high alcohol vs low alcohol

[mummasan]

I just polished off my last batch - it finished about 3% ABV - ended up dumping the last of the keg b/c I am very unsatisfied with such a low alcohol beer. I made it to placate SWMBO - it was supposed to be like ***** Modelo but my stomach is expanding unnaturally with the low alcohol beer.

I have decided to make nothing weaker than 5% ABV. My preference is a beer that is 5 to 7% ABV.

My point of view is to have a good buzz with 22oz of beer.

What do other homebrewers think? Do you value a low alcohol beer? When you brew it do you brew it with other people in mind or b/c that is what you want to brew?

What is the ABV of a Bud/Coors/Miller/***** Modelo anyway?

 

[Speranza]

The Alcohol in commercial beers actually varies from state to state depending on the local laws. It will tell you on the side of the bottle. As far as my homebrews? I don't care if its 190 proof or O'douls :fro: as along as it tastes good!

 

[brewt00l]

I guess it depends on why you drink/brew beer in the first place...getting a buzz really isn't a priority for me these days.

My primary goal is to brew great tasting beer (course alcohol content, or lack there of, is a component of flavor in most brews). My lower abv beers have been tasty and very helpful in refining my brewing technique as they have not had big ABVs or IBUs to mask any shortcomings.

 

[zoebisch01]

I have a spectrum from ~ mid %3 to just about %9. They all have their place. Most come in about %4.5 to %5.0 that is what 'feels' or 'tastes' right to me for my normal beers. Most of my OG's hit 1.045 to 1.050 and I am very comfortable (as are others) brewing in that range. But the thing is sometimes you want a beer with more substance. My Oatmeal Stout is around 45 and finishes at 20 so it is a low abv beer but has tremendous flavor and body. Some of my other brews start high and finish very low. I guess if I had to pick I like my higher gravity brews to finish low as odd as that sounds. It all depends on what I am in the mood for. One challenge is to produce a low abv beer with good flavor.

 

[david_42]

I tend to make small beers (OG ~ 1.040). Partially because they are rarer, partially because they are a more fun and harder to get right. That doesn't mean I'll try to brew a 4% IPA, ain't possible. A nice, hoppy 4% ale is possible (see BRR in my recipe list), but it isn't 3CPA or Old Bog Water. The best low ABV ales tend to use 15-25% specialty grains, such as oatmeal or rye.

BMC runs around 4% ABV. Some states a bit higher, some a bit lower.

 

[TheJadedDog]

Since I tend to make mostly ales of the British Isles, my range is anywhere from 3.5% session ales, to a wee heavy that will be in the 9% range somewhere. It all depends on what I feel like brewing.

Personally, alcohol content is about the last thing on my mind when I evaluate any beer; I'm far more interested in taste.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i shot too high for a long time, so i'm brewing lighter beers (4-6%) right now, hefeweizens mostly. i may do some bigger beers in the future, but i think i'm going to top out at about 7% for a while. i drink too much anyway

 

[abracadabra]

I like beers in the 5-7% range. I'm not really interested in what some here call lawn mower beer because if I'm thirsty I feel like water is a better alternative.
Also if I'm drinking I shoot for at least 1 glass of water for every 2 glasses of beer. A 1 to 1 ratio is probably a more healthy ratio and I try to shoot for that if I am
1. thirsty or 2. I'm in a social situation.

Another thing I do is if I've had a couple of beers I'll drink water with my meals because I have a tendency to wash my food down

That seems to work pretty good for me. I'm in my fifities and don't have a beer gut and don't want one.

 

[CBBaron]

I'm of the opinion that the ABV doesn't really matter only the taste. But then again I don't drink for the buzz. In fact that is what I like least about big beers. I really like Imperial Stouts, Belgian Strong Ales and IPAs but I'm disappointed I can't drink more than a couple without getting seriously drunk. I have to wait until the weekend to even consider opening a 22oz of one of these beers. On the other hand I have made a really good dark mild that I can enjoy without worry. Its coming in about 2.8% ABV.

Craig

 

[FlyingHorse]

The Alcohol in commercial beers actually varies from state to state depending on the local laws.

