I want to drink beer everyday but I don't want to

[Soulive]

I don't really know how to put it. I would rather drink beer frequently than water or soda or whatever but I don't want the side effects. I'm not into consuming alcohol every day but I love the taste. I already brew smaller beers to allow me to consume more. The problem is, I'd like to lose some weight and I don't want to be tired all the time (which alcohol does to me). Since there are no good commercial NA beers, how do we feel about NA homebrew? I don't think too many people here have done it, but if you have - how does it taste? If I could drink full-flavored low alcohol beer (< 2%), I'd be very happy. Can you even really know what your ABV is ultimately?

 

[Evan!]

I don't really know how to put it. I would rather drink beer frequently than water or soda or whatever but I don't want the side effects. I'm not into consuming alcohol every day but I love the taste. I already brew smaller beers to allow me to consume more. The problem is, I'd like to lose some weight and I don't want to be tired all the time (which alcohol does to me). Since there are no good commercial NA beers, how do we feel about NA homebrew? I don't think too many people here have done it, but if you have - how does it taste? If I could drink full-flavored low alcohol beer (< 2%), I'd be very happy. Can you even really know what your ABV is ultimately?

You lose a great deal of the hop flavor/aroma when you boil off the alcohol. IIWY, I wouldn't make a habit of it---they end up tasting kind of flat...but they're better than the commercial N/A, so I make it for my dad.

Your ABV can be calculated easily. After about 30 mins at 172-180, the ABV is 0. Then calculate the minuscule amount of alcohol that's produced from the bottle fermentation, and you have your ABV. If you keg it and force carb, it'd effectively be 0.

 

[Bobby_M]

I know Biermuncher tried to evaporate alcohol out of a batch a while back but I don't recall what the result was. I think the only way to keep consuming is to increase physical activity (which I really need to do).

 

[Soulive]

You lose a great deal of the hop flavor/aroma when you boil off the alcohol. IIWY, I wouldn't make a habit of it---they end up tasting kind of flat...but they're better than the commercial N/A, so I make it for my dad.

Your ABV can be calculated easily. After about 30 mins at 172-180, the ABV is 0. Then calculate the minuscule amount of alcohol that's produced from the bottle fermentation, and you have your ABV. If you keg it and force carb, it'd effectively be 0.

But at those temps you're not really boiling. Does that matter at all? I don't mind the 0%abv but the lack of flavor's not good. Maybe I'm better off pushing the flavor to gravity ratio limits. I wonder how tasty I could make something that's about 2-2.5%...

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Meh, Most days I may have 1 or 2 after dinner and that's about it. If you only have 1 or 2 it doesn't really count

 

[the_bird]

IIRC, BM had some good success with his controlled boiling. You keg, right? I think that's the only way to be able to make NA "beer" (since you'll kill the yeast). You'll lose some aromatics, but throw some hops in the keg and dry hop to make up the difference.

 

[Evan!]

But at those temps you're not really boiling. I don't mind the 0%abv but the lack of flavor's not good. Maybe I'm better off pushing the flavor to gravity ratio limits. I wonder how tasty I could make something that's about 2-2.5%...

The boiling point of ethyl alcohol is lower than water---about 173.3ºf.

You could stop short of 30 mins or whatever. You could also add hops during the boil-off to preserve some hop flavor. This BYO article has everything you need to know.

 

[Soulive]

Good point about dryhopping Jay

Thanks for the BYO article Evan

 

[Beerrific]

Or you could do this to beers that have little to no hop flavor/aroma to begin with. I would think many English-style beers would work well for this.

 

[Soulive]

Or you could do this to beers that have little to no hop flavor/aroma to begin with. I would think many English-style beers would work well for this.

Everything I brew has some hop flavor. I tend to go above hopping guidelines when it comes to most styles. I guess weizens could be good for that though...

 

[the_bird]

I bet you could make a nice dry Irish stout near-beer, the roastiness should withstand the near-boiling. Plus, they start out pretty low in alcohol to begin with. It'd mostly be IPAs that would seem the most problematic.

