Low ABV summer (lawnmower) beer recipe/ingredient ideas

[Morrey]

I call my Cream Ale my typical light SRM go to lawnmower beer in the summer. My current Cream Ale beer was 1.050 OG and finished at 1.008 making it 5.5%. I had just finished yardwork and tapped a pint....perfect thirst quencher. So good I tapped another pint...I felt the 5.5 kicking in. Maybe a bit too much too quickly.

Remembering my military days, we had a beer machine in our barracks lobby. We called the beer military beer or 3.5 beer. Clearly it had less oomph than what I am brewing now. Europeans are also known for making beer with less abv than Americans for what ever reason...tradition? Sessionability?

Anyway, I am looking for ways to make a flavorful beer but maybe in that military 3.5 range...or no more than 4% for sure. But I don't want to end up with a fizzy watery tasting beer. I know some yeast strains (like Windsor) are less attenuating than others which would be helpful albeit it needs to be suited for a light, lawnmower beer. Need the flavor component to be notable with backbone and possibly some spice....so searching for that. Maybe rye?

Any ideas are much appreciated. I have a hunch that we as home brewers are going to start embracing lower ABV but flavorful light SRM beers in the near future.

 

[lump42]

I've seen a lot of use of rye to boost the body in session beers (<4.5%). Experimental brewing put out a list last year with 14 session beer ideas. James Spencer of Basic Brewing Radio included his Rye Wit recipe clocking in at 2.8% You should be able to drop a liter or two and still be standing on a hot day with that.

https://www.experimentalbrew.com/session-beer-day-recipe-bonanza-14-recipes-you-brew

Or here is one that was published on AHA for a 3.2% English Summer Ale. I've brewed a close variant of this recipe and it came out great as my summer beer last year. I ended up using american 2-row and adding a little extra Munich which made it a bit darker and bumped it up to 4.2%
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/bastage-english-summer-ale/

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

You could brew a cream ale that has a lower abv than that. That to me sounds like a perfect lawnmower beer.

You could brew a blonde ale in the lowish abv range. You can brew one of those all-malt, so it'll have a maltier flavor than a BMC light lager.

You could brew a lower gravity (~4%) saison. Low FG with a lot of flavor. Probably also a great lawnmower beer.

You could try an English mild. They've got low gravity, although usually they're darker. Still, it's a beer that probably owed its historic popularity at least in part to being something that's easy to enjoy after long hours of manual labor.

 

[grizzly2378]

Look up BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde recipe on the forum (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841). I just made two 5 gallon batches of this for an event I'm holding in a month. The first 5 gallons has been kegged and carbed for a week now and may not last until the event. The recipe as posted is supposed to be 4% ABV. Both of my batches came out at 3.7% (I got slightly lower attenuation using US-05 instead of Nottingham). It goes down sssmmmooottthhh, has good flavor and doesn't get you hammered (not quickly, anyway).

 

[Morrey]

https://www.experimentalbrew.com/session-beer-day-recipe-bonanza-14-recipes-you-brew

This thread offers some excellent ideas. I think the recipe from James Spencer is the one I'll try as a starting point. He uses rye which I figured would work, so glad I have BIAB capabilities as this one would be a stuck sparge waiting to happen. I don't have any Nelson Sauvin in inventory, so I'll need to make a sub on that one for my FO/WP addition. I have bookmarked this thread...thanks!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841

BierMuncher has some really good recipes tucked here and there, so glad to have this one to copy into my BeerSmith files. I believe this recipe would be a platform to play around with the hop bill to suit it to individual tastes. Like you, US-05 stays in my fridge as my house yeast so I'll go with that. Good recipe to play with!

 

[pshankstar]

I just started reading "Experimental Homebrewing" by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn. Last night I just got into chapter 6 and these two recipes were in there for low ABV/session beers.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1495807903.688806.jpg

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1495807931.200363.jpg

 

[GammaRay4130]

I'll second the biermunchers centennial blonde. I brewed it last year and it turned out really well and I'm going to brew it again this weekend

 

[mattdee1]

Some pilsner and/or 2-row malt
Noble hops bittering to ~20 IBU
WLP029

That will be an easy summer quaffer.

