'll start adding and tweaking.
I sorta made a mistake today on my batch sparge water amount. My recipe calls for 4.5 gallons and I put in 4.75! My last 2 starting gravities (just before pitching the yeast), have been 1.050. Today, I saw about 1.044. Temp of the wort was 76*F when I took my first ever hydrometer reading. I also saw the same gravity on my refractometer (I only used a refractometer on the first 2 batches, bought a hydrometer at AustinHomeBrew this past weekend).
What could I have done at post boil to raise the gravity a bit? My recipe is 4.5lbs each of 2 row barley and wheat. I also use .5 lb of cara-pils. My basic
I'm not worried at all, I know what my mess-up was, and I know my Danstar Munich will start farting CO2 tomorrow sometime. As Papazian, or whatever his name is says, "relax, have a home brew."
So I am.....
Add honey next time? Add hopped DME? Throw in about a dozen cubes of sugar?
Your gravity is off because you added more water and over spared, water volumes are very important.
Andrew5329
Well-Known Member
Tacoma, if your goal is to get "free" ABV without majorly changing the taste/consistency of your beer Dextrose is the way to go. Because it ferments out completely it does not impart any flavors to your beer except the extra alcohol.
Honey does ferment almost completely but it does add a character and flavor to the beer that you may or may not want. You probably don't want to use Sucrose (table sugar) because it imparts a cidery flavor an above poster mentioned. Extra LME will increase the ABV but it will also increase the body and maltyness.
Honey does ferment almost completely but it does add a character and flavor to the beer that you may or may not want. You probably don't want to use Sucrose (table sugar) because it imparts a cidery flavor an above poster mentioned. Extra LME will increase the ABV but it will also increase the body and maltyness.
Yea... I kow.... (hangs head in shame)
I was reading an old recipe that yielded too much wort for the boil back when we used the recipe, thus diluting my mix. I got an early start today... like 8am, and read an old recipe that still tasted good, just had low gravity and extra wort
When I went to clean out my cooler, I noticed the grain was still super wet and heavy. Then it dawned on me.. I was supposed to go max of 4.5 and I put in a full 4.75. 1.044 aint gonna hurt nuttin though, it'll still drink next month
But... for the future mishaps, is/was there anything I could do to bring up the orig. gravity/starting gravity? Eye of toad? Bat wings? Dog turd?
Well duboman... you see... I just happen to have an unopened pound of lightly hopped DME, Munton's I think?....
Boil up 4 oz (weight) or so... cool it back down to mid 60's* (my ferment temp), and throw it in the bucket? Like within 24 hours or so of pitching yeast?
Ya'll rule, and thanks for any and all advice! No one to be held accountable for what happens to my batch!
Boil up 4 oz (weight) or so... cool it back down to mid 60's* (my ferment temp), and throw it in the bucket? Like within 24 hours or so of pitching yeast?
Ya'll rule, and thanks for any and all advice! No one to be held accountable for what happens to my batch!
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