suggestions for small beer to brew
- Thread starter burntchef
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British pub ales. Ordinary bitters (not really bitter at all) or dark milds. Designed for full flavor and drinking copious volumes. Try to use UK malts for the flavor and body in spite of low gravity.
For an easy and simple bitter...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/learning-to-write-recipes-with-a-smash.694412/
For an easy and simple bitter...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/learning-to-write-recipes-with-a-smash.694412/
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I brew an ordinary bitter that's 80% Maris Otter and 20% victory malt, yeast is WY1318. Mash at 152-153F. Hopped with First Gold to just under 30 IBUs and it's an easy drinking, high flavor beer. All the hops are added at 15 minutes from the end of the boil forward (which gives it high flavor/aroma levels). I've also added some First Gold into fermenter for a few days before it gets chilled and carbonated (I carbonate in conical). I get it in the 3-3.1% range each time it gets brewed. You could play with the amount of grain if you really wanted to get it to the 2.5% ABV range. Personally, I think it's perfect at 3-3.1%.
This looks like something I'd like to keep on tap.
What's the typical OG?
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
The basic brewing podcast has been doing several beers in the last few years in the 3% and lower ABV.
https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/b/5/f/b5...41604174&hwt=faa72962ef0e36f16d75fc41732c47af
https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/b/5/f/b5...41604174&hwt=faa72962ef0e36f16d75fc41732c47af
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Do you like smoked beers? Try brewing a Grodziskie.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
About 1.036... FG ranges 1.011-1.013
If you'd like something oriented more to the American APA/IPA style try Gordon Strong's Session IPL from Modern Homebrew Recipes. I've done it as an ale with Cascade and S-05. 3.8% but you could adjust it downward.
Thanx for all the replies! My secondary question is about the down sizing of abv. If you take a given recipe and mash in lower than needed to convert all the available starch to sugar, does that yield a similar flavor with less abv? In the beginning before I had my brain wrapped around the importance of mash temp, I produced some low abv beer and thought I had a yeast problem.
Thanx in advance
Eric
Thanx in advance
Eric
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Mashing at a lower temperature will give you a higher ABV and less body. If you're looking to decrease the ABV %, with the same grist, increase the mash temperature.
Dial back the hops bitterness accordingly. It doesn't take a lot of IBUs to tip the balance with low gravity beers.
Here's a tasty looking one just published.
https://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2022/01/1960-lees-mild.html
Invert sugar is pretty common in these recipes and very easy to make. Discussion here...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/making-2-or-3-invert-sugar.693520/post-9126808
https://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2022/01/1960-lees-mild.html
Invert sugar is pretty common in these recipes and very easy to make. Discussion here...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/making-2-or-3-invert-sugar.693520/post-9126808
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I use BeerSmith (3) to get the numbers. Helps with the hop schedule and such too. I found that the balance is great with the mash temp along with everything else in the recipe. I typically brew to get at least 7 gallons out at the end of fermentation. With software, it's easy to factor in volume changes to get the right grist amount. Which is why I gave percentages, not pounds/weight.
There are a couple Scottish ales they call 60 shilling or 70 shilling that are low alcohol. These beers are the Scottish equivalents of the British bitter family. They are more malt focused as compared to bitter. I have a Scottish 70 that I did in bottles now. Because this was such a low gravity beer I had to brew 5 gallons instead of my usual 3 just to get enough grain in my mash tun so the wort would run clear. I’m glad I did because the first case went fast.