 

[JonM]

I make a Patersbier almost every summer (just kicked this year's keg - obviously brewed too early) but Pilsner and Trappist yeast produces something really awesome. I use 1214. My recipe comes in around 4.5, but I'm sure you could use a little less grain and have it still be awesome.

 

[Morrey]

In one of the suggested recipes using rye and wheat, it calls for Nelson Sauvin for the flavor/aroma addition at FO. I haven't used NS before and looked around for it only to discover it is hard to find. I think New Zealand's hop crop is probably coming in soon meaning last years supply is exhausted.

Are there suggestions for a reasonable substitute? Or suggestions where I can find Nelson Sauvin?

Thanks!

 

[jamina1]

I'm planning on brewing a fairly-low ABV (4.5-5%) IPA this weekend. I don't have the equipment to do all grain yet, but here's the recipe:

Original Recipe (4.5 - 5% abv) makes 3 gallons

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
1 lbs                 Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)                    Grain         1        15.4 %        
1 lbs                 Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)                  Grain         2        15.4 %        
8.0 oz                Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (60.0 SRM)   Grain         3        7.7 %         
1.00 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min   Hop           4        25.1 IBUs     
4 lbs                 Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)        Dry Extract   5        61.5 %        
0.50 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min     Hop           6        20.0 IBUs     
0.50 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min         Hop           7        7.6 IBUs      
0.50 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min     Hop           8        8.3 IBUs      
0.50 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min          Hop           9        2.5 IBUs      
1.0 pkg               Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast         10       -             
1.00 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days     Hop           11       0.0 IBUs

I tweaked it a bit for you to make the ABV a little lower, but it should still have a nice malty flavor due to the specialty grains and some nice hoppy kick? Feedback welcome!

Tweaked (3.5% ABV)

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
8.0 oz                Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (60.0 SRM)   Grain         1        14.3 %        
8.0 oz                Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)                  Grain         2        14.3 %        
0.50 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min   Hop           3        16.5 IBUs     
2 lbs 8.0 oz          Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)        Dry Extract   4        71.4 %        
0.25 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min     Hop           5        13.1 IBUs     
0.25 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min         Hop           6        5.0 IBUs      
0.25 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min     Hop           7        5.4 IBUs      
0.25 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min          Hop           8        1.6 IBUs      
1.0 pkg               Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast         9        -             
0.50 oz               Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days     Hop           10       0.0 IBUs

 

[carloslavin]

I've brewed the BYO Ordinary Bitter a couple times now (recipe here). I've had it finish at 3.5%, but you have no idea it's such a low ABV for the relatively big flavor punch it packs. Also gets you a nice copper color.

I've done it with WLP002 and S-04. Think with S-04 it's still dry enough and not so ester-ey to make it good for summer drinking. US-05 would probably be bump up the dryness.

 

[z-bob]

This is not a low ABV lawnmower beer, but it's close. And it had enough body I think you could increase the hops a little and add more water at bottling to get it down to about 4.5%.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/314720/dampfbier

I brewed it again a couple of weeks ago, moving the 20 minute hops out to 30 minutes, used American Munich malt instead of dark German, and fermented with K-97. It's conditioning in the bottles right now. I think I'll buy a bottle of seltzer and see how the beer stands up to being diluted.

 

[sasky7777]

In one of the suggested recipes using rye and wheat, it calls for Nelson Sauvin for the flavor/aroma addition at FO. I haven't used NS before and looked around for it only to discover it is hard to find. I think New Zealand's hop crop is probably coming in soon meaning last years supply is exhausted.

Are there suggestions for a reasonable substitute? Or suggestions where I can find Nelson Sauvin?

Thanks!

Nelson Sauvin has a unique aroma and flavour, no subs that I can think of.

 

[Weezy]

Great thread here and don't let the title scare you:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=378450

And i wrote a decent post on sessionizing (and imperializing) recipes here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=525104

 

[isomerization]

In one of the suggested recipes using rye and wheat, it calls for Nelson Sauvin for the flavor/aroma addition at FO. I haven't used NS before and looked around for it only to discover it is hard to find. I think New Zealand's hop crop is probably coming in soon meaning last years supply is exhausted.

Are there suggestions for a reasonable substitute? Or suggestions where I can find Nelson Sauvin?

Thanks!

I haven't used it yet, but the descriptors of Hallertau Blanc (http://www.bear-flavored.com/2011/12/bear-flavoreds-ultimate-guide-to-hop.html) sound like Nelson-lite to me. I have half a pound waiting for a saison later this summer.

 

[Morrey]

I haven't used it yet, but the descriptors of Hallertau Blanc (http://www.bear-flavored.com/2011/12/bear-flavoreds-ultimate-guide-to-hop.html) sound like Nelson-lite to me. I have half a pound waiting for a saison later this summer.

I found 3 ounces of Nelson Sauvin at a LHBS about an hour from me. He said they are nitrogen sealed Hopunion sachets from 2015. I think they will be ok and BeerSmith has a built in tool that helps calculate AA% losses due primarily to age. If properly stored, says up to 3 years is probably acceptable, but I'll plug in 10% loss to be assured I don't go too low. This addition will be at WP anyway, and I think I'll drop to 180F before adding in.

Owner says he got no NS in during the 2016 year despite ordering weekly. He feels the big commercial operations sucked the NS hop up before the homebrewers had a go at them. Its harvest time now so I'll be watching to snag a pound if I like it as much as many folks say I will.

 

[brewbama]

I make a Patersbier almost every summer (just kicked this year's keg - obviously brewed too early) but Pilsner and Trappist yeast produces something really awesome. I use 1214. My recipe comes in around 4.5, but I'm sure you could use a little less grain and have it still be awesome.

+1. Just tapped my Patersbier. Also, try Yoopers Fizzy Yellow Beer.

 

[Morrey]

+1. Just tapped my Patersbier.

I am heading to the LHBS this morning. Do you have a sec to send me a recipe? If you are using a liquid yeast that I may not have, I could get it today. Thanks!

 

[JonM]

Sure - 10 lbs of Pilsner, an ounce of Saaz at 60, another at 10. Mash at 150, soft water (I think I use 5 g of CaCl in 4 gallons of mash water)

1214 or white labs' equivalent Wlp500, but I'm sure any Trappist yeast would be awesome.

 

[Morrey]

Sure - 10 lbs of Pilsner, an ounce of Saaz at 60, another at 10. Mash at 150, soft water (I think I use 5 g of CaCl in 4 gallons of mash water)

1214 or white labs' equivalent Wlp500, but I'm sure any Trappist yeast would be awesome.

That's a pretty neutral platform so I'm thinking the yeast will have lots of influence with this one. Looking forward to a new yeast adventure!! Thanks!!!

 

[brewbama]

- 9 lbs. Belgian Pilsner malt

- 1 oz. Tradition (60 min)
- 0.5 oz. Saaz (60 min)
- 0.5 oz. Saaz (10 min)

- Trappist/Abbey Ale Yeast

 

[Morrey]

I am going to try a couple of low ABV beers for the summer. First will be a rye/wheat with Nelson Sauvin at FO. This is extremely low abv at 2.8% but wit good mouthfeel being reported. The other is the Patersbier being discussed currently. The LHBS had no Trappist liquid yeast but I did pick up a pack of Danstar Abbaye dry that the owner said should work ok. We shall see.

 

[seatazzz]

I just tapped a Centennial Blonde I want to take to my daughter's wedding in August. 11.5 bs two row, 1lb Crystal 10. Hops were .5oz Centennial at 60 and 30. It came in at 5.2%, and is very smooth and goes down easy. Next batch I'm lowering the 2 row to 10 lbs to get it below 5%, and using Cascade at 30 to give it a small juicy kick. It's my new House lawnmower beer.

 

[Sbe2]

I just brewed this but subbed in Mosaic for the final hop additions

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=449595

Post#94

 

[ericbw]

I make a Patersbier almost every summer (just kicked this year's keg - obviously brewed too early) but Pilsner and Trappist yeast produces something really awesome. I use 1214. My recipe comes in around 4.5, but I'm sure you could use a little less grain and have it still be awesome.

That's what I like. I do patersbier with lemongrass, orange, and coriander. Like a wit.

 

[tjancijr]

First off, lawnmower beer is one of my favorites. Specifically, Deathbrewer's Cream Ale recipe. I brewed this up a couple months ago in anticipation of an early dry spring here in NorCal. Didn't happen, but drank the beer anyway! It's wonderful.

4lb 6oz 2-Row
2lb Pilsner
1lb Flaked Yellow Corn
1lb Flaked Wheat
11 oz Munich
8 oz Vienna

Mash @ 156 for 45 mins

1.5 oz Fuggles @ 60
.75 oz Saaz @ 60
2 oz Saaz @ 5
WLP080 Cream Ale Yeast

OG 1.050, pitched at 65 and kept it there for about 2 weeks. Mine finished around 1.008 (!).

 

[noiz2]

I have done the RyeWhit from BBR and that is tasty. I also worked out a small "IPA" that people have liked a lot. 4lbs Munich, 3 lbs Rye.

One thing to take into account is that hops don't scale down that predictably. At least in my experience. It takes less bittering hops than you would think. So the above sIPA has 14g CTZ FWH and 28g (Zythos,or Citra,or Falconers Flight - I have used each at some point) at 10 min. and 28g at flame out. This works out OK if you are looking for a real IPA type bitterness. It comes in around 3 or so ABV.

I have some that I forgot about and has been in the keg since October (so over 6mo.) and it's drinking more like a bitter now since some of the fresh hop notes have died off a bit. Still tasty.

 

[anchornm]

I love to drink beer, but I'm not a fan of getting hammered. I make all my beer 3.9 to 4.0 ABV. Just my preference, I make dry / crisp beers with some unfermentable malts to add body and malty taste.

I love (almost) 100% Best Malz Red-x, .25% Melanoidin, and .5% Carapils.
I like cluster hops, with noble hops at 10 minutes making up 30% of the IBUs.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I call my Cream Ale my typical light SRM go to lawnmower beer in the summer. My current Cream Ale beer was 1.050 OG and finished at 1.008 making it 5.5%. I had just finished yardwork and tapped a pint....perfect thirst quencher. So good I tapped another pint...I felt the 5.5 kicking in. Maybe a bit too much too quickly.

Remembering my military days, we had a beer machine in our barracks lobby. We called the beer military beer or 3.5 beer. Clearly it had less oomph than what I am brewing now. Europeans are also known for making beer with less abv than Americans for what ever reason...tradition? Sessionability?

Anyway, I am looking for ways to make a flavorful beer but maybe in that military 3.5 range...or no more than 4% for sure. But I don't want to end up with a fizzy watery tasting beer. I know some yeast strains (like Windsor) are less attenuating than others which would be helpful albeit it needs to be suited for a light, lawnmower beer. Need the flavor component to be notable with backbone and possibly some spice....so searching for that. Maybe rye?

Any ideas are much appreciated. I have a hunch that we as home brewers are going to start embracing lower ABV but flavorful light SRM beers in the near future.

Pilsner malt for an OG of about 1.047 with a small touch of Munich or Vienna. Maybe a small touch melinoidin malt too. The small amount of the other grain will give you flavor and a bit more body but still keep it light. Think Helles. Prost!