NA beer

[jbbalesky]

Looking for a recipe for NA beer to brew in my grain father. Does any one sell NA kits ? 5 gallons batch all grain !
Thanks

JB

 

[Beekeeper]

You might have a look at Ultra Low Brewing or the low alcohol method at Clawhammer.

 

[jbbalesky]

Thanks

 

[AlexKay]

What's your target ABV, and why?

Commercial NA gets made like normal beer, followed by de-alcoholization through vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. I don't think there's any way to do this (or at least do it well) for home-brew.

Things you can do and still end up with something that tastes like beer:

• Reduce the grain bill. Compensate for this with more flavorful base malt (e.g., Munich) and a higher proportion of crystal and roast. (Watch enzyme levels, though.)
• Mash hot (165-170 F) to make less fermentable wort.
• Use yeast that does not ferment maltotriose (e.g. Lallemand Windsor)

You could also try halting fermentation before it is finished, or using a yeast that doesn't ferment maltose ... I am not sure these approaches will give you something that tastes like beer.

I'm still trying to do this right, myself. I've made some ~1% beer that's pleasant to drink, but there's definitely room for improvement.

 

[Brooothru]

Looking for a recipe for NA beer to brew in my grain father. Does any one sell NA kits ? 5 gallons batch all grain !
Thanks

JB

By “NA” do you mean “absolutely zero alcohol” or “less than 0.5% alcohol”?

The first is nearly impossible for a home brewer. The second is doable but requires some alternative processes rather than simply ingredients and amounts. Some are fairly complex (cold extraction) and others (like brewing from a parti-gyle are easier. The biggest complaint about either, as you probably know, is weak and unbalanced flavor coupled with thin body.

Brewing an NA beer is on my list of things to try, though as Goose would say, “The list is long and distinguished.”

The Clawhammer website is a good place to start research. Their approach is to ferment a parti-gyle to get a 0.5% ABV beer. The main benefit is getting two beers for the price of one.

 

[mashdar]

I've been toying with cold extract (aka non-enzymatic mash), bit haven't finished a recipe.

FWIW I found my ~0.6% ABV beer was not below pH 4.6, which is the FDA guideline for botulism safety. (It was 4.7 before carb, carb did drop it to 4.4. edit: actually closer to 5 pre-carb, as it was primed in bottle) My next batch, I plan on adding some lactic and/or phosphoric acid, which may also help the flavor.

edit: sp