What's a good satisfying 3.2 to 4% beer?

[ccous]

No

Beer ain't paleo. Just saying.

Any diet that has a philosophy ain't worth bothering about.

No it isn’t, but big deal. Eating meat, veggies, and having a few beers on the site works for me. Who cares if it had a philosophy behind it. It’s a sound philosophy that’s working for a ton of people. Silly reason to dismiss something.

 

[Qhrumphf]

No

No it isn’t, but big deal. Eating meat, veggies, and having a few beers on the site works for me. Who cares if it had a philosophy behind it. It’s a sound philosophy that’s working for a ton of people. Silly reason to dismiss something.

When viewed with a sense of moderation and not as a cult. Which seems to be how you folks are looking at it. Hats off to you.

Of the trend diets I have the least objection paleo.

The one positive thing about it becoming a thing outside crossfit circles is that some restaurants will put something paleo on their menu, in which case the macros end up being less sh**

 

[ccous]

When viewed with a sense of moderation and not as a cult. Which seems to be how you folks are looking at it. Hats off to you.

Of the trend diets I have the least objection paleo.

The one positive thing about it becoming a thing outside crossfit circles is that some restaurants will put something paleo on their menu, in which case the macros end up being less sh**

How do you know how I view it? I certainly don’t take myself very seriously. I eat in a way that allows me to drink good beer and lose weight, while gaining muscle. I don’t want to be a bodybuilder but to each their own. Fact is I do both my ‘dieting’ and drinking with a sense of moderation which gives me results I am after. So to stay on topic, I am backing the advice given because I feel it is a good way to live and still enjoy the beer I want to brew and drink.

 

[Qhrumphf]

How do you know how I view it? I certainly don’t take myself very seriously. I eat in a way that allows me to drink good beer and lose weight, while gaining muscle. I don’t want to be a bodybuilder but to each their own. Fact is I do both my ‘dieting’ and drinking with a sense of moderation which gives me results I am after. So to stay on topic, I am backing the advice given because I feel it is a good way to live and still enjoy the beer I want to brew and drink.

I meant viewing with healthy moderation and not as a cult. That wasn't clear on my part.

 

[Mer-man]

I once did a dry irish stout from Brewing Classic Styles, got terrible extract and ended up with a 3.8% beer. It was delicious and tasted like the beer version of cold coffee. I love cold coffee.

And to stay on the off-topic, olympic free weight lifts makes you safer when moving brewing stuff, since you get stronger

 

[RPh_Guy]

I'm planning a beer with no carbs (besides alcohol - 7.3% ABV).
OG 1.055. Just need to ferment all the sugar

 

[danielthemaniel]

I brew a damn good english mild. It's full flavor and low abv. A devilish combination. It's my go to low cal beer.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I brew a damn good english mild. It's full flavor and low abv. A devilish combination. It's my go to low cal beer.

I've never tasted a proper English mild, can you share your recipe? I brew with RO water, so I'd appreciate some guidance on salt/mineral additions. Thanks in advance!

 

[TallDan]

I've never tasted a proper English mild, can you share your recipe? I brew with RO water, so I'd appreciate some guidance on salt/mineral additions. Thanks in advance!

Orfy’s is great.

 

[RPh_Guy]

If I had to brew a low calorie beer it would be a dry Berliner around 3% ABV. I love sour beers. (~78Cal per 12oz)

English mild would be my second choice. Coniston Bluebird clone probably.

Oops! Almost forgot to derail the thread...

Why do so many people confuse "regimen", "regime", and "regiment"?
I hope we never have a weight loss regime. That would be scary.

 

[teesherv]

@z-bob
But this was supposed to be a fun thread about tasty light beers.

The Berliner Weiss looks interesting. How long does it take to sour in the kettle; will overnight at 115° do it?

I'm still experimenting. This last time I used 2 goodbelly shots for 36 hours. Started at 120 degrees and dropped to 99 by the end. Just wrapped the covered kettle with a sleeping bag on a hot day. 15 minute boil after mash (before 120*, 36 hour kettle time) and another 15 minute boil after (instead of a 60 minute hop boil). Currently carbing up in the kezzer.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If I had to brew a low calorie beer it would be a dry Berliner around 3% ABV. I love sour beers. (~78Cal per 12oz)

English mild would be my second choice. Coniston Bluebird clone probably.

