Sub 4.0% Recipe Input

[KWright_VT]

Our next club competition is a sub 4% beer, any style, so I came up with a recipe for an "amber" that I hope will have a little flavor. I'm thinking combo between Amber and cream ale, thus some corn and some chocolate malt. I thought the citra hops would give some good citrus flavor, without being too bitter.

The goal is to come up with a low ABV that still has some flavor to it. Then I thought the Nottingham might help accentuate the malt.

Input or thoughts?


4 lbs 8.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
1 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
8.0 oz Chocolate Rye Malt (250.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)
0.33 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.33 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
1.0 pkg Nottingham Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP039)

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color
Est Original Gravity: 1.034 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.7 %
Bitterness: 36.9 IBUs
Est Color: 15.7 SRM

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Mash high to keep some body. I'd mash about 160. You can short mash it too. But probably worth doing a mashout to keep those long chains around.

 

[slym2none]

I wouldn't use Nottingham. Expected 3.7% means 4.1% actual, using Notty.

 

[The_Bishop]

I'd up the starting gravity and mash high, this way you'll still have the body you'll need. Otherwise you end up with a 'thin' beer.

 

[JKaranka]

You could try a dark mild but most people will go for it. I made an amazing WW2 porter ticking at 1.035 recently. Lots of brown malt for dextrins. As above, I'd change Notty (which I love) for something with more body like S04 or US05.

 

[Yooper]

That's a 6.5 pound grainbill? I think that makes the chocolate malt at 8% by my quick math. That seems to be quite a lot to me. I don't use any chocolate malt in my ambers, but if I did I'd go with far less- I use 8% chocolate malt in my stout.


I used 1 ounce of midnight wheat in a hoppy red- in a 11 gallon batch- so you don't need much if you're using it for color. If you're using it for flavor, you'll get plenty of roast at 8%.

If you want a red color, 1 oz in the grainbill mixed with some dark and light crystal will give a red color without roastiness.

 

[KWright_VT]

Thanks to all.

Yooper, the Amber is just a style I've picked that is closest to what I am trying to make, but the main goal is to brew a sub 4% with flavor. I though the chocolate would do that, and give it a little color as well. Really just an experiment to see what it would do.

Ignoring style, what do you think it would taste like? Or I could cut the chocolate and sub in something else that might add some flavor.

 

[alhounos]

I'd switch the corn to oats or rye. Corn will thin the body which is the opposite of what you want in a small beer. Use a low attenuating and characterful yeast like 1968/002, windsor, s04, etc. Nottingham is very clean and attenuates too well for a small beer IMO.
Also, I think you're on track with the chocolate. A few percent adds a nice touch in small English beers.

 

[blizz81]

For sub-4%, I would probably go with a sour if capable - perhaps a kettle-soured Gose.

 

[JKaranka]

I'll just link this porter for reference:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=563504

 

[CA_Mouse]

Why not go for a London Brown Ale? Historical dark brown malty ale. they max out at 3.8%

 

[JKaranka]

Milk stout is another obvious candidate. Mackeson was 3% abv till recently

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackeson_Stout

 

[fantomlord]

a mild would make a fantastic sub 4% beer