Removing alcohol from beer

[MikeTaylor]

I'd like to cut down on my alcohol consumption, but I don't want to cut down on beer! Solution: alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers. I think the commercial options are much better now than they were ten years ago, but is it possible to do de-alcoholising on homebrews? And so do it without losing the flavour?

 

[Clint]

I think there's a thread going on this.
Just have a few days off a week.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

There are a few threads about this on the forum -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/peebees-brewday-low-alcohol-beer.77965/

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/brewing-a-low-alcohol-beer.80587/post-801886

 

[MikeTaylor]

Thanks for the pointers!

 

[DocAnna]

Short version is that making low or no alcohol beer taste like beer is very expensive and very complicated. One of the reasons the non alcoholic beer now tastes a lot better now is the investment and technology has caught up. It costs a lot more to produce non alcoholic beer, and the only reason it is economically viable is because it attracts lower taxation.

Some interesting things from the course module I’ve recently done is that the labelling regulations are very different for non or low alcohol beer compared to beer, wine or spirits. So it will have to list all the ingredients, sugars, and allergens that the others don’t always have to. From a home brew perspective perhaps the biggest issue is nothing to do with making it, as the YouTube and linked pages show, rather it is about storing it. We are used to our home brew having a fairly long shelf life and this is primarily due to the alcohol which is a hurdle to microbial growth. Without that, even chilled, low alcohol beer will go off within days to weeks depending on just how low the alcohol level is. Commercial production of these beers has to follow either pharmaceutical grade aseptic processes or pasteurise the beer after it’s been canned …. Which is a whole different kettle of fish (to completely confuse the metaphors).

I had planned on trying to make some low alcohol beer myself but it’s now the one style of beer that I reckon it’s really worth paying for.

 

[MikeTaylor]

Thank you so much, DocAnna, that's exactly the information I needed. I did suspect the answer would be "you can't really do it without industrial infrastructure" but it's good to have it confirmed by someone who knows what they're talking about.

OK, so back to Plan A: buy the alcohol-free Brewdog packs in Asda, brew the good stuff myself!

 

[nickjdavis]

Thank you so much, DocAnna, that's exactly the information I needed. I did suspect the answer would be "you can't really do it without industrial infrastructure" but it's good to have it confirmed by someone who knows what they're talking about.

OK, so back to Plan A: buy the alcohol-free Brewdog packs in Asda, brew the good stuff myself!

I bought a box the other day...they are awful....just like carbonated flavoured water with a little bit of an acidic kick. They bear no resemblance in terms of flavour to the beers they are based on. Save your money.

 

[Stu's Brews]

To follow up from DocAnna's comprehensive reply.

Brewing non-alcoholic beer at home is generally not advised due to the need for extremely high levels of sanitation.

Alcohol is a very good inhibitor for bacterial growth so it does a good of protecting beer from any shortfalls in sanitation practices (although obviously doesn't go so far as meaning you don't need to sanitise).

Without the presence of alcohol, you are exposed to much higher risk of something nasty spoiling the beer. It is why most (if not all) commercial non-alcoholic beers are pasteurised and why you mostly can't (at least without going to great effort or expense) buy the yeasts that are used for brewing non-alcoholic yeasts for homebrew use.

Long story short... I wouldn't advise brewing non-alcoholic beer at home but you can absolutely have a go at low-alcohol beers (2-3% ABV).

 

[MikeTaylor]

@nickjdavis Sorry the alcohol-free Brewdog beers didn't work out for you. All I can say is that I like them quite a lot. Obviously not as good as the real thing, but so very much better than soft drinks or indeed bland full-alcohol beers.

@Stu's Brews, thanks for the further detail on the importance of alcohol. Stupidly it had never occurred to me that its antiseptic properties were important here!