Oops! Almost forgot to derail the thread...

Why do so many people confuse "regimen", "regime", and "regiment"?
I hope we never have a weight loss regime. That would be scary.

A) Coniston Bluebird may be the best beer in the world. I haven't had it in ages. Damn near cloned it before I stopped brewing at home (because it is easy to find around here for a couple months at varying levels of freshness, and then disappears entirely for two years)

B) autocorrect rules all

 

[RPh_Guy]

A) Coniston Bluebird may be the best beer in the world. I haven't had it in ages. Damn near cloned it before I stopped brewing at home (because it is easy to find around here for a couple months at varying levels of freshness, and then disappears entirely for two years)

Does this sound close?
5.5 gal
95% MO
5% Crystal 45L
0.7oz Challenger 60min
1oz Challenger 10 min
OG around 1.040, 35IBU
S-04
Water chemistry ???
I'd love any tips if you got a good reproduction.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Does this sound close?
5.5 gal
95% MO
5% Crystal 45L
0.7oz Challenger 60min
1oz Challenger 10 min
OG around 1.040, 35IBU
S-04
Water chemistry ???
I'd love any tips if you got a good reproduction.

Close.

I found it closer with 77L crystal and MO (both Crisp).

I had measured the gravity of it don't have my notes, but I think it was somewhere 2-2.5°P, and then reverse engineered the gravity to somewhere in the 9.5°-10.5°P range (again not looking at notes or gonna math it).

Last thing I was experimenting with was adding Mt Hood into the late hop regimen (which I varied up more than yours). I never quite got it perfect. They use Mt Hood in the XB, and reportedly may in the bottled Bluebird (cask is 100% Challenger).

Yeastwise I was culturing from Coniston itself. I never got a sure answer if they were using different ferment and bottling strains, and allegedly it's Brakspear's yeast. I tried WLP023 (may be Brakspear), and it was close but cultured dregs seemed closer.

Chemistry wise I was using maybe 120ppm sulfate and 80ppm chloride and acidifying to 5.35, and the sweet/bitter seemed right, but the original has a sulfur to it I couldn't get without a bunch of gypsum and that harsh drywall character. However Lake District water is low mineral, but allegedly the bottled stuff is brewed contract allegedly by Brakspear (hence the yeast theory). It may be yeast derived, or just shipping damage.

This is all years old though. Haven't even thought about it in maybe 4 years.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've never tasted a proper English mild...

I have...in about 20 pubs all over London and points west...

On one of my trips to London (1976) I went to a pub and ordered a beer and drank it. Then I left and walked to the next pub and repeated the process for the next 3 hours. I ran into another guy who was on the trip with us and asked the usual, where have you been? and what have you seen that was interesting? We ended up at the theater for the original "Rocky Horror Picture Show" on stage with the band off to one side. It was a blast.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I have...in about 20 pubs all over London and points west...

On one of my trips to London (1976) I went to a pub and ordered a beer and drank it. Then I left and walked to the next pub and repeated the process for the next 3 hours. I ran into another guy who was on the trip with us and asked the usual, where have you been? and what have you seen that was interesting? We ended up at the theater for the original "Rocky Horror Picture Show" on stage with the band off to one side. It was a blast.

Is there at go-to recipe you could point me to, and some tips on building the proper water starting with RO? I'd like to brew something I can reasonably expect to taste authentic.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Is there at go-to recipe you could point me to, and some tips on building the proper water starting with RO? I'd like to brew something I can reasonably expect to taste authentic.

No, sorry. I wish I could. The reason is I don't use RO water so I wouldn't know where to start to help you when it comes to adding/mixing chemicals.

If I were to make an English Ale I would modify a non-overly hopped run of the mill pale ale recipe and use English hops and English yeast.

My reply was only to state that I have tasted English Milds (in England and Ireland).

