reducing ABV by mixing with 2% ?

[mildewman]

I made a batch of 10% ABV thats just too strong to drink.

Could i brew a 2% batch (just the extract pack), mix 50/50 in the bottles with the 10% batch, then re carbonate?

If im using 2L bottles, would i add sugar for 2L, 1L, or somewhere inbetween? (the 10% batch is allready carbed)

 

[freisste]

Easiest way is to make the second batch but mix in a glass. Like a Black and Tan.

I'm not sure you'll be able to mix in bottles if one is carbed and the other isn't. They may foam. You could potentially let the strong beer get flat and then mix and recarb, but I would guess you would oxidize.

Personally, I wouldn't mess with it. You may end up with twice as much undrinkable beer.

 

[Sadu]

It may also be that the 10% beer just needs more time. If it's undrinkable now put it away for 6+ months and forget about it, it will probably mellow out and come out awesome. Brew another lower gravity batch that you can drink now.

 

[55x11]

I made a batch of 10% ABV thats just too strong to drink.



Could i brew a 2% batch (just the extract pack), mix 50/50 in the bottles with the 10% batch, then re carbonate?



If im using 2L bottles, would i add sugar for 2L, 1L, or somewhere inbetween? (the 10% batch is allready carbed)

Yes. But you could also just add water? I have never done it because.... Well it's sacrilegious. But beer is mostly water so it should be easy.

Try it in smaller sample and see how it tastes at different dilution levels.

 

[foam_top]

How young is this beer? My guess is it just needs to sit for a while. If you absolutely must dilute it why not just do it on each serving rather than trying to flatten the entire batch and recarb? That's risking more problems.

 

[schematix]

not sure what possessed you to make a 10% beer to begin with, but please realize going forward in your brewing career that around 5% is the sweetspot for good tasting beers, and beers much over that take quite a bit of finesse to really taste good. If you are just starting, work your way up.

 

[mildewman]

Yes ive given up on brewing high ABV, currently fermenting 1.7kg kit extract, 1kg DME, 1kg dex, 78% conversion yeast. Should be 6% once carbed.

 

[RM-MN]

I made a batch of 10% ABV thats just too strong to drink.

Could i brew a 2% batch (just the extract pack), mix 50/50 in the bottles with the 10% batch, then re carbonate?

If im using 2L bottles, would i add sugar for 2L, 1L, or somewhere inbetween? (the 10% batch is allready carbed)

Not possible. You cannot make a beer that is 10% abv that is too strong to drink. Your technique may have caused this beer to be unpalatable due to fusel alcohol or you may just be trying to drink it before it is ready but 10% beers can go down the throat just as easy as a 5% beer.

Mixing the beers and rebottling is a bad idea. You'll get foaming to start with and finish with oxidized beer.

Park your 10% beer somewhere out of the way and let it sit for 6 months to a year and sample it again. It will still be improving but should be very drinkable unless you fermented it too warm and got a lot of fusel alcohol in which case it will always have a "hot alcohol" taste.

 

[mongoose33]

not sure what possessed you to make a 10% beer to begin with, but please realize going forward in your brewing career that around 5% is the sweetspot for good tasting beers, and beers much over that take quite a bit of finesse to really taste good. If you are just starting, work your way up.

I'm a little confused by this. I'm still a relatively new brewer (15 or 16 batches, 13 all-grain), and I haven't yet brewed a beer that was as low as 5%.

I'm not trying to finesse anything--I'm just brewing. I can tell if people like them (I sure do) by whether they go back for a second and third pint, which they do.

So I'm wondering: what kinds of finessing are you thinking of? Does it depend on the type of beer? I like malt-forward beers better than bitter IPAs, could that have something to do with it? I've got Biermuncher's Black Pearl Porter in a fermenter right now, took a gravity sample a couple days ago, it tasted pretty good! Not carbed, not cold, but my reaction was "hey, that's pretty good!" That beer is about 6.3%.

 

[schematix]

I'm a little confused by this. I'm still a relatively new brewer (15 or 16 batches, 13 all-grain), and I haven't yet brewed a beer that was as low as 5%.

