Favorite Ways to Increase ABV?

[Vaureywwc]

I'm looking at making a Hopless Ale this upcoming week, so I need to get a fairly high alcohol content I figure 8-9% should be well enough to help it keep for several months (since I'm only making 1 gallon as a test batch) Anyone have any advice on how to add content?

 

[Zoidberg]

My favorite way to increase abv is to add more malts. Your main concern with this beer should be how to balance the sweetness of the malt without hops, what are you using?

 

[Calichusetts]

My favorite way to increase abv is to add more malts. Your main concern with this beer should be how to balance the sweetness of the malt without hops, what are you using?

This. I do 1 gallon so I hope I can help here. First off, with more malts you get more to play with, and as pointed out, greater balance, even if you want it to be a hop bomb, make sure its not hop juice. And if you don't mind a dryer finish, lowering your mash temp can easily get you to 8%

I struggled to brew a 5-6% beer with what I want to put into it in terms of malts.

My other go-to is brown sugar. I love the residual flavor it adds and you only need 1-3 ounces to really start changing the ABV. Any sugar works though.

 

[Vaureywwc]

Well I'm aiming for a higher alcohol content of 8-9. I will be using trace amounts of another antiseptic (cannot remember the name) my fiancee is a herbalist so lucky she makes an interesting brew partner!

I've never really aimed for an alcohol content, most of my beers just end up being 5-6.5% but since I'm trying to go a bit higher I'm not really sure WHAT to do. lol I really don't plan on adding sugar. That's just cheap and tacky!

 

[grathan]

I tried belgian candy syrup for the first time on my latest batch 2 pouches in 5 gallons after fermentation was subsiding. It is delicious.

 

[masonsjax]

Lower mash temps will bump you up a hair, but adding more fermentables is the only way I know of to increase ABV. Loads of well respected breweries do it, so I wouldn't call it cheap and tacky. You could also add neutral spirits, but that truly would be tacky.

 

[Vaureywwc]

Lower mash temps will bump you up a hair, but adding more fermentables is the only way I know of to increase ABV. Loads of well respected breweries do it, so I wouldn't call it cheap and tacky. You could also add neutral spirits, but that truly would be tacky.

Working on a desert ale, I went and brewed yesterday. I kept my mash temp to about 140-150 for 60 minutes. Using 5lbs of two row, and 2 lbs of red wheat. Added .2 lbs of lactose and .1 lbs of Brown Sugar.

Reached my target OG 1.104. Figuring this is a One Gallon Batch btw. It should end up with a FG of 1.033 and a 9.31% ABV.

Should have strong notes of Chocolate (Cacao Nibs) and Strawberry from extract. With slight flavor from dried hibiscus. I'm kegging in a 2.5 gallon let and throwing it on Nitro.

It's a monster. But it smells fantastic!

 

[FreddyMar3]

You can always dump some grain alcohol in there after fermentation, that'll do the trick.

 

[stpug]

Aside from the lactose, your grainbill and mash temperature should produce a HIGHLY fermentable wort. If you're using a normal-high attenuating yeast strain then I'd suspect your FG to be much lower than 1.033 and your ABV to be MUCH higher than 9.3%. You may find your FG as low as 1.020 and ABV as high as 11.25%. That should be plenty "antibacterial" all on it's own

BTW, what was the antiseptic herb you ended up using if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Vaureywwc]

Aside from the lactose, your grainbill and mash temperature should produce a HIGHLY fermentable wort. If you're using a normal-high attenuating yeast strain then I'd suspect your FG to be much lower than 1.033 and your ABV to be MUCH higher than 9.3%. You may find your FG as low as 1.020 and ABV as high as 11.25%. That should be plenty "antibacterial" all on it's own

BTW, what was the antiseptic herb you ended up using if you don't mind me asking?

Yeah Lactose is't much of a fermentable. I really hope it isn't that high. That is a dangerous game! But I should be able to keep it in check. I'm using a fairly aggressive and alcohol resistant strain of yeast as well.