 

[FunkedOut]

What's a good satisfying 3.2 to 4% beer?

my top 3 choices would be (in order of preference):

• 1/2 a 6.4 to 8% beer
• 2/3 a 4.8 to 6% beer
• 3/4 a 4.3 to 5.3% beer

 

[mikeasu]

Here's the main source I used for my house mild (one of my wife's favorite's) - usually comes in around 3.8%, great flavor, and two variations here, more reddish vs more brownish - both great. http://northernbrewer.blogspot.com/2010/07/mild-ale.html

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Is there at go-to recipe you could point me to, and some tips on building the proper water starting with RO? I'd like to brew something I can reasonably expect to taste authentic.

You have to remember that "mild" covers a huge range of beers, that vary significantly between regions and sometimes over quite short periods of time from the same brewery - I know breweries that pretty much had three different recipes for their mild over a period of five years as they adjusted to various restrictions after WWII. Mild was always the poor relation in the 20th century, such that many older Brits would suggest that you can't have an "authentic" mild without 20-30% of slops in it...

To make the point, in the last year or so I've had everything from a Victorian mild from a historical recipe at 7%, ruby milds which are kinda the modern equivalent at 6%, pale milds, Northwest milds which are rather sweeter than their counterparts just 50 miles to the south, and then classic West Midlands milds which are probably the ones you're thinking of. Ron Pattinson has researched them extensively : http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search/label/Mild

In many ways the 1950s was the heyday of "modern" mild, but the absolute nadir of British brewing in general, something like this 1950 Lees Best Mild quite appeals.

Waterwise - you're away from the southeast so it's not superhard chalk water, the mains supply somewhere like Dudley is still hard-ish - maybe 200-250ppm TDS, 50ppm each SO4 and Cl - whereas Manchester water is super-soft, <10ppm for most of the major salts. So they will be Burtonising, but given the overriding need to cut corners wherever possible, I'd assume not the full Burton - maybe as low as 200ppm SO4.

Yeast - the West Midlands is particularly poorly represented among the main commercial yeast companies, you probably need to go to Brewlab if you're that concerned with authenticity. I want to try MJ M15 Empire in a mild as I suspect it would work quite well, ditto something like WLP540. But Nottingham will do.

Personallly I'm not convinced that a say 4% pale dry beer will necessarily be more calorific than a 3.4% dark beer that's full of unfermentable carbohydrates, so I wouldn't get too hung up on the mild thing. And you can go too low - for me the sweet spot in British styles is around 4.2%, you can make good beer below that but it gets increasingly hit and miss the lower you go - and bunging in a load of oats is not the answer.

 

[Jayjay1976]

You have to remember that "mild" covers a huge range of beers, that vary significantly between regions and sometimes over quite short periods of time from the same brewery - I know breweries that pretty much had three different recipes for their mild over a period of five years as they adjusted to various restrictions after WWII. Mild was always the poor relation in the 20th century, such that many older Brits would suggest that you can't have an "authentic" mild without 20-30% of slops in it...

To make the point, in the last year or so I've had everything from a Victorian mild from a historical recipe at 7%, ruby milds which are kinda the modern equivalent at 6%, pale milds, Northwest milds which are rather sweeter than their counterparts just 50 miles to the south, and then classic West Midlands milds which are probably the ones you're thinking of. Ron Pattinson has researched them extensively : http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search/label/Mild

In many ways the 1950s was the heyday of "modern" mild, but the absolute nadir of British brewing in general, something like this 1950 Lees Best Mild quite appeals.

Waterwise - you're away from the southeast so it's not superhard chalk water, the mains supply somewhere like Dudley is still hard-ish - maybe 200-250ppm TDS, 50ppm each SO4 and Cl - whereas Manchester water is super-soft, <10ppm for most of the major salts. So they will be Burtonising, but given the overriding need to cut corners wherever possible, I'd assume not the full Burton - maybe as low as 200ppm SO4.

Yeast - the West Midlands is particularly poorly represented among the main commercial yeast companies, you probably need to go to Brewlab if you're that concerned with authenticity. I want to try MJ M15 Empire in a mild as I suspect it would work quite well, ditto something like WLP540. But Nottingham will do.

Personallly I'm not convinced that a say 4% pale dry beer will necessarily be more calorific than a 3.4% dark beer that's full of unfermentable carbohydrates, so I wouldn't get too hung up on the mild thing. And you can go too low - for me the sweet spot in British styles is around 4.2%, you can make good beer below that but it gets increasingly hit and miss the lower you go - and bunging in a load of oats is not the answer.

There is so much good information in your response that I'm sure I can't make use of it just yet. I'll do some more research and learn more about water chemistry but I'll certainly come back here when I need guidance. Thank you for expounding on the subject, this is so much more fulfilling than linking to a beer recipe kit, as I like to build recipes myself.

 

[Braufessor]

I am a big fan of bitters and milds as well...... But, here is a different option - one of my "go-to's." I can't keep it on tap it gets drank so fast. I usually brew it to 3.7-4.0 range. But, could adjust accordingly.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/hoppy-session-wheat-beer.644047/

 

[beerinthebloodco]

I am a big fan of bitters and milds as well...... But, here is a different option - one of my "go-to's." I can't keep it on tap it gets drank so fast. I usually brew it to 3.7-4.0 range. But, could adjust accordingly.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/hoppy-session-wheat-beer.644047/

Hey, I wish you luck with this! I go up and down weight Wise and find myself adjusting beer accordingly. I found Jennifer Tally's book Brewing session beers immensely helpful in nailing down a solid session beer. Mygo to is a 4% pils I wrote with guidance from the book. The recipe is as follows:

OG: 1.040
FG: 1.008


#5.5 pils
# 1.5 Vienna

Mash at 154

30 minute boil

2oz saaz FWH 30 min
1oz saaz 10 min
3oz saaz 5 min

WLP 830 German lager

I'm able to lager. If you can't 34/70 is clean below 68 in my experience. I use the Brewers friend website for water and build to the light and hoppy profile. I hope that helps! [emoji106]

 

[Dland]

Austin Lounge Lizards; Old Fat & drunk.

 

[z-bob]

Austin Lounge Lizards; Old Fat & drunk.

Very nice steel guitar work. Thanks!

 

[Bokito]

I brew a ~2.4% beer, which drinks like a ~5% beer. BIAB, 50% wheat, 50% rye. You can probably not filter this with the 'normal' way, or you have to use rice hulls. Rye adds a lot of body. If you then only use aroma hop, no bittering, you can use quite a relatively big amount of hop (I love Huell Melon for this). I read that (a high amount of) hop adds body too. Use an English, low attenuation yeast.
Extraction efficiency is always low with this beer, even if you squeeze the bag violently.
I really like this brew, it is hazy, highlights the hop, and it doesn't get you drunk too quick. Often, the first sip feels a little watery, but by the third sip you are used to it and drink it like a 'normal' beer.

 

[Miraculix]

I brew a ~2.4% beer, which drinks like a ~5% beer. BIAB, 50% wheat, 50% rye. You can probably not filter this with the 'normal' way, or you have to use rice hulls. Rye adds a lot of body. If you then only use aroma hop, no bittering, you can use quite a relatively big amount of hop (I love Huell Melon for this). I read that (a high amount of) hop adds body too. Use an English, low attenuation yeast.
Extraction efficiency is always low with this beer, even if you squeeze the bag violently.
I really like this brew, it is hazy, highlights the hop, and it doesn't get you drunk too quick. Often, the first sip feels a little watery, but by the third sip you are used to it and drink it like a 'normal' beer.

That is an interesting idea. I might hijack this idea for a 3% beer. I'll try it as a saison.

 

[Bokito]

That is an interesting idea. I might hijack this idea for a 3% beer. I'll try it as a saison.

