PeeBee's Brewday - Low Alcohol Beer II

[chthon]

That's helpful thanks. I'm wondering what adjustments are necessary on the bittering hop schedule for a low alcohol beer- any thoughts or experience?

SInce IBU calculations only depend on the amount of hops per amount of liquid, you can take the same calculations.

I know two original low-alcohol beers (table beers), the Piedboeuf Brune, which is probably between 10 and 15 IBU. Sweet brown beer. The other I know was the Krüger blond table beer, which was rather bitter.

 

[peebee]

Tricky!

I have always suggested very low IBUs for low-alcohol beers, because it is so easy to overdo it. Suggest using the BU/GU (GU = OGx1000-1000) ratio and a bit less ('cos they finish with high FG). So the Centennial Blond, which is fairly lightly hopped anyway (22-23IBU, it's a "pseudo lager" or "blonde ale" with OG 1.040) has a ratio about 0.57. A low alcohol version might have an IBU of only 8.3, a ratio of 0.41 (OG 1.020). That should be about right (when I get around to brewing it!). I get the low IBUs by cutting the hops to 2/3rd and shifting the timeslot back (so the 8g at 20 boil minutes remaining, ends up as [EDIT: 5.5g,] 20 minutes whirlpool/steep hops at 85C).

Ermm ... you didn't expect a straight answer from me, did you?

Then you get Big Drop quoting (or once where) quite outrageously high IBUs. And some of their beers are very good if very bitter, and some taste of wet corrugated cardboard boxes 'cos the hopping is too high. So, I haven't got the answer yet (but aiming low is safest!).

 

[peebee]

Eek, that post a couple of days ago said I'd take a session beer recipe and cut the fermentables back to 1/3rd. Should have been 1/2th. Guess I am a bit rusty with this low alcohol stuff?

 

[DocAnna]

Eek, that post a couple of days ago said I'd take a session beer recipe and cut the fermentables back to 1/3rd. Should have been 1/2th. Guess I am a bit rusty with this low alcohol stuff?

What do you think about the idea of doing a parti-gyle type beer, and use the mash from another beer - to remash and sparge to a target OG of 1.005. Might even be worth adding a dextrin or crystal malt to the second mash. This sort of appeals as a way to get a low alcohol beer as a byproduct?

 

[Wobbly13]

- Alcohol Free and Ultra Low Beer Brewing Techniques has tons of information on alternative techniques to achieve low/no alcohol beers, some good recipes, YouTube videos and some essential info on hygiene related to pH. Worth checking out. I am definitely going to try this out as I love brewing but just can’t consume all the resulting beer!

 

[Rakey]

Just chiming in as this is on my to do list, wanted to say thanks for the threads, some really interesting stuff in here that I had not considered as options to achieve this.

On a side note the low ABV beers that I tend to drink most of are Guinness 0, Lucky Saint, and the Aldi and Lidl ones

 

[peebee]

What do you think about the idea of doing a parti-gyle type beer, and use the mash from another beer - to remash and sparge to a target OG of 1.005. Might even be worth adding a dextrin or crystal malt to the second mash. This sort of appeals as a way to get a low alcohol beer as a byproduct?

Those techniques are probably worth experimenting with, but not by me! Too many uncertainties, too much work for potentially no return. But if you've the stamina, give it a go!

Second mashes are not really mashes, most enzymes have been destroyed during the first mash, or washed away (they are very soluble). But the extra rinse might be worth it? Different components (colour, sugars, flavour, ...) extract easier/harder than others. I can't handle all them unknowns. But not everyone is like me (thank goodness I'm hearing everyone say).

 

[peebee]

- Alcohol Free and Ultra Low Beer Brewing Techniques has tons of information on alternative techniques to achieve low/no alcohol beers, some good recipes, YouTube videos and some essential info on hygiene related to pH. Worth checking out. I am definitely going to try this out as I love brewing but just can’t consume all the resulting beer!

A good find. He's put an awful lot of effort into it.

Humm; okay, perhaps the site needs a bit more effort 'cos I (and perhaps other?) find the layout very irritating. Hopefully, he'll put that right?

 

[Sadfield]

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jib.351
I'm not sure if I posted this in previous threads, but this worked well for me in brewing a 0.5% beer.
I also like to use Munich or Chateau Maltings Crystal, which is actually a aromatic malt that retains some diastatic power. A stronger malt flavour from a small grist.

https://www.castlemalting.com/Castl...82&CropYear=2020&Language=Czech&FileType=HTML
As for hops, there's plenty of low alpha varieties. And also more creative ways to get the same flavours. Not so much as a total replacement for hops, more to augment and lift flavours in a subtle way without the alpha acids or hop burn. For example zests, herbs or spruce, juniper tips. Spices like black pepper or coriander contain many of the same oils, such as pinene, as hops. My favourite low abv recipe is a 2.5% Earl Grey beer.

I haven't brewed anything low for a while, I perhaps need to get back to it.

 

[MashBag]

Had hoped someone would chip in, but not a squeak?

I must confess to watching but not contributing.

I want to make an LA and was quite disappointed cold mash didn't win through.

Thank you for the lallemand link. Good info.

One question, if a quick hot mash is required (80), is the intention to dough in with an even higher strike temp?

Just thinking its all getting a bit hot / difficult /steamy etc?

I could dough in at 60c and heat to 80c in 20mins. But I suspect that is to long in the scary 60's?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Unless you had a grain bill half of nothing a dough in at 60 and ramp will be too fermentable.