Don't give a damn about ABV

[cheezydemon3]

Unless it is a Barleywine or an imperial stout where the ABV is approaching double that of my normal brews, I don't care.

Even then I just want to generally have some idea that they pack more punch than the others.

I care about efficiency, and I want to know when fermentation is done, but beyond that I care not.

I like to think I brew just for the beauty of the beer. I guess I don't see why some people seem to care A LOT.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Cause they just want to get tanked.

I rarely even check FG anymore by anything other than taste.

 

[mmb]

I only care about ABV insomuch that the beer continues to be balanced and to whichever style the recipe is based on.

Some of my favorite beers are session beers. Some of my least favorite, huge RIS and barleywines.

If I'm looking to tie one on, I'll get a handle and give it a few pulls..

 

[KingBrianI]

I agree. I think most of us drink beer because we enjoy it, and as such, ABV doesn't matter any further than determining if a beer is to style. The fascination a few people have with ABV, I think, is due solely to their desire to get a quick buzz and perhaps their immaturity as a consumer of alcohol.

 

[Wellshooter]

I take a sample after fermentation is complete, for a taste test. Since I have a sample I get a FG and calculate it. I just keep in mind that 100's or thousands of years ago the only available test was taste.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

The nerd in me always wants to know everything about my brew.

 

[northernlad]

I only take FG of my own recipes. If I am using a kit I don't.

 

[ecojack]

I like to think I brew just for the beauty of the beer.

This is why I brew. Making beer is a reasonable escape from the duties of real life!

 

[malkore]

I brew to style..not to make high octane beer.

Nothing wrong with those who do. We all do this hobby for our own reasons, which are all 'right' as far as I'm concerned.

I need to try out my refractometer soon...

 

[the_Roqk]

I don't make my beer to get hammered. I do like to know what the ABV is so that I can guage how many that I've had. Plus I'd like to know if the ABV is to style "if" I wanted to enter it in a competition. Most of the time though I brew what house styles that I like and I do check the FG so that I don't end up with bottle bombs.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Nothing wrong with those who do. We all do this hobby for our own reasons, which are all 'right' as far as I'm concerned.

+1. We all have our reasons for why we brew.

I'm only concerned with the ABV of my beer so I can tell it to friends/family/neighbors that I give beer to, just so they'll know. If a friend wants a low ABV beer I don't want him/her drinking a Maibock or BGSA.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I am confused by the OP. If you are talking about people who want to brew a beer "with as high an alcohol as possible lol!!! :rockin: yeah!!!" I totally agree. That is lame.

But people who ignore gravity and ABV are very strange to me indeed. Alcohol is a major factor in the flavor, balance, mouthfeel, and overall experience of a beer. To ignore it is to ignore a major part of the hobby.

I take very detailed notes and chart the fermentation regularly to monitor my gravity drop and attenuation. It helps me better understand my yeasts characteristics and reproduce a recipe int he future with better accuracy.

In short, I believe it makes me a better brewer. So why wouldn't I do it?

 

[Doc Robinson]

Since I've started brewing, my goal has been to get smaller and smaller. Big beers are highly overrated. I'm not a "drink one and done" guy. I love to drink, but I'm not looking to get drunk.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I am confused by the OP. If you are talking about people who want to brew a beer "with as high an alcohol as possible lol!!! :rockin: yeah!!!" I totally agree. That is lame.

But people who ignore gravity and ABV are very strange to me indeed. Alcohol is a major factor in the flavor, balance, mouthfeel, and overall experience of a beer. To ignore it is to ignore a major part of the hobby.

I take very detailed notes and chart the fermentation regularly to monitor my gravity drop and attenuation. It helps me better understand my yeasts characteristics and reproduce a recipe int he future with better accuracy.

In short, I believe it makes me a better brewer. So why wouldn't I do it?

I used to do this too. But I have been brewing with the same strains of yeast for nearly 3 years now and have gotten a pretty good idea of what they need to do what I want. Sure, there will be times I get trumped by them but, hey, thats brewin'.

 

[winstonofbeer]

Call me a cheap, But making a big beer with high % costs a good chunk more to make.

Just playing on beersmith, I could allmost make 2 10 gal batch's of a simple blonde recipe vs making a imperial stout.
I am not loaded with cash by a long stretch.....So making beer was a good excuse to SWMBO that it would pay for itself in the long run.
I like beer, But cant afford to dump $50.00 bucks into a batch.

Personaly, I like to know everything about my beer. The % is important to me because if i have a glass for a 4.5% i am not worried about driving down to get a pizza. If i have a glass of my bock that is 7% i wont leave anywhere. Better safer than sorry.

