Me and a friend were enjoying a Weiss IPA at Hammerton brewery tap last night and he challenged me to brew something similar but more "biscuity" and double the strength - towards 9%.
So what are the ways of making a stronger brew? I'm currently an extract brewer. I'm guessing I could double-steep my speciality grains (ie steep for an hour , then steep a second batch in the resultant wort), but as these would only form maybe 25% of the grain bill, any increase in fermentable sugars would also only be a quarter of what I need. Is simply adding more sugar for the yeast to feed on an option? It seems crude to me. Of course, I could always brew short.
What are the best ways to get more alcohol in your brews? And what's the strongest people here have achieved?
So what are the ways of making a stronger brew? I'm currently an extract brewer. I'm guessing I could double-steep my speciality grains (ie steep for an hour , then steep a second batch in the resultant wort), but as these would only form maybe 25% of the grain bill, any increase in fermentable sugars would also only be a quarter of what I need. Is simply adding more sugar for the yeast to feed on an option? It seems crude to me. Of course, I could always brew short.
What are the best ways to get more alcohol in your brews? And what's the strongest people here have achieved?