Drinkaware

[Racinsnake]

Hi
I know it's late and this is a strange question but I'm sober honest :lol:
I have a friend who has a very low tolerance to alcohol (long, medical story) but he likes a beer not a shandy, and asked me if it's possible to brew a low alcohol ale. He likes them dark and malty.
I realise adding less fermentables is an answer, just wondered if anyone else had any thoughts. I'm looking for somewhere around 2.5 - 3% abv.

Rob.

 

[YeastFace]

Mash high and use a low attenuating yeast

 

[clibit]

Never done it, but you can remove alcohol after fermentation by raising the temperature of the beer to the point at which alcohol evaporates, I think it's around 70-80C. You then add fresh yeast for carbonating the beer.

http://byo.com/stout/item/263-brew-a-great-non-alcoholic-beer

 

[MyQul]

A bit lower than normal OG mild seems to me a perfect brew for you friend. Low alcohol - check. Dark and malty - Check. :thumb:

Are you brewing kit, extract or AG? How your brewing will determine how best to approach it

 

[Cwrw666]

If you're a kit brewer, try using a 1 can kit, brew it a bit short and don't add sugar - it should turn out low alcohol but with more flavour than if you'd made it as per the instructions. I made some Victorian Bitter (Brewmaker) last year which turned out excellent, brewed it short to 4 gallons and added half a kilo of sugar - no homebrew twang, lowish alcohol (3.5% if I remember corectly) and excellent flavour.

 

[timcunnell]

Like Clibit said, I have certainly heard of the theory of heating up your beer to evaporate the alcohol. Alcohol evaporates at 78c, so if you could maintain a fairly solid 80c for perhaps 60 minutes I think you'd lose most of the alcohol from your beer. With some priming sugar and some fresh yeast you'd get maybe 2% or so I would guess that would work.
Like I say, I haven't tried it, and not sure I would risk it personally as I don't really have a need for low-alcohol beer. But I think the theory is good!

 

[Racinsnake]

Thanks all
I am a kit brewer so I think il go the one can route. The boil method sounds interesting but must be a devil to take hydro readings.
I'm putting this on at the weekend so if anyone has a more ideas I'm still interested.

Rob.

 

[timcunnell]

Thanks all
I am a kit brewer so I think il go the one can route. The boil method sounds interesting but must be a devil to take hydro readings.
I'm putting this on at the weekend so if anyone has a more ideas I'm still interested.

Rob.

Good luck with it Rob! Let us know how you get on!

FYI - yeah the boil method would not be good for measuring gravity - unless you waited until it cooled, which wouldn't help if you had to heat it up again! You'd need a refractometer which measures the gravity and adjusts for temperature automatucally.

I reckon an hour at 80 would do it though, but I still feel it would be experimental and might take a few possibly ruined kits before you got it right.

 

[simon12]

You could use Windsor yeast as it leaves alot or the sugars untouched and/ or experiment using blackstrap molasses instead of sugar as I think its only around 50-60% fermentable but try it sparingly at 1st.

 

[Racinsnake]

Just to update,
I/we went for a Brupaks West Country mild. I was a little late putting this on, I went for the extra water as it was the easy option, only needed an extra 4litres to get it down to 1032 It's been on a week now fermenting nicely at 19' A very nice kit with the grain and hops to boil, I'll be trying another from there range but as standard

 

[Racinsnake]

Just checked after work - 1012
Fantastic aroma.

 

[ManseMasher]

2.6% ABV - your mate should be happy with that!

 

[Racinsnake]

Sure will Manse :wink:
I'm not sure it's completely finished I'm guessing it's been so quick as the yeast hasn't had much to do. I can't see it going below 1010 which is still acceptable, just gotta bottle it now!!

 

[MyQul]

Sure will Manse :wink:
I'm not sure it's completely finished I'm guessing it's been so quick as the yeast hasn't had much to do. I can't see it going below 1010 which is still acceptable, just gotta bottle it now!!

I possibly can. In general the lower the OG the lower the final FG. E.g. Most of the milds in BYOBRA have a predicted FG lower than 1.010. But as you say there wasn't much fermentable in there in the first place so it may have finished now

 

[Racinsnake]

Holding steady at 1012, gonna cool it down and hopefully bottle at the weekend, work permitting.

 

[Racinsnake]

Another update :

Bottled successfully, warm conditioned and delivered. Syphon sample tasted very good, so much so Iv put a Brupaks English bitter on!! Iv told him he needs to put them in the cold and wait as long as possible (Christmas!?) before he tries one.
So fingers crossed,

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I bet he cracked one the moment you left. :lol: