noob thread wants to brew low alcohol brew

[dstinson]

hi all, I have been brewing extract beer for a a few years now and have always tried to make low alcohol beers. I do this by burning off the alcohol at the end of the fermentation process, typical around 30 mins in kettle at 170 degrees and then I chill again and keg.The results have been ok'ish at best. I know what good home brew tastes like (with alcohol) and well mine is not that. I would not be apposed to switching to all grain if this would help me produce beers as low as 2%. I think from reading on this forums it is possible. I don't need to get too technical in the weeds right now, but I was hoping someone could comment that does this method work with some success, or if perhaps I should just quit while I am ahead. ha ha

thanks

 

[iamninjabob]

Have you tried just using a minimal amount of extract? For a 5gal batch ~2.5lb of light DME would come to around 2% alcohol? for 3gal it would be ~1.5lb 1gal is ~.5lb.

 

[bracconiere]

could try try making a malt extract kombucha? unorthodox, but would probably get you in the 0.5-1% range....if anyone gives you **** about it, just slap them in the face and tell them it's $20 a drink, lol

 

[cmac62]

D. your problem is most likely your beer is oxidized when you move it back and forth from the boil kettle to heat it to remove the alcohol. I'm not sure about how to get around this, but hopefully someone with more help will chime in.

 

[dstinson]

i have not tried to use less extract, that is interesting, perhaps i will try that next. And that would avoid the reheating right?

 

[iamninjabob]

I've got to admit I've never heard of anybody boiling their fermented beer before kegging it. Did you come up with this method on your own? After a beer is fermented it's kind of delicate I doubt boiling it is very good for it.

 

[smarch0]

If I was to do it, I would brew a full strength beer (5%) with lots of body. I am all grain and would use lots of dextrin malt, you could either steep that, or source Maltodextrin powder. Most decent homebrew stores should carry it, or look online. Then blend 50/50 with distilled / RO water. Probably would work better with full flavor beers like IPA's so the flavor does not get washed out as much. Plus you get 2 batches for the work of 1!

Good luck!

 

[dstinson]

I've got to admit I've never heard of anybody boiling their fermented beer before kegging it. Did you come up with this method on your own? After a beer is fermented it's kind of delicate I doubt boiling it is very good for it.

I have done it serval times, I got the idea from several sources on the internet of different ways to reduce the alcohol. I don't boil the beer, i just raise the temp to 170 degrees to burn the alcohol off. typically for 30 mins.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Interesting. See BYO January-February 2021 "Hold the Alcohol" beginning on page 53.

 

[iamninjabob]

Interesting. I guess that's just not something I've ever looked into. I think I'd go for just a low starting gravity. I think if you're using good water, and decent/fresh extract you can make a good 2% all extract beer just by cutting back on the extract in a recipe.

 

[D.B.Moody]

Some tasty grains and a good dose of hops will make a good beer with out a lot of malt. When AB was developing Bud Light, Auggie Bush kept questioning the formula/recipe because it was going to have more hops than Budweiser. Eventually he took his people's advice and the rest is history. I know that wasn't about alcohol, but the compensation applies.

 

[Birrofilo]

So, you want low-alcol beer.

1) Easy, make low-fermentability wort.
Switch to all-grain;
Mash for high body low alcohol;
Enjoy your beer.

2) Dilute your beer 50/50 with RO water and there you have your 2% beer.

3) Try beer with a high percentage of non-malted cereals, that will give you a scarcely fermentable wort with plenty of stuff in it. (I don't know how much this is doable with extracts: you might have to switch to all-grain to execute that properly).

You seem to want to produce normal beer and then taking away the alcohol. But then again, why not add water in its stead?

In any case: all-grain gives you control on all aspect of the final product, including alcohol.

A word of warning is necessary. The beer industry is trying, since decades, to produce a low-alcohol beer or a no-alcohol beer with the same "taste" of regular beer, and they failed. Alcohol is part of the flavour, and is part of the flavour perception.
It's as if you asked to make a no-CO2 beer. It won't work. CO2 is part and parcel of the flavour of beer. You take that away, and your beer becomes something else.

Concept to get home: alcohol is not tasteless; CO2 is not tasteless; beer is good.

 

[dstinson]

beer is good, hence this problem... haha i am also not apposed to watering it down, just didn't know if that would kill the taste (more so than removing the alcohol). I may opt for option 1 as that sounds like a better solution, so i am not watering anything down or cooking the alcohol off.

 

[smarch0]

A word of warning is necessary. The beer industry is trying, since decades, to produce a low-alcohol beer or a no-alcohol beer with the same "taste" of regular beer, and they failed. Alcohol is part of the flavour, and is part of the flavour perception.
It's as if you asked to make a no-CO2 beer. It won't work. CO2 is part and parcel of the flavour of beer. You take that away, and your beer becomes something else.