Interesting! Be aware though, it will most probably have less body than a beer fermented with an English yeast, since it will ferment more sugars. The amount of body probably depends on whether the saison yeast can ferment pentosan, which is (as far as I know) the compound that gives some rye beers the almost gooey mouthfeel.
It would be interesting to see whether you can get the typical ester-character of a saison, but with a fuller mouthfeel.
Off-topic: If that would work, you could really make a very saison-y beer by making a light wheat/rye beer and adding sugar (up to 15%) to get more esters and come to a ~5-6% saison with a strong (6-8%) saison character. That would be wild! (*starts adding two more beers to the 'I have to try this out one day list'*)

 

[Miraculix]

Interesting! Be aware though, it will most probably have less body than a beer fermented with an English yeast, since it will ferment more sugars. The amount of body probably depends on whether the saison yeast can ferment pentosan, which is (as far as I know) the compound that gives some rye beers the almost gooey mouthfeel.
It would be interesting to see whether you can get the typical ester-character of a saison, but with a fuller mouthfeel.
Off-topic: If that would work, you could really make a very saison-y beer by making a light wheat/rye beer and adding sugar (up to 15%) to get more esters and come to a ~5-6% saison with a strong (6-8%) saison character. That would be wild! (*starts adding two more beers to the 'I have to try this out one day list'*)

I think the belle saison I am intending to use produces so much glycerine that the body won't suffer, but this is just what I read about it. I am currently fermenting something with it for the first time, so up to now, no own experience.

 

[derekp83]

Guinness?

Or maybe look for a good British Mild recipe...

Yards Brawler is a great commercial British Mild example (around 4%).

 

[z-bob]

Think I'm gonna try something like this (I just made it up.) Depending what yeast I use, it ends up somewhere between 3.7% and 4.5%. Should I mash at a kind of low temperature (148) or high? (154) I've never used oats before. Going to use "quick oats" and mix them with the malt w/o cooking them first. I have done cereal mashes before but don't think it's necessary here.

Style: Blonde Ale
Batch Size: 4 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.033
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)

Original Gravity: 1.041
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV (standard): 4.21%
IBU (tinseth): 20.32
SRM (morey): 3.52

3 lb - Belgian - Pilsner (50%)
2 lb - American - Pale Ale (33.3%)
1 lb - Rolled Oats (16.7%)

1 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.8, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 18.73
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.8, Use: Boil for 2 min, IBU: 1.6

Omega Yeast Labs - Voss Kveik OYL-061
Attenuation (avg): 78.5%
Optimum Temp: 68 - 98 F
Fermentation Temp: 90 F
Generated by Brewer's Friend - https://www.brewersfriend.com/

 

[jlinz]

A Belgian wit can be designed to have a low abv like that. Delicious too.

 

[Jayjay1976]

A Belgian wit can be designed to have a low abv like that. Delicious too.

I'd like a recipe for a low ABV wit, if you've got one.

 

[El Nino]

Wait, you’re willing to sacrifice the quality of your beer before looking at your food intake which will no doubt have the biggest effect on your weight loss? I’d eat kale and tofu before giving up good beer.

Hahaha I can relate to that. Went vegan almost 2 years ago. Don't miss meat, miss dairy sometimes. I wouldn't know what it's like to go without beer, if I had to give that up somebody shoot me.

To the OP, I second this, what you eat is what makes you gain / lose weight. A lot of people associate drinking with weight gain, but a big part of that, is when most people drink, they tend to eat more / eat junk food. I mean look what kind of food we usually eat when we're at barbecues or watching football with friends / family. Sure there's always beer, but there's also food that will add pounds on you lol. When I drink, I can clean a bag of chips in no time, I get some weird craving for salty snacks of any kind & end up stuffing way too much lol.

Before going vegan, I tried a bunch of things to lose weight. Exercise more / cut back on beer, that didn't work to well. Diet change, boom, dropped 4% bodyfat in 6 weeks and it stayed there since. Haven't been drinking any less

 

[couchsending]

Tons of great low ABV beers out there.

Berliners are supposed to be sub 4% and are awesome summer beers

A 4% Saison is always a good call. Saison yeast adds depth and complexity and produces a bunch of glycerol = more body.

Adding Brett to that Saison in secondary for a few months will add even more complexity. I’d recommend TYB-184 from the yeast bay. It works really quickly and even creates some acidity which will make it more interesting.

Rye adds by far the most body when it comes to adjuncts. Super high in beta glucans. Adding a large percentage of it will help with the “watery” perception on low ABV beers.

I personally don’t think oats or wheat do much in terms of body. However adding some NaCl to your beer will really help with pallet fullness and don’t worry it takes a lot to taste salty and I don’t think the small amounts would affect weight loss/health in any way.