I don't think individual brands vary, do they? I know some states have a 6% cap which keeps out a lot of beers, but are there brands produced differently from state to state?

It will tell you on the side of the bottle.

Again, but: Until the mid-90's, it was against federal law in the US to put this on the label. Many still don't.

I don't care if its 190 proof...or O'douls...as along as it tastes good!

Agreed. ABV is well down the list of my considerations when brewing.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I don't think individual brands vary, do they? I know some states have a 6% cap which keeps out a lot of beers, but are there brands produced differently from state to state?

yes, BMC has more alcohol in California than it does in Iowa, where I am from. I think it's around 5% here, it's usually advertised as about 4.2% in general, and it's lower in Iowa (3.6%, i think, as is most BMC in that area)

 

[mward]

In kansas it's 3.2%. I have been brewing a lot of 3.5 and 4 percent beers because I really like beer and if I drink as much 6% beer as I typically like to drink I'd be plastered. You can make great beer that is low in alcohol, it's all in how you tailor your ingredients. Also I think it's easier to do this all grain because you can mash at a higher temp and get some good body on the beer.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I brew what I like. I like a lot of styles and flavors, thus my beers have a wide range of alcohol content. I try to keep the ABV of my beer reasonably close to what the style calls for. I find that to be a great help in making a well balanced brew.

Also, I brew because I like beer, not because I like getting drunk.

 

[Matt Foley]

Utah is a 3.2% max and it is generally reflected on the label. Anything higher must be sold in the State controlled liquor store. 35 Miles to the south of me in Nevada anything goes. There is no limit on ABV and you can buy liquor in the grocery store. Beer in Nevada generally does not state the %. I don't know how BMC companies keep it straight shipping from state to state.

 

[KopyKat]

Yeah, I go for taste as primary although I find that balanced beers on the very low end tend to taste watery to me. I like 4-5% for most but like a 7% IPA a lot too. Not to big on anything higher although I have tasted some mighty fine barleywines. I never have made one personally but probably will sometime. If I am having an IPA, I usually only drink one in an evening. My max is three in a day of session beers. In my youth I drank to get high, at 60 I drink for enjoyment of taste and automatically stop before I get the slightest bit tipsy.

 

[mummasan]

interesting responses...I drink to get buzz but I don't follow through to a rip-roaring drunk like I did when I was younger

but I do have a point I want to reach and when I drink low alcohol beer it simply requires too many beers to take me there - therefore I'm going to brew between 5-7% ABV ales and I simply don't care what anyone else wants

as for those poor souls in Utah I feel your pain...my wife and I once ate dinner at a Italian restaurant in St. George and they did not have red wine available to drink - I shudder just remembering the experience

 

[Reidman]

I generally prefer 5% or better abv beers mainly because what I like to drink is hoppy and without the alcohol to balance the hops the flavor or bitterness would be overwhelming. I usually don't drink a lot in one sitting either so just drinking one big beer and making it last an hour makes more sense to me then drinking session brews. Also, I find more complexity in higher abv beers, not sure why.

For what it's worth BMC here in Washington state is 5% and is clearly printed on the side of the can. I lost this bet to a buddy of mine years ago..

 

[CBBaron]

Utah is a 3.2% max and it is generally reflected on the label. Anything higher must be sold in the State controlled liquor store. 35 Miles to the south of me in Nevada anything goes. There is no limit on ABV and you can buy liquor in the grocery store. Beer in Nevada generally does not state the %. I don't know how BMC companies keep it straight shipping from state to state.

The state by state liquor regulations and restrictions on transporting alcohol must be a real pain for brewers. I think it is part of the reason that alcohol is always sold through a distributer. There is usually only one or two distributors a brewery deals with in each state. So I guess you just have different recipes or dilution rates for each state/distributer. A pain but manageable.
I guess thats another reason for making high gravity beer then diluting during bottling. You don't change the beer just the dilution rate.
Craig

 

[kcpaige89]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S3SR20100729

A 120 proof beer, or 60% ABV

 

[JJL]

I don't discriminate on ABV's. I fall into the "I drink what tastes good" camp as well. I've gotten to a point in life where being buzzed isn't as fun as it used to be. And hangovers last longer. Most of what I brew falls into the 4%-6% range, but that just happens to be the ABV of the styles I like to brew and drink. I will occasionally brew a high gravity Tripel or Golden.