 

[uwjester]

If you wanted a hoppy beer, why not add hops back at the end of the alcohol boil-off? Better yet, why not wait until then to do aroma and flavor hops in the first place?

 

[Soulive]

If you wanted a hoppy beer, why not add hops back at the end of the alcohol boil-off? Better yet, why not wait until then to do aroma and flavor hops in the first place?

That's an interesting point...

 

[blizz81]

I think the only way to keep consuming is to increase physical activity (which I really need to do).

That's been my conclusion (and my result, to this point).

 

[DeathBrewer]

why not just make some low alcohol beer? i've been making some haus ales and bitters lately so i have something at home in my keg that i can drink to my hearts content. (i took out 5 gallons of an imperial stout in 4 days...that kinda got me thinking after my hangover wore off)

 

[cheezydemon]

Can't you just mash grains at like 160 and get little to no alcohol?

I had one brew that was damn near NA due to a bad thermometer. No post fermentation boiling required.

 

[Soulive]

why not just make some low alcohol beer? i've been making some haus ales and bitters lately so i have something at home in my keg that i can drink to my hearts content. (i took out 5 gallons of an imperial stout in 4 days...that kinda got me thinking after my hangover wore off)

Yeah I'll probably go that route. I'm thinking of trying something low in alcohol but high in flavor, if possible...

 

[Bobby_M]

Can't you just mash grains at like 160 and get little to no alcohol?

I had one brew that was damn near NA due to a bad thermometer. No post fermentation boiling required.

Unfermented wort tastes so bad. No, it's not beer. You get none of the yeast character. I'd much rather start with a 1.035 OG mild and ferment it out. Then you can have one or two extra pints without getting wrecked.

If it's calories you're worried about, not all of it comes from alcohol. It's just the nature of liquid bread.

 

[the_bird]

Try a smallish pale ale, mash it high for body. Dry stouts, milds, bitters. It's a challenge, making a beer that's small but tasty. The risk you may face is over-hopping, you'll have to keep your bitterness in check based on your gravity.

 

[Soulive]

Try a smallish pale ale, mash it high for body. Dry stouts, milds, bitters. It's a challenge, making a beer that's small but tasty. The risk you may face is over-hopping, you'll have to keep your bitterness in check based on your gravity.

I hear ya. I'm going to start by scaling down a variation of EdWorts Haus. It looks like this so far...

3.75 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.00 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.20 oz Magnum [12.90 %] (60 min) Hops 10.5 IBU
0.15 oz Centennial [8.50 %] (30 min) Hops 4.0 IBU
0.15 oz Centennial [8.90 %] (15 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [8.50 %] (3 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.024 SG (1.045-1.060 SG)
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.006 SG (1.010-1.015 SG)
Estimated Color: 5.0 SRM (5.0-14.0 SRM)
Bitterness: 17.9 IBU (30.0-50.0 IBU)
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 2.40 %

 

[BierMuncher]

My neutered Anchor turned out pretty well. More malty and caramely than the original. I enjoyed it, but that was not what I’d call a daily quaffer beer.

If I were to do it again (and I’m toying with the idea), I’d probably do so with my Centennial Ale, since it’s already just under 4% and would require less 2ndary steep time.

I might change up the routine to this though:

Brew the beer normally, but only add my bittering hops additions.
Ferment the beer normally and condition for two weeks.
Rack the beer back to a kettle and bring to 174 and hold for 20-30 minutes.

Add ½ of my normal aroma/flavor hops for the last 20-15 minutes (this temp is very similar to the temp at which you would first wort hop).

Cool beer and rack back to secondary (or keg) and dry hop with remaining flavor/aroma hops.

Chill and force carb to 2.5-2.75 volumes. (I want a crisper, more carbonated beer)

I think doing this with a pilsner malt beer and very light grain bill, will keep the beer fresher tasting.

 

[Chriso]

Wait - you mean drinking 6+ drinks a day is a bad thing?

*subscribed* Good thread. I might try this. If the SWMBO rains on my parade, that is.

Until then, pint glass and I have an appointment to keep. Regularly.