A friend of mine brewed the same Scottish Ale kit I did, mine still has a ways to go as I just brewed it Sunday, according to the recipe the ABV should only be between 3 and 4%, when he made his, it was upwards of 9%, what did he do wrong/right to make a really good, smooth Ale with that high of an alcohol content?
He did one of the following... - Added more fermentables (extract, sugar, or whatever) - Made a much smaller batch size with the same fermentables - Thought he made a 9% beer, but really didn't, due to a measurement or calculation error. If he doesn't know, then my money is on the third possibility.
That's an extreme difference. And no way one accidentally brews a good-drinking beer that is that much stronger. I would guess the best way to achieve the result with the same kit would be to at least double the fermentables, and triple (or more) the yeast pitch to make a smooth, good tasting result.