 

[cfonnes]

Utah is a 3.2% max and it is generally reflected on the label. Anything higher must be sold in the State controlled liquor store. 35 Miles to the south of me in Nevada anything goes. There is no limit on ABV and you can buy liquor in the grocery store. Beer in Nevada generally does not state the %. I don't know how BMC companies keep it straight shipping from state to state.

Utah is 3.2% by weight, not by volume, so that equals about 4% ABV.

http://utahbeer.blogspot.com/2006/01/32-i-dont-think-so.html

 

[permo]

Currently I am REALLY digging bitter. It is like Pale Ale Light, sessionable, malty, hoppy, light in body and alcohol. Love it.

However, I would say that the vast majority of my beers are 1.060 to 1.080 and hoppy as all hell. India ALes of all sorts, big stouts, big porters...etc..etc... I love me a good India Ale, be it red, brown, pale, or black.

 

[Vuarra]

I go with the flavour and style of the beer, rather than the alcohol factor. As a matter of fact, I haven't taken a hydro reading for over a year now. All I do is wait about 6 weeks before kegging. I have found, however, that I will make lighter beers in spring and summer, and heavier ones in autumn and winter. Not deliberately, at least .

As for individual states, I'm a little lost... I've been to Buffalo (where I finally had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - NICE) and Disneyworld (A BMC beer that I like - Michelob Amber Bock), but they seemed freer than where I live (around Toronto). Seems odd that you have laws where you can only buy beer in cases of 24 unless you go to a bar, or you can only have beer up to 3.2% W/W.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I brew what I like. I like a lot of styles and flavors, thus my beers have a wide range of alcohol content. I try to keep the ABV of my beer reasonably close to what the style calls for. I find that to be a great help in making a well balanced brew.

Also, I brew because I like beer, not because I like getting drunk.

Great points from Yuri as always...

Just thought I would bring up this point:

IF you are adding extract to a beer to increase the alcohol, you SHOULD also increase the hops to balance the beer.

It is quite easy to get your beer out of balance by simply adding to an already-made recipe without modifying the entire bill.

 

[Shooter]

I've been looking at some low gravity brews the last few months myself. I've got a Belgian table beer in the fermenter at the moment that should come in right around 3% ABV.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Belgian Pales are some of my favorite beers. Generally a little higher than 3%, but always damn fine beers.

The staples for the brewery I'm starting are all below 4% ABV.

 

[starrfish]

I like my lawn mower simcoe smash, lot's of balanced simcoe flavor in a 3.5% ABV. Tricks the palate into thinking it's a bigger beer than it really is!

Been taking that to some summer cookouts where I needed to drive home. That ABV paced out over several hours let's me have some beers and not have to worry.

For me it's about the flavor, I want my Imperial Stout to be Big and My mild to be a small beer, but both better be full of flavor! (I can buy cheap flavorless swill at the store)

 

[chrismcdaniel3128]

All I have learned from barkeeps, distributors, a 3.2 beer by WEIGHT is the exact same as the beer sold elsewhere, but this only works with your bud light busch light, 4.1 by volume equals 3.2 by weight, but on your premium, heavy beers there is a slight difference. Light beer less alcohol less calories less taste

 

[HOPCousin]

I like a 4% ESB for BBQ's so I can enjoy it throughout the day. For a nice night after work I like a bigger hoppier IPA. In winter I like an imperial Stout and for winter session I like a nice porter in 4-5% range. Plus I experiment with other styles and brew with friends to try different things but I keep these around regularly. I like to keep things around to match my taste, mood, activity.
I know it's an old thread but I've been pondering this idea lately about what I brew and my needs.
Cheers

 

[jtakacs]

Since I tend to make mostly ales of the British Isles, my range is anywhere from 3.5% session ales, to a wee heavy that will be in the 9% range somewhere. It all depends on what I feel like brewing.

Personally, alcohol content is about the last thing on my mind when I evaluate any beer; I'm far more interested in taste.

dead on. my last two batches were 9.9% and 3.5% (barleywine and berliner weiss)