10% ABV Light Brew Recipe

[jtf3456]

I am looking to brew a Light 10% ABV beer for some friends. I came up with this in beersmith. i need some advice. Will this work? and any advice or comments.

1.00 oz Cascade - Boil 60.0 min

3lb 1.6 oz Light Brown Sugar - Boil for 30 min

6lb Light Dry Extract - Boil for 55 min

1 pack safale US-05


Est OG 1.081
Est FG 1.005

Bitterness 14.5 IBUs

Color 8.8 SRM

Est ABV %10.0

 

[Yooper]

I don't think that will be very good. Light brown sugar, once fermented, leaves a molasses taste behind, and that is a huge amount. A 10% ABV beer with 18 IBUs will also be cloyingly disgustingly sweet. It will be unbalanced rocket fuel, with an aftertaste of molasses.

 

[slarkin712]

I don't think that will be very good. Light brown sugar, once fermented, leaves a molasses taste behind, and that is a huge amount. A 10% ABV beer with 18 IBUs will also be cloyingly disgustingly sweet. It will be unbalanced rocket fuel, with an aftertaste of molasses.

But it'll get ya drunk!

 

[smallkiller]

Going to need more hops than that to get 14.5 IBU's. 1 oz cascade @60 mins gives you 6.4 IBU. Seem like a simple recipe. If this were me, I'd use corn sugar in place of that brown sugar and dry hop the hell out of it.

 

[slarkin712]

I seems like maybe you want a Belgian trippel without much flavor. I suppose you could use some light pils extract, cane sugar, and some very mild hops. Then use a vigorous fermenting yeast, like a saison or belgian abbey yeast. If you don't want much flavor from the yeast I guess pitching enough us-05 might get the job done. What do you mean by light?

 

[jtf3456]

I'm just beginning so I don't really know much. Could someone set up a recipe for me? Of course they are BMC drinkers so I want to make it as light as possible. Also, if it could be a beer that won't take months to age that would be nice. One of them already has a kegerator and Co2 tank that is setup and everything and it's only had one batch in it. I know I may be trying to do something that isn't really possibe but it's worth a try.

 

[Yooper]

I'm just beginning so I don't really know much. Could someone set up a recipe for me? Of course they are BMC drinkers so I want to make it as light as possible. Also, if it could be a beer that won't take months to age that would be nice. One of them already has a kegerator and Co2 tank that is setup and everything and it's only had one batch in it. I know I may be trying to do something that isn't really possibe but it's worth a try.

How set are you on the 10% ABV? There is a reason BMC isn't 10% and it's not because that people wouldn't buy it- it's because to make a well balanced high alcohol beer that isn't "hot" or that doesn't take ages to taste good isn't the world's easiest thing to do. A high ABV fermentation takes strict temperature control to avoid fusels, and you don't want that much simple sugar in it.

 

[TopherM]

Definitely leave the sugar behind. In addition to the molassas tastes it is going to leave, it is going to dry your beer out as well.

You would have to bump the extract up to 15 lbs to get the same 10% ABV and to have even the minimum of body to make the beer even drinkable.

"LIGHT" in the brewing world typically refers to ABV and drinkability, not color. You can make a dark colored beer that is "light" in its drinkability, or a light colored beer that even the best of drinkers can't finish more than one of, like your proposal above.

You recipe above is going to be light in color, but make no mistakes that it will be a heavy beer with a good bit of alcohol burn. You can't make something that tastes like Bud Light but has 10% alcohol. Doesn't work that way. This beer is going to taste like you put 1/2 a shot of vodka into a pint of Bud Light. If that's what you had in mind, brew on!

There are lots of good, light beers that are "gateway" craft beers that your BMC friends will probably like, but they are all in the 4-6% alcohol by volume range - Bud Light has like 4.3% alcohol.

BMC drinkers actually tend to like lower ABV beers. They like drinkability. Do a forum search for CREAM ALE, AMERICAN ALE, CALIFORNIA COMMON, STEAM BEER, WHEAT ALE, BLOND ALE, Koelsch. All light styles that are easy to make with minimal conditioning time.

 

[jtf3456]

I guess what I had in mind is not possible, well possible, but disgusting. I Will have to broaden my specifications. Now the question would probably be. What is a simple extract recipe that would be 10% and not take extremely long to condition?

 

[TopherM]

Fermentation, Carbonation, and Conditioning times are all directly dependent on alcohol content. More alcohol, everything takes longer. Yeast work more slowly in progressively higher ABV enviroments. You can't completely carb and condition, especially, a 10% beer quickly.

If I were making a 10% beer, I'd give it a good 2-3 months from brewday to glass. It'd probably be drinkable in about 6-8 weeks MINIMUM, but not really DONE until 2-3 months, and even a few more months after that until it peaks.

Here's the scientific data, courtesy of Lazy Llama:

 

[Greenbasterd]

that graph is to complecated could you please explain. haha just kidding awesome graph!!!

 

[VladOfTrub]

the scientific data, courtesy of Lazy Llama is:

Epic.... The equation, although, quite complex in nature. Can be broken down by using Einstein's equation for Gravity, Light, and Time. Einstein developed the equation while drinking a bottle of Thomas Hardy Ale and eating Peyote Pate' on Ritz Crackers. As everything goes good on a Ritz. He noticed that the Ale was very heavy, not light at all. While studying the label on the bottle. He noticed it said. Alc. 11%. Aged one year. Better after twenty five. After slugging down five or nine bottles of Tom's Ale. Einstein stumbled across the Theory of Relativity. E = MCHammer.....Always these damn bats.

 

[FarmBoy530]

If your looking for a big beer it will take longer than a 4 or 5% ale. However some folks also age a beer like this for a year or more. I just had a triple IPA at a local brewery. 9.5% and 140 IBU's. They told me it wasn't aged at all. Its now one of my favorite beers. So much depth it layers and drinks a bit like a barley wine though lighter in color and malt/mouth feel. Your BMC friends would probably hate it!

 

[Ramitt]

1 Brew a light lager
2 Add everclear to 10% abv
3?????????????
4 Profit

 

[drkaeppel]

You're kind of at odds here. You can't really make a good 10% beer with a fast turn-around time.

As others have said, if your friends are BMC drinkers, you'll be better off with an American Pale Ale, Cream Ale, maybe a hefeweizen. All of those can have a quick turn-around and still taste good.

 

[onthekeg]

Or, just buy some Olde English and fill the keg. Tell them you made it.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I don't know, I may be among the minority here but I think my Russian Imperial Stouts are at absolute perfection after 1 month in primary, three weeks in bottle. Most people like to age 'em but I think they lose a little bit of magic after about 2 months in the bottle. You can totally brew a 9% RIS that's delicious in 7 weeks time. Of course most BMC drinkers probably wouldn't go for that style... you might be better off just buying Dog Bite High Gravity lager. It's 10% and only $1.79/24oz can. What quicker turn around time than driving to the liquor store?

 

[FarmBoy530]

I don't think your the minority, I think every beer is done when its done! That being said some take 2 months, some take a year. Even some big ones don't have to take forever, just not BMC material.