A 30 minute mash rest around 162 after your initial rest really does wonders for head retention and foam. More foam = a fuller softer feel, again helps to add “body” to a lower ABv beer.

Big fan of naturally carbonating vs force carbing. IMHO you can get away with higher carb feeling smoother when naturally carbonating. Higher carb will again contribute to that fullness.

 

[z-bob]

Tons of great low ABV beers out there.

Berliners are supposed to be sub 4% and are awesome summer beers

A 4% Saison is always a good call. Saison yeast adds depth and complexity and produces a bunch of glycerol = more body.

Adding Brett to that Saison in secondary for a few months will add even more complexity. I’d recommend TYB-184 from the yeast bay. It works really quickly and even creates some acidity which will make it more interesting.

Rye adds by far the most body when it comes to adjuncts. Super high in beta glucans. Adding a large percentage of it will help with the “watery” perception on low ABV beers.

I personally don’t think oats or wheat do much in terms of body. However adding some NaCl to your beer will really help with pallet fullness and don’t worry it takes a lot to taste salty and I don’t think the small amounts would affect weight loss/health in any way.

A 30 minute mash rest around 162 after your initial rest really does wonders for head retention and foam. More foam = a fuller softer feel, again helps to add “body” to a lower ABv beer.

Big fan of naturally carbonating vs force carbing. IMHO you can get away with higher carb feeling smoother when naturally carbonating. Higher carb will again contribute to that fullness.

In the recipe I posted above (3 lb pils, 2 lb pale ale, 1 lb quick rolled oats) do you think a half pound of crystal rye malt would do better than the oats to give the beer some substance? I have CaraRye malt; been wondering what to do with it. I know it will change the color quite a bit, I don't care about that.

I like the idea of adding a little salt (about 1 or 2 grams) to the beer.

 

[couchsending]

I haven’t used crystal (Cara) rye, just chocolate rye and regular ol’ malted rye. But just based on a quick google search I wouldn’t use more than 3-5% of it, it’s strong. In a blonde it might be odd and out of place. In a Saison it might be interesting in a small percentage. But in such a small percentage you wouldn’t be getting the added body building benefits.

 

[ccous]

Tons of great low ABV beers out there.

Berliners are supposed to be sub 4% and are awesome summer beers

A 4% Saison is always a good call. Saison yeast adds depth and complexity and produces a bunch of glycerol = more body.

Adding Brett to that Saison in secondary for a few months will add even more complexity. I’d recommend TYB-184 from the yeast bay. It works really quickly and even creates some acidity which will make it more interesting.

Rye adds by far the most body when it comes to adjuncts. Super high in beta glucans. Adding a large percentage of it will help with the “watery” perception on low ABV beers.

I personally don’t think oats or wheat do much in terms of body. However adding some NaCl to your beer will really help with pallet fullness and don’t worry it takes a lot to taste salty and I don’t think the small amounts would affect weight loss/health in any way.

A 30 minute mash rest around 162 after your initial rest really does wonders for head retention and foam. More foam = a fuller softer feel, again helps to add “body” to a lower ABv beer.

Big fan of naturally carbonating vs force carbing. IMHO you can get away with higher carb feeling smoother when naturally carbonating. Higher carb will again contribute to that fullness.

There are some absolute gems in here.

 

[jlinz]

I'd like a recipe for a low ABV wit, if you've got one.

In fact, I do. Half MO and half flaked wheat (adjust your abv accordingly). I go 4.5 pounds for each, sometimes 5 for MO and 4.5 for the wheat. 1 oz ekg at 60 min. Half an oz of bitter orange peel and corriander at 5 min. Mash at 152, or 154 for more body. Wlp 400 at 72 for 2 weeks. You will not be disappointed.

 

[Jayjay1976]

In fact, I do. Half MO and half flaked wheat (adjust your abv accordingly). I go 4.5 pounds for each, sometimes 5 for MO and 4.5 for the wheat. 1 oz ekg at 60 min. Half an oz of bitter orange peel and corriander at 5 min. Mash at 152, or 154 for more body. Wlp 400 at 72 for 2 weeks. You will not be disappointed.

Wow that's simple, thanks!