Upping the ABV a wee bit

[Gavin_currie1]

Hi guys, got a Kölsch in the fv at the moment, been in there for a week and plan to leave in there for another week. The og was 1035 and even if it gets down to around 1006, the ABV is only gonna be around 3.9%. My question is, to get the percentage up by about 0.5%, should I be chucking in a couple of hundred grams of dextrose in now? I’m planning on cold crashing before it goes into the secondary, so now feels like the right time, thoughts?

[The Captain!!]

Gday Gavin,

Are you going to be bottle conditioning the beer? If so, the sugar adds about 0.5% ABV through the bottle fermentation process.

[Gavin_currie1]

31 minutes ago, The Captain!! said:

Gday Gavin,

Are you going to be bottle conditioning the beer? If so, the sugar adds about 0.5% ABV through the bottle fermentation process.

Na cap I’m gonna keg it, sorry should have said that in the op. 

[The Captain!!]

3 minutes ago, Gavin_currie1 said:

Na cap I’m gonna keg it, sorry should have said that in the op. 

Roger, ok is it still fermenting then? I have heard of people putting in dex mid fermentation but not all the way at the end. Look you can only try. Can’t hurt........ can it. 

[Gavin_currie1]

2 minutes ago, The Captain!! said:

Roger, ok is it still fermenting then? I have heard of people putting in dex mid fermentation but not all the way at the end. Look you can only try. Can’t hurt........ can it. 

I’m thinking because I’m fermenting at a lower temp the fermentation process will take longer and therefore will not be finished. 200g a decent amount you reckon?

[Beerlust]

Hello Gavin.

If your OG was 1.035 & it's been in there a week, it's likely finished primary fermenting as that OG is not high at all. Even a lager yeast fermented at the lower ferment temp would chomp through that gravity fairly quickly. Two successive gravity readings over successive days would now confirm this.

If you wish to up the ABV a little, there would still be an abundance of viable yeast in the fermenter capable of fermenting extra sugar sources given the lowish ABV of your beer recipe. I personally would not add in dextrose to pump up the ABV in a lower ABV recipe as it will tend to thin flavour noticeably. Use pure malt at the 200gm weight you wished to use.

Simply mix the malt in a small amount of warm to hot water to allow it to dissolve, allow to cool slightly, & then pour directly into the fermenter. With a long handled sanitised spoon, gently stir & re-rouse the yeast (with no splashing!) & re-fit the lid. Fermentation should re-commence soon after. Monitor & take gravity readings after a further day or two until a consistent FG is reached, then bottle/keg.

Cheers & best of luck with the brew,

Lusty.

[The Captain!!]

There you go. Easy peesy lemon squeezy.