How does one increase the volume of alcohol? Is it the brewing sugar at the
start of the brew or is it the sugar in the bottles at bottling time?

since alcohol is a primary by product of fermentation, the alcohol content
is a function of the available "consumables" available in the wort, the
majority of these digested during primary fermentation. by the time you have
bottled, most of these sugars, etc. are gone assuming that you've given it
adequate conditioning time prior to bottling.

check out "How to Brew" at [url]http://www.howtobrew.com[/url] as a great resource for
home brewing info.

cheers,

bob p

"Richard and Lisa-Jane Rodway" <rmrodway@hypermax.net.au> wrote in message
news:wnuec.1387$IH5.60239@news.optus.net.au...[color=blue]
> How does one increase the volume of alcohol? Is it the brewing sugar at[/color]
the[color=blue]
> start of the brew or is it the sugar in the bottles at bottling time?
>
>[/color]

"Richard and Lisa-Jane Rodway" <rmrodway@hypermax.net.au> wrote in message news:<wnuec.1387$IH5.60239@news.optus.net.au>...[color=blue]
> How does one increase the volume of alcohol? Is it the brewing sugar at the
> start of the brew or is it the sugar in the bottles at bottling time?[/color]

More malt = more fermentable sugars = more alcohol.

Don't put sugar in your beer.

_Randal

Randal Chapman wrote:
[color=blue]
> More malt = more fermentable sugars = more alcohol.
>
> Don't put sugar in your beer.[/color]

Why not? It's pretty much impossible to brew most Belgian or a lot of
British styles without sugar. You're not gonna tell me it gives you a
cidery flavor, are ya?? :)

-------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_dot_g_dot_conn_at_ci_dot_eugene_dot_or_dot_us

Denny Conn <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:<407AC103.EFE0558@privacy.net>...[color=blue]
> Randal Chapman wrote:
>[color=green]
> > More malt = more fermentable sugars = more alcohol.
> >
> > Don't put sugar in your beer.[/color]
>
> Why not? It's pretty much impossible to brew most Belgian or a lot of
> British styles without sugar. You're not gonna tell me it gives you a
> cidery flavor, are ya?? :)
>
> -------->Denny[/color]

I just KNEW somebody was going to bring that up. I doubt this guy is
into tripels but who knows?

_Randal

You can use molds to digest grains and create very complex sugars for
Belgians. I would like to brew Belgians but would never use pure sugar.
I think special yeasts are needed to create Belgians, is that because
they tolerate higher alcohol concentrations?

JS


Randal Chapman wrote:
[color=blue]
> Denny Conn <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:<407AC103.EFE0558@privacy.net>...
>[color=green]
>>Randal Chapman wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>More malt = more fermentable sugars = more alcohol.
>>>
>>>Don't put sugar in your beer.[/color]
>>
>>Why not? It's pretty much impossible to brew most Belgian or a lot of
>>British styles without sugar. You're not gonna tell me it gives you a
>>cidery flavor, are ya?? :)
>>
>> -------->Denny[/color]
>
>
> I just KNEW somebody was going to bring that up. I doubt this guy is
> into tripels but who knows?
>
> _Randal[/color]

Joe Schmoe wrote:[color=blue]
>
> You can use molds to digest grains and create very complex sugars for
> Belgians. I would like to brew Belgians but would never use pure sugar.[/color]

Why not? That's what the Belgians themselves do!
[color=blue]
> I think special yeasts are needed to create Belgians, is that because
> they tolerate higher alcohol concentrations?[/color]

It's more because of the unique flavors that the yeasts impart. Almost
any yeast has enough alcohol tolerance to go to 10-12% ABV.

--------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_dot_g_dot_conn_at_ci_dot_eugene_dot_or_dot_us

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 15:54:09 -0700, Randal Chapman wrote:
[color=blue]
> I just KNEW somebody was going to bring that up. I doubt this guy is
> into tripels but who knows?[/color]

Quite a few British ordinary bitters use sugar. You certainly couldn't
brew an accurate clone of something like Draught Bass without it

--
Andy Davison
[email]andy@oiyou.force9.co.uk[/email]

Would anyone here be interested in a Belgian brewing kit? I could ship
12 22 oz bottles with synthetic corks and cork cages, plus the yeast.
Would $50 shipped in North America be too much?

JS

Andy Davison wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 15:54:09 -0700, Randal Chapman wrote:
>
>[color=green]
>>I just KNEW somebody was going to bring that up. I doubt this guy is
>>into tripels but who knows?[/color]
>
>
> Quite a few British ordinary bitters use sugar. You certainly couldn't
> brew an accurate clone of something like Draught Bass without it
>[/color]

I would prefer all ingredients to be organic. How did Monastaries in
1460 brew tripels or quads? It might be time consuming and a waste of
time to mold complex sugars, but if you're going to create the greatest
brew for yourself - why not accept that challenge?

JS

Denny Conn wrote:
[color=blue]
> Joe Schmoe wrote:
>[color=green]
>>You can use molds to digest grains and create very complex sugars for
>>Belgians. I would like to brew Belgians but would never use pure sugar.[/color]
>
>
> Why not? That's what the Belgians themselves do!
>
>[color=green]
>> I think special yeasts are needed to create Belgians, is that because
>>they tolerate higher alcohol concentrations?[/color]
>
>
> It's more because of the unique flavors that the yeasts impart. Almost
> any yeast has enough alcohol tolerance to go to 10-12% ABV.
>
> --------->Denny[/color]