Concept to get home: alcohol is not tasteless; CO2 is not tasteless; beer is good.

I'll disagree with you. Some new breweries are actually making some pretty good non-alcoholic brews these days. My wife is currently on medication she can't drink on and has been trying some no alcohol craft brews. The pale ale from Partake brewing is very good, if I did not know it was 0.5% I never would have guessed. Unfortunately it is Canadian so you probably won't find it, but I am also hearing good things about Athletic Brewing Company in Connecticut.

Here is an article that lists a few others brewing low/no alcohol. It does not list them there, but I am just about to order some from Grüvi brewing in Colorado. Can report back on how they are!

How Brewers Are Making Non-Alcoholic Beer Suck Less

 

[Kickass]

haha i am also not apposed to watering it down, just didn't know if that would kill the taste

I got a chuckle out of this. Not willing to put a splash of tap water into your beer but went through the hassle of multiple transfers and imprecise alcohol heat evaporation.

All razzing aside, I think there are some good suggestions above, specifically low fermentable AG wort. Please advise after your next batch.

 

[Tom R]

I have done it serval times, I got the idea from several sources on the internet of different ways to reduce the alcohol. I don't boil the beer, i just raise the temp to 170 degrees to burn the alcohol off. typically for 30 mins.

Once you have done this, how do you determine what the resulting ABV or ABW is?

 

[kartracer2]

Some thing not yet mentioned,
Research a low attenuating yeast.
Just spit-balling here.
Cheers,
Joel B.

 

[Birrofilo]

I'll disagree with you. Some new breweries are actually making some pretty good non-alcoholic brews these days. My wife is currently on medication she can't drink on and has been trying some no alcohol craft brews. The pale ale from Partake brewing is very good, if I did not know it was 0.5% I never would have guessed. Unfortunately it is Canadian so you probably won't find it, but I am also hearing good things about Athletic Brewing Company in Connecticut.

Here is an article that lists a few others brewing low/no alcohol. It does not list them there, but I am just about to order some from Grüvi brewing in Colorado. Can report back on how they are!

How Brewers Are Making Non-Alcoholic Beer Suck Less

You made me curious to try some of those beers and see if they really "suck less". Maybe.

I read with interest the document you linked. It has a "disturbing" line:

" Finally, researchers at the University of Valladolid in Spain several years ago managed to vaporize isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and isobutyl alcohol—aromatic compounds that make beer taste beer-y—then add them back into a low ABV brew. "

The thing is, there is some empirical evidence that what gives you headache (and liver problems) is not ethyl alcohol, but those other congeners, such as ethyl acetate, isobutyl alcohol, isoamyl acetate.

Basically those Spaniards are taking away the good stuff (the ethyl alcohol) and reinserting the bad stuff which causes headache and damages.

It is true that it's the "congeners" which impart a certain flavour to alcohol more than ethyl alcohol, but if they want to give beer that "flavour", they will be able to cheat with the ABV writing on the can, and maybe the alcohol test, but they will not be able to cheat your liver. Actually you will end up with more headache because you will dring more beer and therefore more congeners.

 

[madscientist451]

Here's a video podcast where they make a wheat/rye beer that is 1.7% ABV, is that low enough? There are other low ABV recipes available from the same source. I've been experimenting with low ABV and dry BRUT session IPAs for the last year in an effort to lose a few pounds but still be able to have a few beers. I've made a low ABV mostly rye beer and my version was just ok, I had to substitute ingredients and small changes make a big difference in these low alcohol brews.

 

[Birrofilo]

According to "Drink: A cultural history of alcohol", by Gately, there is overwhelming statistical evidence that teetotallers live less than alcohol consumers.

Meditate on that. Drink low-alcohol beers responsibly

 

[bwible]

I've been experimenting with low ABV and dry BRUT session IPAs for the last year in an effort to lose a few pounds but still be able to have a few beers.

Its not alcohol that adds the pounds. It’s carbs. If you want to lose a few pounds, drink low carb beer for awhile. But that by itself doesn’t work. You have to do the whole low carb lifestyle and give up soda, bread, rolls, rice, potatoes, pizza and all other forms of carbs. There’s a limit you can have per day. It really does work if you can stay on it and follow it but it’s very hard to do. Things you don’t even think have carbs do. My wife does it and other family members do it. I tried it and can’t stay on it because beer along with so many other foods I love simply will not fit into a low carb lifestyle. This is also a big part of why Truly is so popular, especially with women. People can have all the alcohol with lower carbs. You’re better off sipping bourbon or scotch. Just don’t mix it with any coke.

 

[Sundy]

Non-Alcoholic Beer is the thread I started on the same subject. There is some good info in there.

