Lower Gravity Session Belgians

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electronjunkie

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In my never ending quest to drink even more beer I am considering lowering the alcohol so I can drink more without getting quite as fat and drunk :drunk: Or maybe I just like to pee alot

My last few beers, an american wheat and a british brown have been about 4% alcohol and I have really enjoyed being able to drink a bit more without getting hammered.

The only low gravity/session Belgians I have been able to find are a Patersbier Recipe, and a Brassier Dupont Avril (small Saison) clone.

I am looking for around 3-4% ABV.

I was considering decreasing the grain bill on some recipes while also raising my mash temps a bit to keep a decent body.

Does anyone know of some LG recipes like a BPA, Blonde, or a Belgian Brown?

I have searched for Belgian Session Ales here and found threads like this but they are around 5-7% https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/belgian-session-ales-116811/

Are Belgian yeast strains just not that tasty at lower gravity?
 
look on Avery Brewing web site. They have a Belgian called Karma. Low hops, and the recipe would be really simple to knock down the gravity on. I think it is only Pilsner, aromatic, Crystal 40, and special B (3.5% of each specialty).

as far as the yeast. I would recommend the Wyeast Lueven Pale Ale. A belgian pale ale yeast that has a lighter ester profile. It is a Private Collection and you should still be able to find it through brewmaster's warehouse.
 
I looked at that beer, I'll see if I can find it locally. Why the lighter ester profile? I like how they post their malts and hops at Avery. Like to know the yeast strains too.
 
Well, my theory is that most belgians are not hop forward (especially Avery's Karma, coming in at 10IBU), meaning the two main contributors to flavor are the yeast and the grain bill. With lower gravity beers, you won't have the amount of specialty malt needed to complete with the strong ester profile given off by the belgian yeast. That is why I recommended this belgian pale ale yeast. Because the profile is somewhat subdued compared to others, so it may provide a better balance between the grain and yeast.
 
A big +1 to lower abv beers.

I bottled this take on a "saison" yesterday, and was very pleased with the flavor. I can give a full report in three weeks. It's not to style, but I was hoping the specialty malts would make up for the lower abv. I used Whitelabs Saison II yeast.

BIAB Deathbrewer dunk -sparge method

Step 1: 148 for 30 min
Step 2: 154 for 60 min
Mash out: 168

OG 1.058 (I was not expecting efficiency like this)
FG 1.008

6.00 American Two-row Pale
1.00 Flaked Wheat
0.50 Canadian Honey Malt
0.50 Belgian Munich
0.13 British Pale Chocolate
0.50 Cane sugar

1.00 Tettnanger 60
0.50 Hallertau 30
0.50 Strisselspalt 30
0.50 Hallertau Flame Out
0.50 Strisselspalt Flame Out
1.00 Strisselspalt Dry Hop
 
Dark malts? Dry Hopping? Those are some things I have been considering for my next few Belgian experiments.
But you're at 6.5% ABV. Thats hardly low ABV. A dubbel is 6% minimum for example.

The dry-hopping, I'd like to know how that turns out. I am interested in keeping the IBU's low too, but dryhopping a Belgian also with a hop variety that complements the yeast strain. For example the citrus of an Amirillo in a Belgian Wit, although thats probably been done.

Also I do the BIAB too, its so easy and so underated. Sometimes I do the Australian method, other times I do Deathbrewers.

I intend to explore the lower ABV Belgian beers. If anyone has any experience here I am very interested in what problems I'm going to run into.

I'd like to know how that Saison turns out.
 
Here is what I expect a low gravity Belgian might look like.
958-drunkenmonk.png
 
Dark malts? Dry Hopping? Those are some things I have been considering for my next few Belgian experiments.
But you're at 6.5% ABV. Thats hardly low ABV. A dubbel is 6% minimum for example.

The dry-hopping, I'd like to know how that turns out. I am interested in keeping the IBU's low too, but dryhopping a Belgian also with a hop variety that complements the yeast strain. For example the citrus of an Amirillo in a Belgian Wit, although thats probably been done.

Also I do the BIAB too, its so easy and so underated. Sometimes I do the Australian method, other times I do Deathbrewers.

I intend to explore the lower ABV Belgian beers. If anyone has any experience here I am very interested in what problems I'm going to run into.

I'd like to know how that Saison turns out.

I know :( I calculated the recipe using 75% efficiency and it was supposed to be around 4%. It was my first step mash, and I had no idea I was going to get this big a jump in efficiency.

Coming out of the fermenter, it was nicely malty (but not sweet), and a tiny bit nutty. It was a very light copper color, and had tons (maybe too much) of fruity esters.

If you're looking for hoppy Belgians, try the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace. Some people love it, some people hate it. I think it's terrific.
 
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