Boosting ABV in a Porter Recipe

[LewisA]

Hello Homebrew Forum,

I'm hoping to get some guidance on adjusting a recipe to increase the ABV without changing the overall flavor profile too much. I’m currently brewing a porter that’s around 5% ABV, but I’d like to bring it up to over 8% so it qualifies as an imperial stout for an upcoming homebrew contest. I’m using the following grain bill:

• Pale Ale
• Flaked Barley
• Smoked Malt
• Roasted Barley

To achieve the higher ABV, should I primarily increase the Pale Ale and Flaked Barley, or would it be better to adjust all the malts proportionally to maintain the same level of smokiness and overall balance etc?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Larse]

Did you try putting it through a brewing calculator like Brewfather? If it was me, I'd increase everything proportionally or if that means an unmanageable volume of wort, just leave as is and reduce the wort volume by boiling longer or sparging less.

 

[foxy]

To achieve the higher ABV, should I primarily increase the Pale Ale and Flaked Barley, or would it be better to adjust all the malts proportionally to maintain the same level of smokiness and overall balance etc?

Thanks in advance!

No, the more grain going in the less the efficiency. To make a BIG beer use a reiterated mash.
https://byo.com/article/reiterated-mashing-multiple-mashes-for-massive-brews/