Low alcohol beer and how to brew advise required (Diabetes)

[The Baron]

I know this thread is about low alcohol but threw the Diabetes slant on after reading Rods post that he has been diagnosed just thought there might be some good info for diabetics too.
So keep both comments coming even though the high mash method for low alcohol might be too much sugar for Diabetics?

 

[tutshiveandspile]

As a diabetic I agree with Hazelwood. High attenuation is the key. I use Gervin GV12 yeast and can get down to 1.007 fg. From 1.045 og In 7 days. I use a heat pad under my fermenter. Then only drink max 2x 500ml bottles at any one time.
My diabetes is well controlled. HbA1c. 42mmol/mol. Taking I 1 tablet (Linagliptin) per day.

 

[The Baron]

If you want high attenuation to convert all the sugars use Kveik and Novolager both will get you to 1007 or lower especially the Novo it dropped to 1005 on my last 3 brews

 

[YeastFace]

Glucoamylase or Amyloglucosidase emzymes can get beer down to very low FG. Was used in Brut IPAs and have seen it used in Dry light lagers too.

 

[Nicks90]

Wonder what a pilsner type beer would be like if mashed at 64c then brewed with a champagne yeast?
Now that would be DRY!!!
very low carbs and sugar tho.

 

[The Baron]

Glucoamylase or Amyloglucosidase emzymes can get beer down to very low FG. Was used in Brut IPAs and have seen it used in Dry light lagers too.

Forgot about that Yeastface I have used it to do a Japanese style rice lager(Asahi Style) and it takes it right down burning it's way through the sugars, ideal for Diabetics

 

[MashBag]

These last few posts are excellent, but don't we want to combine them.. Low residual sugar and low alcohol. Am I right.. Alcohol does drop blood sugar, but that should be treated with caution?

 

[Neale]

I can confirm that according to Brewfather low alcohol, (LA), doesnt necessarily give you low carbs. I've been trying some LA brews recently using the high temperature, (80°C), mash method. To give some examples here are the ABVs and Carbs/100ml for some recent brews. (I dont know how accuarte these are its all taken from brewfather).

LA - a haze for days - 1.6% ABV, 6.4g carbs - this one tasted good
LA - to use up my inventory - 1.1%, 6.5 g carbs - this ones not quite ready yet, but sample tastes good
LA - tropical XPA - 1.1% ABV, 4.7g carbs - this one tasted ok but a bit thin
LA - Lucid moments - 0.8%, 3.8g carbs - tasted thin
London Porter - 5.1% ABV, 5g carbs
SMASH using maris otter - 3.8% ABV, 4.3g carbs
80' clone - 4.9% ABV, 3.9g carbs

I'm happy to share the recipes and method if anyones interested. I got most of the information and recipes from Ultra Low Brewing - Alcohol Free and Ultra Low Beer Brewing Techniques Other than the 'inventory' LA recipe above the originals are available on brewfather.

 

[RichK]

I can see lower alcohol AND lower carbs being a real tricky one to pull off without tasting 'thin'

 

[crescent city Mike]

There's a difference between low alcohol and NO alcohol beers. There is quite a bit of history on Small Beers and it takes a bit of skill to produce the ones worth drinking.
https://crescentcitybrewtalk.com/small-beers/

 

[just_gary]

These last few posts are excellent, but don't we want to combine them.. Low residual sugar and low alcohol. Am I right.. Alcohol does drop blood sugar, but that should be treated with caution?

Alcohol does drop blood sugar, temporarily, but then sugar reserves are released from the liver later, which can cause a 'bounce' of blood sugar levels.

I'm type 1 myself, and tend to lean towards drier and lower abv, in combination if I can. It just so happens these are the kinds of beers I enjoy the most too.

If it helps, I tend to mash at the lower end, (62-65degrees) and often my beers end up around 1.004-1.005, unless it's a saison that typically finishes below 1.000. Abv-wise I tend to aim for just over 4%, unless the style dictates it should be higher (saison for example).

