Do you ever get tired of big beers?

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After brewing beers mainly between 1050 and 1065 for the last few years I'm really enjoying my current phase of 1035-1040 bitters and milds, after a recent visit back home to uk, I wanted to mimic the bitters and milds I'd grown up with, the kind to pass an afternoon in a bar getting slowly inbibed yet always with that feeling of being able to have one more. These small beers, usually finish between 1015 and 1020 and I'm mashing high at 156-158f. Another important discovery was bringing down the IBUs to match the body, typically 25- 40. I still like a Barley wine now and again and Iv'e got a stout of 1065 on draught that lasts six months or so but for me 3-4ABV has been more interesting to brew I feel Iv'e learned more about the 'cause and effect' of ingredients\mash temps, yeast, in short the whole bundle . that and taking good notes and repeating recipes . just my opinion . Ian
 
Uh oh. 8% abv isn't considered a session beer? Okay, I do have to admit I'm getting tired of waking up on the couch at 3 a.m. with the TV still blaring. A lot of the lighter beers I've passed up in my rush to learn brewing are looking much more attractive now, especially with summer coming on. I do plan to look into the lighter lagers and more wheat. I'm still in the phase where I'm fascinated by the process of building the big beers, but realize there's as much or more craftsmanship in the session beers. I like the idea of a faster turnaround, too.
 
iasquith said:
After brewing beers mainly between 1050 and 1065 for the last few years I'm really enjoying my current phase of 1035-1040 bitters and milds, after a recent visit back home to uk, I wanted to mimic the bitters and milds I'd grown up with, the kind to pass an afternoon in a bar getting slowly inbibed yet always with that feeling of being able to have one more. These small beers, usually finish between 1015 and 1020 and I'm mashing high at 156-158f. Another important discovery was bringing down the IBUs to match the body, typically 25- 40. I still like a Barley wine now and again and Iv'e got a stout of 1065 on draught that lasts six months or so but for me 3-4ABV has been more interesting to brew I feel Iv'e learned more about the 'cause and effect' of ingredients\mash temps, yeast, in short the whole bundle . that and taking good notes and repeating recipes . just my opinion . Ian
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Totally agree with the higher mash and lower IBU's. Better mouthfeel for even a lighter beer. I do EdWort's kolsch that way, people just drink it up. I like lighter beers but not thin beers.

I have three taps so I try to keep a pace of brewing to always have a light/hoppy/malty trifecta on hand. It is a little tricky but have a lagerator to store kegged beer helps me keep things sorted out even if my brewing whims put me out of order.
 
nightcelt said:
Uh oh. 8% abv isn't considered a session beer? Okay, I do have to admit I'm getting tired of waking up on the couch at 3 a.m. with the TV still blaring. A lot of the lighter beers I've passed up in my rush to learn brewing are looking much more attractive now, especially with summer coming on. I do plan to look into the lighter lagers and more wheat. I'm still in the phase where I'm fascinated by the process of building the big beers, but realize there's as much or more craftsmanship in the session beers. I like the idea of a faster turnaround, too.
Click to expand...

I'm at the same place right now...well maybe not the 3 am tv blaring place, but I don't think I have brewed anything underneath a 1.060 starting and really if I went that low it was on accident, but more and more I think it's harder to make a solid small beer than a a decent big one. The margin of error for a simpler beer seems a lot thinner. I do plan on brewing a session Apa this summer, so we will see how that goes.
 
Just brewed three low gravity beers. A kolsch OG 1041, Saison 1050, and Cascade Pale Ale 1050. Just as fun to brew that level, because for me its about the process. I just love to brew. I think I love brewing more than drinking beer.
 
Schemy said:
Just brewed three low gravity beers. A kolsch OG 1041, Saison 1050, and Cascade Pale Ale 1050. Just as fun to brew that level, because for me its about the process. I just love to brew. I think I love brewing more than drinking beer.
Click to expand...

Isn't drinking just an extension of the brewing? We need to understand our craft right?
 
I brewed jamil's classic American pilsner that turned out fantastic. At about 5.5% it's a bit high for a typical session beer, but my liver is in excellent shape, so for me it works. Great stuff.

Also stone makes, or made, a west coast session ale at 4.5%and about 50 ibu. Its got 15 oz of hops in a 5 gal batch. Citra, simcoe, Amarillo, etc. Great stuff, it's a hoppy session ale but doesn't kill your palette too bad.
 
I've made a 4.6% Strawberry Cream Ale, but I love making big beers. However, one thing I'm kind of excited about is moving to AG. I've read about people doing second runnings from big beers to make a session beer with the same grains. This is something I'd love to experiment with.
 
I made something like an ordinary bitter when I first got my mill to test my efficiency with the gap I set, and it came out a little lower than expected, and I didn't boil off enough water, so it ended up at 1.04 and dropped to 1.009ish. It was one of my favorite beers so far, and I plan to brew a few more like it in the near future. Tomorrow morning is going to be a pils that should come in under 1.05, depending on eff.
 
Going to the UK has definitely given me a greater appreciation for session beers. First pint I ordered in London was Darkstar's Hophead (which is beyond great) and a second look at the pump clip after my first sip revealed an ABV of 3.8%. I don't know if the fact that it was on cask helped add perceived body, but it was definitely quaffable yet satisfying.

And apparently it's basically a Maris Otter/Cascade SMaSH. Definitely the first thing I'm brewing once it get stateside.
 

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