Thanks for the link! & tips.
The 3.6%IPA turned out great. Honestly it's probably the hardest bier to make that I've brewed, took 3 attempts to get it right and I think I could still improve it. I got an honorable mention for it in a competition last month. Entered as a specialty brew, the winner of the category got best of show & there were 15 or so entries so it was a fairly tough group. Anyway the specifics are as follows:
1-Use a standard IPA/APA styled grain bill - 2-row/maris otter, crystal 40/60, carapils/wheat, & 4-6 oz. victory. Get to an OG of 1.040 or so.
2-Mash at 154 or 155 - if not the brew is simply way too bitter and thin, not a good combo. Thinking of this as a mini-west coast IPA is a mistake, I found out the hard way. You want a finished gravity of something like 1.012, maybe even 1.014/15. The BU:GU ratio is 125%+ so without malt to support the bitterness balance is missing.
3-Hop to get IBUs to 50-55 on an OG of 1.040, adjust accordingly if making stronger/weaker bier. I found first-wort hopping really helped here. My latest version was a fresh-hop version so it was a little different but great hoppiness is essential if we're gonna call it an IPA.
Those are the key points in trying to make a truly low alcohol American IPA... at least for me! Anyway it's really a challenge to get it balanced correctly. It's got to be bitter enough to call an IPA & balanced enough to remain drinkable. Getting the balance right in the brew is really the challenge. However it's worth it as I really enjoy drinking bier and really enjoy being sober so I love having 3-4% bier around so I can have a session now and again! Sorry so long in response but I'm a real fan of us brewers sharing and expanding one another's knowledge, hope I helped. If you need I can post the recipe.
Schlante,
Phillip