How much water

[waynevilla]

As a new brewer all I do is kits from Tesco or Wilko and have read people doing theirs not to the standard 23L but to 20,21 or 22. What does this do? Does it make it have more body/thicker/less watery?

 

[iceo]

basicly yes but you have to use the right sugars aswell

 

[beechwood]

if you use less water but the same amount of sugar/spray malt you will increase the og reading which means
you'll get a slightly higher alcohol content. but yes like you say you will get a thicker flavour as well.
if you want to increase the alcohol content anyway, then you will need to add more sugar/ spray malt at the beginning
I tend to brew kits short to 20-21 lts depending on what kit it is.