 

[Wurp]

I made a low alcohol beer with my daughter.... she helps me on brewdays, she's 15 and asked if we could make something she could drink. .. and then we got creative. i have the recipe somewhere, I am just explaining my process.

We made a 23l batch of a double IPA (which hit around 7%). After sparging the double IPA I did a second sparge into another boiler. I think i got about 12 litres from it. Boiled for an hour, but was really quite forward on the hop additions to allow the hops to pick up the flavour that was lacking from the malt.. It was still there, just less. Used a standard ale yeast, probably the wilkos one.

I got a beer with an abv of 1.5%. We also at the same time made both a homemade lemonade and 'grapefruitade' using sweetner, for obvious reasons and bottled a number of these as a shandy which carbonated with priming sugar in the bottle. Worked a treat and was around the 0.8% mark. This was a really enjoyable and refreshing drink. I still have come in the cellar I must have made them 14 months ago and had one the other night. Still good.

The above process just recycled grains I was using anyway and i got a second brew out of them.

If you want the recipe, i am happy to share.

 

[earthwormgaz]

I did a small beer once and that was great, however, I had to brew a rocket fuel IPA 1st, so not sure this is the answer here unless you've got somebody to sell the IPA to. The small beer was lovely though, 3% and I added a bit of darker malt to add some character to the mash after I'd done with the IPA.

 

[RichK]

I've just tried the first bottle of my (half) batch of an attempt at making table beer. Nominally a 12L batch though ended up with only about 9L bottled.

500g Munich
500g Vienna
250g CaraRed
100g CaraMunich 3
50g Flaked barley
Mash 45 min ~70C 16L water no sparge
4g Magnum 40 min
30g Mittelfrueh 10 min
10g Mittelfrueh 0 min
MJ M15 yeast
OG 1028
FG 1016
giving ~1.6% abv (excluding priming which might add 0.2%!)

I'd describe the result as 'quite drinkable' for low(er) abv. I've very recently started to try & use only English hops & I reckon something like Harlequin &/or Jester would be good candidates for this. I also think I could have used a bit more hops too but was wary that this could easily be overdone.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I was told awhile back i was type 2 i thought that's it no more drinking or brewing. Long story short i am on metformin 500mg twice a day and 1 5mg dapagliflozin, i cut down the abv in my brews to no more than 4.5% i cut my sugar intake down ie puddings cakes chocolate. i got regular calls from the docs asking if i was ok on the meds metformin can give you the ten bob bits in October i had a blood test and went see the nurse who was very happy with the result and told me to go back in April 2024, i have cut down a bit but not that much overall i think cutting down on the sugary stuff as had a big effect

 

[Chip Wilson]

Hi,
I am new to the forum but being Type 2 Diabetic I was interested in this when I saw it a while ago. Anyone else tried brewing with Beano tablets?
Regards
Chip
https://www.mrbeer.com/blog/post/how-to-brew-a-low-carb-beer

 

[MashBag]

Beano/beanassist tablets contain the enzyme Alpha Galactosidase.

This enzyme which should break down the sugars produced in mash further, allowing the yeast access during fermentation.
I would pitch them with the yeast.
(dosage anyone?)

This should produce a drier (lower carb / higher alc) beer.

 

[MashBag]

Separate thought.

Could you freeze the alcohol out? Water and flavour freezes. Alcohol doesn't?

Freeze solid, invert and the alcohol should run out?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Separate thought.

Could you freeze the alcohol out? Water and flavour freezes. Alcohol doesn't?

Freeze solid, invert and the alcohol should run out?

You can freeze the water out. Drain off the alcohol and some liquid.
Then defrost and I suppose carbonate although you could do it in the keg freeze the carbonated beer and tap off the alcohol.

 

[The Baron]

The opposite of Eisbock-ing, I just wonder if it would be a bit watery but as I have never tried it may work.
Ps I accidentally froze one in the fridgerator years ago it must have touched the back of the fridge for days and frozen the beer which I did not know so when I poured the wife a couple or 3 pints she was pizzed