 

[The Baron]

Just brew lower alcohol beers, alcohol free is a no go as a homebrewer.
I do 2 to 3.5 ABV beers to drink midweek and you can make some quite pleasant beers depending on style.
Milds, Bitter/Ales and IPA's can be quite good but you do need to read the threads suggested as you will get some good pointers on how to get reasonable beers with body etc.
You will get the brewers who will tell you it will not be anywhere near but they do not want to drop their alcohol intake so I say give it a read and brew away

 

[MikeTaylor]

Yes, brewing low-alcohol beer at home definitely looks like a better bet than trying to de-alcoholize. I've had some pretty amazing 2% ABV beers in Copenhagen, where I have a feeling they're ahead of the game. But the threads I've read here on low-alcohol brewing seem a bit advanced for me. I am strictly a kit brewer, and know nothing of mashes and suchlike. Any recommendations for low-alcohol malt-in-a-can/sachet kits that have good flavour?

 

[Cwrw666]

I frequently make Greg Hughes Southern Brown ale - basically a clone of Manns Brown ale. Surprisingly tasty and plenty of body but rocking in at 2.8% abv. Also done plenty of table pale ales also round about the 3% mark.

 

[RichK]

For a kit based brew, how about a one can kit but don't add the kilo of sugar? Could give you something drinkable but about 2% lower abv.

 

[MashBag]

Yes, brewing low-alcohol beer at home definitely looks like a better bet than trying to de-alcoholize. I've had some pretty amazing 2% ABV beers in Copenhagen, where I have a feeling they're ahead of the game. But the threads I've read here on low-alcohol brewing seem a bit advanced for me. I am strictly a kit brewer, and know nothing of mashes and suchlike. Any recommendations for low-alcohol malt-in-a-can/sachet kits that have good flavour?

.. Or maybe a good reason to go all grain?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

@MikeTaylor

This is a brilliant thread about zero and low alcohol commercial beers -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/low-alcohol-low-calorie.104043/post-1256868

 

[jeremy Hall]

For a kit based brew, how about a one can kit but don't add the kilo of sugar? Could give you something drinkable but about 2% lower abv.

I would be tempted to cut down, maybe to 800g then 600g just to see how it turns out. I prefer small steps.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

For a kit based brew, how about a one can kit but don't add the kilo of sugar? Could give you something drinkable but about 2% lower abv.

You could try making a milk stout by adding 500gms of lactose, which does not ferment out and leaves some more body. It would still taste thin though (although it would taste thin if you added a kilo of sugar). If you were prepared to go a bit higher with abv add 500gms of DME would prob make a the difference. Low ibu pale ale kit + 500gms chocolate malt steeped + 500 gms DME + 500 GM's of 500gms lactose and I think it could be promising, but then you are getting away from the very low alcohol beer!

If I want a non alcohol beer I have the Guinness one, which is of course a compromise on taste but I think is not bad for an af beer.

 

[Stu]

If you like Lager and Hazy IPAs, I'd definitely recommend Lucky Saint.
I had some sent to me for free a while back and I was really impressed.

And the Big Drop Galactic IPA milk stout is as good a non-alcohol as I've ever had. I can sit and burn through those in the sun like they're the real thing. I've not tried any of the other Big Drop stuff, but I'm told its good.

 

[Frisp]

Im on a mission to have my Corny stable filled with beers and lagers all in the 3 to 4% Abv range. As a youngster this is where the ABV of pints in this is part of Scotland used to sit in pubs, before the fashion for 5% + kicked in. in the early 80's anything 5% was considered rocket fuel.

Im sure breweries lost a lot of money as they undoubtedly sold less beer as people just got pisshed faster and drank fewer pints.. anyhow I digress

For me I love the taste of beer, and Im a greedy fast gargler when im on a session, But I have always less keen on the falling over bit..

If much rather drink 10 or 12 pints of say 60/- @3.2% over a session than get on the 5+% and be bouncing round, slevering down my shirt in no time. If I want something with a higher alcohol content Ill just buy Wine or Spirits..

 

[The Baron]

I don't brew above 4% and usually 3.5% or below for the same reason I can have 5 or 6 sherbets and don't fall over