 

[Sundy]

According to "Drink: A cultural history of alcohol", by Gately, there is overwhelming statistical evidence that teetotallers live less than alcohol consumers.

Meditate on that. Drink low-alcohol beers responsibly

I should live forever then!

 

[dstinson]

yea i would agree some really good info here. thanks all!! I have found a UK website that deals with low alcohol beers but they don't ship to the US. I have been to Bevmo, but there low beers suck which made me start this journey. I am gonna watch that podcast now.

 

[cmac62]

Once you have done this, how do you determine what the resulting ABV or ABW is?

I'd guess a hydrometer. With less Alcohol the reading should go up.

 

[Lefou]

Lefou's solution?

Brew a nice 4 - 4.5% ABV beer. Pour warm over a generous amount of ice.
It will cool and dilute the beer and may help the hops stand out a bit. Not something you'd normally do during the cooler months, though.

 

[dstinson]

ok so I think i am going to try and do the 10 gallon batch with 1 recipe mix but add the Malto Dextrin, should I add two bags of Malto Dextrin (8oz's each)? Northern Brewery says 1 bag does 5 gallons. I have never used this before so any recommendations would be great.

On other news that yeast that is mentioned here sounds like a great solution but apparently you have to pasteurize the beer afterwards. It's mostly used for commercial brewing.

 

[Jim R]

Personally, I would just brew a normal beer and drink half as much if alcohol was an issue. There are also quite a few lower alcohol session beer recipes that would make more sense than a watered down experiment. To each his own though.

 

[Birrofilo]

OK now I am saying something very stupid, it's late, I have got headache (nothing alcohol related, I am a headache person since 30 years) and I might be saying something not very useful.

But my point is: you can actually distill your beer. The initial part will be rich in alcohol, which means the part which remains in the kettle will have a lower alcohol content. Also, the initial part will have more of the "head fractions" than the rest, the heads are what normally give the harsh and pricking character to alcohol, and the headaches. You will obtain, in the kettle, a beer which is lighter in alcohol and also cleaner in taste.

I assume no responsibility on the taste of boiled beer, though...

 

[iamninjabob]

OP can you share the recipe you're planning on making with the Malto Dextrin?

 

[marc1]

I've got a 2.6% beer in the keg now that's surprisingly good. I had meant to make a 4%, but made a process change that resulted in a 159 mash temp. It finished way higher than anticipated.

 

[Beermeister32]

Try watering you beer back in the glass with seltzer water to find something you like. Seriously, it is good for working out tweaks like this and keeps the keg good for everyone else.

 

[Jako]

you have freeze it keep the good stuff. then melt the slush and have super lame beer also and a super good beer.

 

[mashpaddled]

I'll disagree with you. Some new breweries are actually making some pretty good non-alcoholic brews these days. My wife is currently on medication she can't drink on and has been trying some no alcohol craft brews. The pale ale from Partake brewing is very good, if I did not know it was 0.5% I never would have guessed. Unfortunately it is Canadian so you probably won't find it, but I am also hearing good things about Athletic Brewing Company in Connecticut.

Here is an article that lists a few others brewing low/no alcohol. It does not list them there, but I am just about to order some from Grüvi brewing in Colorado. Can report back on how they are!

How Brewers Are Making Non-Alcoholic Beer Suck Less

I have a friend who quit drinking but misses the taste of beer. She likes these a lot.

 

[mashpaddled]

You can brew low ABV beers. Less sugar in the wort=less alcohol. The issue is making these beers enjoyable.

You could do partial mash beers and do a small mash with protein rich grains (oats, rye, wheat, flaked grains) so you'll get body from proteins to make up for the missing heft of a higher gravity beer. Don't go too crazy with bittering additions so it isn't overly bitter. You could also dry hop which will add body and flavor.

You can do plenty of good low ABV beers this way. It would be difficult to do a lot of these extract only but partial mashes are easy especially if you do them as BIAB. You already know how to heat liquid and use a timer which is about all it takes to do a BIAB partial mash.

 

[AzOr]

I'll disagree with you. Some new breweries are actually making some pretty good non-alcoholic brews these days. My wife is currently on medication she can't drink on and has been trying some no alcohol craft brews. The pale ale from Partake brewing is very good, if I did not know it was 0.5% I never would have guessed. Unfortunately it is Canadian so you probably won't find it, but I am also hearing good things about Athletic Brewing Company in Connecticut.

Here is an article that lists a few others brewing low/no alcohol. It does not list them there, but I am just about to order some from Grüvi brewing in Colorado. Can report back on how they are!

How Brewers Are Making Non-Alcoholic Beer Suck Less

Athletic Brewing is actually really good. Seems like they focus on pales and IPAs. It’s my go to canoeing beer. I also really like Heineken 00, but I haven’t been able to find it in cans.
Low abv beers definitely have their place.