I'm not trying to finesse anything--I'm just brewing. I can tell if people like them (I sure do) by whether they go back for a second and third pint, which they do.

So I'm wondering: what kinds of finessing are you thinking of? Does it depend on the type of beer? I like malt-forward beers better than bitter IPAs, could that have something to do with it? I've got Biermuncher's Black Pearl Porter in a fermenter right now, took a gravity sample a couple days ago, it tasted pretty good! Not carbed, not cold, but my reaction was "hey, that's pretty good!" That beer is about 6.3%.

I would consider 6.3% to be "around 5". It's more about style though. Making a 6.5% Pilsner isn't going to be as good as a 6.5% IPA or Porter just because of what it is. What I was suggesting was using some restraint in the strength of the beers.

10% is REALLY high for beer. You've got to nail everything for it to be really good. That's the finesse... the right residual sweetness so it's not cloying, but balances the alcohol. The right amount of hops to balance that sweetness. All while fermenting it cleanly and fully. That means huge pitches and really good temp control. Even better if you can keep oxygen out.

But if you like making beers you have to age out for a year, or blend, to be drinkable, then feel free to skip on the advice.

 

[55x11]

Not to disagree too much, high abv beers certainly require some skills, but the same applies to almost any other beer. They all need to be balanced in malt vs hops vs alcohol and yeast health and full fermentation is crucial in most styles. In fact I would argue that some residual sweetness in imperial stout is much more acceptable than in IPA that has to be very dry. Because of longer aging the beer can "correct" itself over time. Unlike wheat beers or IPAs that have to be drunk quickly.
And to me many 10% plus beers are very tasty. It's all about balance of flavors not ABV by itself

 

[mongoose33]

I would consider 6.3% to be "around 5". It's more about style though. Making a 6.5% Pilsner isn't going to be as good as a 6.5% IPA or Porter just because of what it is. What I was suggesting was using some restraint in the strength of the beers.

OK, then what I'm doing isn't outside the norm of the beers I'm brewing.

10% is REALLY high for beer. You've got to nail everything for it to be really good. That's the finesse... the right residual sweetness so it's not cloying, but balances the alcohol. The right amount of hops to balance that sweetness. All while fermenting it cleanly and fully. That
means huge pitches and really good temp control. Even better if you can keep oxygen out.

I've never tried to do one of those. Not really on my list. I've been as high as 7% but that's about it.

But if you like making beers you have to age out for a year, or blend, to be drinkable, then feel free to skip on the advice.

I'm not that patient. It's killing me waiting for Biermuncher's Black Pearl Porter to finish. Two more days, then cold crash and then keg, and wait some more.

 

[mildewman]

Thanks for the replies all - im gonna stick to around 6% from now on. Im fermenting at 20-22 centigrade, should that be low enough to avoid fusels?

 

[schematix]

Thanks for the replies all - im gonna stick to around 6% from now on. Im fermenting at 20-22 centigrade, should that be low enough to avoid fusels?

Hottest controlled ale fermentation i've ever done was at 71F and it was low in fusels and esters. I'd say you're good to go. I wouldn't suggest going any higher. Going lower will just make it cleaner, maybe too clean.

 

[55x11]

Hottest controlled ale fermentation i've ever done was at 71F and it was low in fusels and esters. I'd say you're good to go. I wouldn't suggest going any higher. Going lower will just make it cleaner, maybe too clean.

I agree - I would keep it below 68-70F, so ideally below 20C.

Keep in mind though, that the taste you don't like - likely fusels and maybe some other off-flavors - esters, diacetyl etc. - are not going to go away just because you diluted it with 2% beer.

I doubt it's just 10% strength that is an issue here. If it's a balanced, tasty beer that is 10%, diluting it is probably going to throw that balance way off and make it worse, not better. If it's really off-flavors or sweetness that you are objecting to, you can dilute it but the off-flavors will still be there, to a lesser degree, but still present. But now it will lack in body and taste thin and watery, while still fairly strong in alcohol and with noticeable off-flavors. Just something to think about.