Lower original gravity without affecting ABV

Hi guys! this is my first post, so I don't really know how this works.
I've been brewing for 2 years and now Im trying to fix little issues with my homebrews.

I have a very important question that I couldn't found on the internet or books, Im brewing a Helles Lager on Saturday (my third one) but my calculations tells an OG of 1.057, which is to high, I could lower the malt bill, but the alcohol content would decrease too, and I don't want that.

How can I do this? or is this impossible?
how to big beer makers and brands have a high alcohol content, but with normal OG, which is very important to get a good fermentation.

Im obviously making all grain with yeast starter.

thanx!

You need to increase the fermentability of the wort or use a more attenuative yeast. To make your wort more fermentable you can mash at a lower temperature (145-149*F) or mash longer (90 minutes). Since you're brewing this Saturday it's unlikely you have time to make a yeast substitution, but keep in mind for next time that which yeast strain you choose will affect your FG (for example, Wyeast Czech Pils tops out at 74% attenuation according to their site, while their Bohemian lager can ferment up to 77% of the OG).

levslevs said:

Hi guys! this is my first post, so I don't really know how this works.
I've been brewing for 2 years and now Im trying to fix little issues with my homebrews.

I have a very important question that I couldn't found on the internet or books, Im brewing a Helles Lager on Saturday (my third one) but my calculations tells an OG of 1.057, which is to high, I could lower the malt bill, but the alcohol content would decrease too, and I don't want that.

How can I do this? or is this impossible?
how to big beer makers and brands have a high alcohol content, but with normal OG, which is very important to get a good fermentation.

Im obviously making all grain with yeast starter.

thanx!

Click to expand...

Welcome! I'm curious as to why 1057 is too high and what is normal OG? Is it for the style? I brew beers at the limits of the style guidelines all the time! If you want more alcohol you need more sugar for the yeast to ferment. You can max out attenuation, but that can only go so far before you end up with thin, flavorless beers (like the big boys!) Either you raise the OG or lower the FG.

Its a Lager, more specifically a Helles. I´ve reading a lot of brewing books that say that the OG must be between some parameters to make the yeast start eating the sugars, but if the content of initial sugar is to damn high, the yeast will get into shock and die. its like trying to ferment pure honey, it's impossible!
The parameters of a helles are somewhat around 1.043 to 1.053 OG... but I already brewed this beer with the 1.057 and it´s awesome, still in maturation in bottle, but so far so good.
I did this by fermenting first at high temperatures (like 60 F) then I lowered the teperature (44F), did a diacetyl rest after a while and everything turned up good.

I´m trying to learn as much as possible traditional brewing to start making different stuff!

Thanx for all the help!

The difference between a 1.057 OG and a 1.053 beer that attenuates to the same FG only has a difference of about 0.5% abv. And if they have the same % of attenuation the abv will be the same.