Need a weaker brew

[Mark K]

Thanks for reading.

I have experimented trying to get a kit brew down in abv. My first attempt by adding 2L more water has had no effect and is currently crashing at 6.7%.

I have had a look on the forum but there is no clarity on what to do.

I am using an IPA kit MYO which is a kit you dry hop.

My next stage is still add 2L more water and put 1/4 less sugar and yeast to yield a weaker brew.

Will this work?

 

[Clint]

What ingredients and volumes did you start with?

 

[dad_of_jon]

so if you beer came out at 6.7% at 20 litres that makes 1340ml of alcohol (20l/100) X 6.7

with 18660 being water.

adding another 2 litres of water gives you 20660ml of water when added to the 1340ml = 22000. so 1340/22000 = 6.09% so you have decreased the abv

if the total amount of beer is different than 20l just change the number.

 

[Banbeer]

My next stage is still add 2L more water and put 1/4 less sugar and yeast to yield a weaker brew.

Adding 2L more water will make it taste thinner i.e. less mouthfeel and not desirable in a kit beer if you're brewing at full volume for the kit, adding less sugar will reduce ABV , the yeast plays no part in reducing ABV as it can only turn what sugar/fermentables you add into alcohol so less sugar is the way to go IMO.

 

[Drunkula]

Is this a case of I took a hydrometer reading, it said 1.051, that equal 6.7% alcohol?

 

[Mark K]

so if you beer came out at 6.7% at 20 litres that makes 1340ml of alcohol (20l/100) X 6.7

with 18660 being water.

adding another 2 litres of water gives you 20660ml of water when added to the 1340ml = 22000. so 1340/22000 = 6.09% so you have decreased the abv

So are you saying add the water after crashing? I have one at the moment which I added extra before pitching the yeast. It has on fact turned out stronger.

Sg: 1.062

Fg: 1.010

Abv 6.83% from a 5.4 kit

 

[Mark K]

Adding 2L more water will make it taste thinner i.e. less mouthfeel and not desirable in a kit beer if you're brewing at full volume for the kit, adding less sugar will reduce ABV , the yeast plays no part in reducing ABV as it can only turn what sugar/fermentables you add into alcohol so less sugar is the way to go IMO.

If I use the same amount of yeast with less sugar wont that leave yeast in the brew causing super carbonation when conditioning?

 

[Mark K]

What ingredients and volumes did you start with?

MYO kit.

1.2 kg LMA
1kg dextrose
Unsure of yeast quantity
25L water.

 

[Mark K]

Is this a case of I took a hydrometer reading, it said 1.051, that equal 6.7% alcohol?

Depends on your Fg.

 

[Clint]

MYO kit.

1.2 kg LMA
1kg dextrose
Unsure of yeast quantity
25L water.

In the calculator that gives 3.2%...sorry...didnt take note of fg..but you're not getting 6%+ with just those ingredients..

 

[MrRook]

If I use the same amount of yeast with less sugar wont that leave yeast in the brew causing super carbonation when conditioning?

The carbonation level is dependent on the amount of priming sugar you add, not the amount of yeast.

 

[Gerryjo]

At 20l 1kg of dextrose is 1.019 fermenting down to 1.005 would give 14 gravity points and an abv of 1.87%.
That kit is est @5.6% with 1.2kg LME and 1kg of dextrose.
Leaving out the dextrose and if it fermented to 1.010 would leave it around 4%.Is your hydrometer reading correctly as your numbers don't add up.

 

[Mark K]

In the calculator that gives 3.2%...sorry...didnt take note of fg..but you're not getting 6%+ with just those ingredients..

Have done manual readings with a hydrometer and also using a Tilt. Both cant be wrong can they?

 

[Mark K]

At 20l 1kg of dextrose is 1.019 fermenting down to 1.005 would give 14 gravity points and an abv of 1.87%.
That kit is est @5.6% with 1.2kg LME and 1kg of dextrose.
Leaving out the dextrose and if it fermented to 1.010 would leave it around 4%.Is your hydrometer reading correctly as your numbers don't add up.
View attachment 39293View attachment 39294View attachment 39295

I am using a hydrometer and the Tilt so I can keep an eye on the brew when away.

 

[Clint]

Have done manual readings with a hydrometer and also using a Tilt. Both cant be wrong can they?

Sorry I may have misread...
Did you start with...
The kit.
And added 1.2 kg of malt and 1kg dextrose to the kit?
If so what weight of malt was in the kit?

 

[Mark K]

The

Sorry I may have misread...
Did you start with...
The kit.
And added 1.2 kg of malt and 1kg dextrose to the kit?
If so what weight of malt was in the kit?

The kit was 1.2kg Lme 1kg dextrose and yeast. I have used nothing else.

 

[Clint]

The



The kit was 1.2kg Lme 1kg dextrose and yeast. I have used nothing else.

Hmmm...it's a mystery then...

 

[Mark K]

So..

I will do this on my next brew.

Full amount of LME
500g dextrose
Full packet of yeast

I will keep you posted in a couple of weeks.

 

[Banbeer]

If I use the same amount of yeast with less sugar wont that leave yeast in the brew causing super carbonation when conditioning?

No.

 

[dad_of_jon]

So are you saying add the water after crashing? I have one at the moment which I added extra before pitching the yeast. It has on fact turned out stronger.

Sg: 1.062

Fg: 1.010

Abv 6.83% from a 5.4 kit

adding water at any time will reduce the ABV, however you need to add after a measurement so you can calculate the ABV as per my example above. With regards to what other forumites have mentioned re: hydrometer readings. If the wort was not proberly stirred when taking the 1st reading it could be wrong if the sugars/malt weren't mixed in properly.