How to make strong hi% beer
- Thread starter justo05
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So you are asking how to make beer or how to make a high gravity beer? What is the style you would like to make? What % ABV are you trying to hit? Do you do all grain or extract ?
aiptasia
Well-Known Member
If you're new to brewing, I would start with a five gallon extract kit from a brew shop. You'll also need to purchase a beginners brewing kit like this one if you don't already have your brewing equipment. A 32-40 quart pot, a metal spoon, a candy thermometer and two cases of empty 12 ounce bottles would also be helpful.
You can pick up extract kits in just about every major style of beer. For strong, high alcohol beers, you'll want to look for kits with a high ABV (Alcohol by Volume). If you live in the USA, that's pretty much any kit with an ABV over 4%. If you live in Europe or elsewhere, anything over 6% ABV is probably considered a strong beer. The term "high alcohol" is subjective to each individual person. Budweiser beer is lucky to be around 2% ABV, whereas beers like Utopias can exceed 20% ABV.
You can pick up extract kits in just about every major style of beer. For strong, high alcohol beers, you'll want to look for kits with a high ABV (Alcohol by Volume). If you live in the USA, that's pretty much any kit with an ABV over 4%. If you live in Europe or elsewhere, anything over 6% ABV is probably considered a strong beer. The term "high alcohol" is subjective to each individual person. Budweiser beer is lucky to be around 2% ABV, whereas beers like Utopias can exceed 20% ABV.
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
Yes, please provide more information as to what you're trying to do. Most high abv % beers will be strong due to the extra malt needed to get the high abv, unless you add some other form of sugar. First we'll have to know what abv % you consider high and what abv % you're looking to create.
There are many methods to making a high gravity beer. Extra grain, the right mash temp, extra dme/lme, adding sugar to the boil, adding honey to the fermentor, etc... To help you any further more information will have to be given.
There are many methods to making a high gravity beer. Extra grain, the right mash temp, extra dme/lme, adding sugar to the boil, adding honey to the fermentor, etc... To help you any further more information will have to be given.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
A bad assumption most new brewers make is that you can just take a recipe for any given beer and up the alcohol percentage. In reality, part of a good recipe is balancing the hop bitterness, malt character, and alcohol content. If you don't maintain that balance, most of the time the beer no longer tastes good.
SO, you really need to determine what ABV you want, then find a recipe that already assumes that ABV. Styles that commonly have good balance and high ABV include Barleywines, Belgian Dubbels/Tripels/Quads, and each of the Imperial styles. Look for recipes in these styles, and they'll already be formulated to balance the higher alchohol content against the hop bitterness and malt profile.
Hope that makes sense! If you are a brand new beginner, you really should worry about making some simple recipes and getting your process down before you start tackling more stylized beers, which most higher ABV beers are!
Oh, and if you're just concerned with getting drunk, and don't care what the beer taste like, dump some cheap vodka into a Budweiser. That's about the same result as adding 3+% more ABV to a low ABV recipe.
Good luck!
SO, you really need to determine what ABV you want, then find a recipe that already assumes that ABV. Styles that commonly have good balance and high ABV include Barleywines, Belgian Dubbels/Tripels/Quads, and each of the Imperial styles. Look for recipes in these styles, and they'll already be formulated to balance the higher alchohol content against the hop bitterness and malt profile.
Hope that makes sense! If you are a brand new beginner, you really should worry about making some simple recipes and getting your process down before you start tackling more stylized beers, which most higher ABV beers are!
Oh, and if you're just concerned with getting drunk, and don't care what the beer taste like, dump some cheap vodka into a Budweiser. That's about the same result as adding 3+% more ABV to a low ABV recipe.
Good luck!
I second the motion - get a brewing kit then an ingredient kit designed to produce a high alcohol content. Or.... Just brew a beer for taste.
If you just want strong alcohol. Grain alcohol will be cheaper and faster.
If you just want strong alcohol. Grain alcohol will be cheaper and faster.
GrogNerd
mean old man
mix a couple lbs of sugar in a bucket of water and throw in some redstar yeast
:cross: :cross:Yes, to those of us who brew in an effort to make really good-tasting beer, it does. If it helps, all of our beers are "full strength".
beertroll
Well-Known Member
<pedantry> I find Budweiser as revolting as the next person with an operational tongue, but it has an ABV of 5%. Most of the American light lagers are in the 4-5% range. The old 2-3% numbers are due to people mixing up alcohol by weight and alcohol by volume measurements. </pedantry>
