Increasing alcohol content of Berry Cider Kits

Jake

Hi,
I'm fairly new to homebrew but I've succeeded nicely in doing quite a few ale and cider kits. I'm getting a little more confident and have just tried to increase the alcohol content of a raspberry and mango cider kit. I added 230g of brewing sugar to a 23 litre kit (10g per litre). It seems to have worked well and raised it from 4.8% to 5.8%. Currently it is primed with carbonation drops and bottled. I would just like to know if perhaps I should have added extra yeast with the extra sugar? I am wondering if by NOT adding extra yeast have I adversely affected the priming, maturing or quality of the cider? Any tips or advice for this novice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

HBO_Staff

The yeast supplied with a refill is usually capable of fermenting higher than needed, adding a bit more sugar like you have done is usually fine, although if you add too much sugar the yeast may not be able to ferment it all out. If brewing a high alcohol brew then you may need to add a high alcohol yeast as the standard one may be killed off. If your brew still had sugar in it that had not fermented out then it would taste sweet, and you need to ensure primary fermentation is fully complete before bottling

Jake

Ok, I guess I'll wait it out and see how it goes with this brew. Thanks for the advice

WierdFish

Did you take hydrometer readings at the start and end of fermentation? If so, what did it end up at before you bottled? If it was too high it might suggest there was still a lot of sugar in it.