Lowering ABV

[bangers]

Hello

If i wanted to make this beer to finish around 4% ABV what percentage of the brewing sugar should i add please?

Finished ABV is 6.5% if i were to add all of it..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JDOEPAK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks

 

[sdt7618]

The kit doesn't come with much sugar as it is effectivly a two can kit. I would think this would only be achievable by brewing it long. But by how much i have no idea as your looking for a big drop in ABV

 

[chewie]

Assuming you hit the target Final Gravity of 1.013 or less you need to add enough sugar or water to get the Start Gravity to 1.044, this would give you 4.2% ABV with a little more for priming. Have a play around with the numbers on this calculator http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

Edit, as SDT says iirc the sugar that comes with these kits is for priming only, if you where putting this into a corny keg you could forego on the priming sugar and instead force carbonate the beer in the corny, this would drop your ABV a bit.

 

[bangers]

Thanks for the replies, can i ask where you get the final gravity of 1.013 from?

 

[chewie]

Thanks for the replies, can i ask where you get the final gravity of 1.013 from?

Youngs have a PDF on there website that lists the expected FG of each of the kits. https://www.youngsgroup.co.uk/images/instructions/New%20American%20Beer%20Kit%20Instructions1.pdf

Just noticed i read the FG for the AAA not the IPA which is 1.007 and not 1.013, that means you would need around 1.039 SG which isn't helping your cause that much.

 

[Noah]

The kit doesn't come with much sugar as it is effectivly a two can kit. I would think this would only be achievable by brewing it long. But by how much i have no idea as your looking for a big drop in ABV

The kit comes with 1Kg of brewing sugar.

 

[Noah]

Hello

If i wanted to make this beer to finish around 4% ABV what percentage of the brewing sugar should i add please?

Finished ABV is 6.5% if i were to add all of it..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JDOEPAK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks

Add just the malt and take a reading, I'm guessing you won't be far off if you don't add the 1Kg of sugar in the kit. Alternatively you could brew a Woodforde's Sundew available from Wilko's which is around 4.2%. Or a Wilko Glorious Golden Ale which is 4% and will set you back £12.

 

[bangers]

Add just the malt and take a reading, I'm guessing you won't be far off if you don't add the 1Kg of sugar in the kit. Alternatively you could brew a Woodforde's Sundew available from Wilko's which is around 4.2%. Or a Wilko Glorious Golden Ale which is 4% and will set you back �£12.

It's ordered now so im going to be brewing it one way or another.

Stupid question; ( im new to this) if i dont add any sugar will the fermentation process still happen?

 

[Slid]

It's ordered now so im going to be brewing it one way or another.

Stupid question; ( im new to this) if i dont add any sugar will the fermentation process still happen?

Yes it will. 1kg of brewing sugar will raise 25L of wort by 2% points of ABV, so if you brew it without the brewing sugar, you will be in the right ball-park. I can be difficult to get down to suggested finishing gravities in this weather, but if you are adamant you want a weaker beer, then you can even brew to 25L as was also suggested above.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Yes it will. 1kg of brewing sugar will raise 25L of wort by 2% points of ABV, so if you brew it without the brewing sugar, you will be in the right ball-park. I can be difficult to get down to suggested finishing gravities in this weather, but if you are adamant you want a weaker beer, then you can even brew to 25L as was also suggested above.

my calcs for 21lites reckon at to use 500g less brewing sugar giving around 4.2%, so slid's figures are sound. if you brew long you're diluting the taste a little. so i'd use less sugar

 

[DoctorMick]

If you take a 6.5% kit down to 4% you do run the risk of it being horribly out of balance, I'd imagine it could end up face puckeringly bitter.

 

[bangers]

I ended up adding 600g of the 1000g supplied, along with an extra liter of water, so i will see how it pans out! OG was 0.046 so it should finish around 5% abv, i guess.

Thanks again for the advice :thumb: