Low Final Gravity/High(er) abv

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

I see lots of talk/recipes for beers that have a low final gravity, but it seems to go hand-in-hand with low abv. But are there beer styles/recipes that would be low final gravity but an abv more in the 5% - 6% range?

 

[day_trippr]

"Brut" IPAs can do that. Some Saisons as well...

Cheers!

 

[doug293cz]

How low an FG are you looking for? You can manipulate the FG with recipe (more base malt & less specialty malt, adding simple sugar adjuncts, etc.), mash schedule (long mash rests at less than ~148°F favor more fermentable wort), yeast choice (yeasts that can metabolize maltotriose will give lower FG than those that can't), using diastaticus yeast (which can create fermentable sugar from dextrin and starch during fermentation), or adding enzymes, during mash or fermentation, that create fermentable sugar from dextrin. Be careful with diastaticus yeast and dextrin converting enzymes, as they get give you FGs below 1.000.

Brew on

 

[Halfakneecap]

I see lots of talk/recipes for beers that have a low final gravity, but it seems to go hand-in-hand with low abv. But are there beer styles/recipes that would be low final gravity but an abv more in the 5% - 6% range?

Most belgian ales.

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

I made an attempt at a Vienna "Lager" using US-05 and had an O.G. of 1.050 but ended with a F.G. of 1.004. I didn't think I could get that kind of attenuation. So now it has me wondering about the possibilities.

I did all grain, 16#s 2row, 2#s Vienna malt, and 2# caramunich for a 10 gallon batch. I mashed at 148*, and wrapped the primaries with wet towels in my 65*-70* basement.

 

[HM-2]

I made an attempt at a Vienna "Lager" using US-05 and had an O.G. of 1.050 but ended with a F.G. of 1.004. I didn't think I could get that kind of attenuation. So now it has me wondering about the possibilities.

That's 92% attenuation, which is way more than you would typically get from US-05. That's pretty much exclusively STA-1 positive (diastatic) yeast territory and would normally indicate infection, especially in a beer that's 10% crystal. Or miscalculation- how did you measure the FG?

 

[VikeMan]

I made an attempt at a Vienna "Lager" using US-05 and had an O.G. of 1.050 but ended with a F.G. of 1.004. I didn't think I could get that kind of attenuation. So now it has me wondering about the possibilities.

I did all grain, 16#s 2row, 2#s Vienna malt, and 2# caramunich for a 10 gallon batch. I mashed at 148*, and wrapped the primaries with wet towels in my 65*-70* basement.

If those numbers are recipe are accurate, something other than US-05 was also eating sugars/dextrins.

 

[mac_1103]

I'm going to be optimistic and just say that measurement errors are a lot more common than infections.

 

[HM-2]

I'm guessing it might be an unadjusted refractometer reading.

 

[doug293cz]

I'm guessing it might be an unadjusted refractometer reading.

That normally gives a reading that is too high, not too low.

Brew on

 

[HM-2]

That normally gives a reading that is too high, not too low.

Brew on

I thought I might have got that backwards when I posted it...

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

Ok. That makes more sense. The only thing going might be the fact that it was my third consecutive batch and I just poured the wort on the ready-to-go trub from previous batch.

It's not infected - I tasted it and it was pretty good (aside from being warm and flat).

I'll report back once I tap the kegs and see if it punches like a 6% beer.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Ok. That makes more sense. The only thing going might be the fact that it was my third consecutive batch and I just poured the wort on the ready-to-go trub from previous batch.

It's not infected - I tasted it and it was pretty good (aside from being warm and flat).

I'll report back once I tap the kegs and see if it punches like a 6% beer.

Dumping on the yeast cake is like a cocaine fuelled sex orgy for yeast. Not surprised it came right down.

 

[VikeMan]

Dumping on the yeast cake is like a cocaine fuelled sex orgy for yeast. Not surprised it came right down.

With the OPs grain bill and mash parameters, there's no way US-05 would hit 92% attenuation, regardless of how much yeast was used or how much it resembled a "cocaine fuelled sex orgy." US-05 simply can't ferment unfermentable dextrins, because it doesn't have the genes required, and overpitching doesn't change that.

 

[VikeMan]

That normally gives a reading that is too high, not too low.

I'd go so far as to say "always."

 

[doug293cz]

I'd go so far as to say "always."

I try to avoid absolute absolutes - usually.

Brew on