 

[david_42]

I like beer by the pint, not in shot glasses. Got to pace the old liver.

 

[KingBrianI]

I like beer by the pint, not in shot glasses. Got to pace the old liver.

Exactly, there is nothing better than a beer you can drink all day and never get hammered. Especially when it is flavorful and delicious like milds, bitters, dry stouts, scottish 60 shillings... Mmmm, I'm thirsty now.

 

[jonp9576]

i dont make my beer to get drunk. if a few friends are over watching a game or playing cards, its my homebrew, if we are in the mood to tie one on we either bring out the rum, or someone gats a case or 2 of some BMC.

 

[KYB]

I like to know everything about my beers. Hell I'm not even satisfied with a hydrometer because I don't think it is accurate enough. I'd like to get a refractometer soon. I don't really like beers under 5% abv simply because they always seem lacking. Even Stone's Levitation. It's pretty good, but still seems lacking. While I brew to style for the most part, the abv is usually on the higher end of the style, mainly because I like the maltiness. I care about flavor, not abv.

 

[Hermit]

The nerd in me always wants to know everything about my brew.

Yep, it is about controlling the process so you get EXACTLY what you want.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Yep, it is about controlling the process so you get EXACTLY what you want.

I brew some beers to get hammered. I brew some beers to just drink on.

I want to know what the ABV on each is, so I can pace myself if I want to.

People who "don't care what the ABV is" remind me of people who "don't watch television". There is a bit of snobbishness in each statement.

A big part of "beer" is "alcohol". Nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Hermit]

I brew some beers to get hammered. I brew some beers to just drink on.

I want to know what the ABV on each is, so I can pace myself if I want to.

People who "don't care what the ABV is" remind me of people who "don't watch television". There is a bit of snobbishness in each statement.

A big part of "beer" is "alcohol". Nothing to be ashamed of.

Are you implying there is more than ONE style of beer?

 

[jds]

I take gravity samples several times while brewing, but 50% or more of the time, I forget to take the FG before I keg.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I take gravity samples several times while brewing, but 50% or more of the time, I forget to take the FG before I keg.

I always fill a 2 liter bottle to the top at kegging. Then, I pour from the bottle into the sample jar to take the FG. The rest of the 2 liter I force carb (zap, shake, zap, shake...) using a carbonator cap.

That lets me have a little taste right away. Lessens the temptation to hit the keg too soon.

 

[BioBeing]

ABV is a big part of brewing a beer. If I want to make an ordinary bitter, I have to make sure I don't use too much grain, or I'll end up with an ESB. To say "you don't care about it at all" is to say that you make up your recipes without any regard to style. Or, really, without any thought to how much grain you are going to use... which is obviously nonsense. You will shoot for a certain OG, and expect a certain FG; what is the difference if not the ABV?

 

[OMJ]

I have yet to even brew a beer over 7% abv but I do like to have a glass of barleywine or ris or IIPA every now and then. There is nothing wrong with strong ales in my book and I plan on brewing a barleywine soon.

I take fg for most beers although I do forget every now and then but its just so I know and can make changes to mash temp or possibly yeast if I were to ever decide to brew that recipe again.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Oh, I forget to mention, I REEEEEEEEALLY don't give a crap what style my beer is.

I definitely would not pee myself if I accidentally made an ESB instead of an OB. I would, however pee all over myself if it didn't taste good.

I may brew a style if someone highly recommends it, but my tweaks may or may not put it out of the BJCP guidelines, I will never know.

Snobbish? If you say so, but please, don't expect that to bother me either.

 

[Whut]

I didn't used to but I get this question a lot so I calculate it. Perhaps it's because a lot of breweries print it on their labels? I don't know.

 

[oldrepublic]

You may not care, but it will surely reflect in your final product. What you put into it is what you get out of it - don't expect more if you don't try or care.

 

[BioBeing]

Oh, I forget to mention, I REEEEEEEEALLY don't give a crap what style my beer is.

I definitely would not pee myself if I accidentally made an ESB instead of an OB. I would, however pee all over myself if it didn't taste good.

I may brew a style if someone highly recommends it, but my tweaks may or may not put it out of the BJCP guidelines, I will never know.

Snobbish? If you say so, but please, don't expect that to bother me either.

But your ABV is a product of the recipe. When deciding how much grain or extract to use, what temp to mash at and what yeast to use, you pretty much set your final ABV. BCJP or not, you design your recipe to a certain final product.