Typical ABV?

[MrCat]

Hi folks, oh dear, looks like spam central round here just now!

I was just wondering if there's a usual average ABV from a typical kit. I'd have thought they'd all be pretty different. There does seem to be a possible art to taking good accurate readings which I may not have got yet but I was just checking a Canadian Blonde I've got brewing here and by my reckoning it said it was about 6%. That seems a little strong to me or would you think that was normal, it's been fermenting about 2 weeks now. It's either that or my calculations have gone way off, that makes it almost as strong as the double IPA brewing next to it...

 

[Spartan300man]

Most typical brews are around the 5% range, I think 4-6 is the range.
Session-strngth beers are typically 4 or under.
Double IPAs have to be at least 7.5 ABV to be considered a 'double' IPA.

 

[bobeer]

6% for a blonde isn't too crazy. I think it's still in the wheelhouse for the style.

6% for a double IPA isn't though. You'd need the abv to be a bit higher for it to fit to style. With that said though the best thing about homebrewing is you can brew whatever you want the way you want to brew it. So if you want a "session style" double IPA then go for it!

 

[sixwinds]

I ended up with a "session" double IPA a few batches ago. I was shooting for a true double IPA but had some issues during the brew that had a huge impact to my efficiency. I missed the original gravity by a lot and the beer ended up at about 4.5%.

That being said it is very tasty with a ton of hop flavor, so it worked out in the end.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Are you brewing extract? Your OG readings may be off if you didn't thoroughly mix the wort. What do the kit instructions say?

 

[Qhrumphf]

My beers run the gamut between 2.5% (my Scottish 60/-), and 13.9% (my Belgian Quad). Most of my beers are between 3-5%. Most kits beers will be in the 5-7% range because most craft beer styles that most kit brewers are going to brew fall in the 5-7% range. However, the width of beer styles goes far beyond that, and kits exist far beyond that.

So I guess what I'm trying to say, there is no "typical" ABV. The "standard" ABV for a "standard" beer is 5%, but that's only because the "heavy" macro lagers (ie not the light versions) all clock in at ~5%. Their light lager counterparts which actually sell a lot more are all 4.2%. But those don't apply to craft beer.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Nearly all of the "regular" (Non-Imperial, etc.) kits I've seen have an expected OG in the 1.050s. ABV varies a bit depending on your attenuation.

 

[Singletrack]

Qhrumphf nailed the answer on this. Isn't the "f" in Qhrumphf redundant? ...but I digress.

So, let me answer the question I hoped you were asking when I saw the title: What is the typical ABV of the beer you brew? Glad you asked!

I no longer brew beers below 5% or above 8.5%. That is a narrow range, I admit. It is not worth it to me to brew weak beer, and generally I don't care for very strong beer. My typical ABV is 6.5%.

I am willing to break the 8.5% ceiling now and then, but I don't see any need to go below 5%.

 

[hifidelity]

The typical ABV of my beers is 5.5%, although I've brewed beers as low as 3.7% and as high as 8%. I actually prefer a lower ABV so I can drink more without being useless.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Qhrumphf nailed the answer on this. Isn't the "f" in Qhrumphf redundant? ...but I digress.

So, let me answer the question I hoped you were asking when I saw the title: What is the typical ABV of the beer you brew? Glad you asked!

I no longer brew beers below 5% or above 8.5%. That is a narrow range, I admit. It is not worth it to me to brew weak beer, and generally I don't care for very strong beer. My typical ABV is 6.5%.

I am willing to break the 8.5% ceiling now and then, but I don't see any need to go below 5%.

Try a malty beer some time mashed at 160 with lots of specialty grain and a low-attenuating yeast. You can drink it by the quart if it's strong on flavor and light on alcohol.

 

[slym2none]

I have tried to make beers under 6%, I have yet to do so though...

 

[applescrap]

i have tried to make beers under 6%, i have yet to do so though...

:d

+1

 

[Gavin C]

+1

How are you measuring your ABV @applescrap ?


My typical brews are in the 5% ABV range.

 

[applescrap]

How are you measuring your ABV @applescrap ?


My typical brews are in the 5% ABV range.

Umm

View attachment 1448431883811.jpg

 

[applescrap]

In all seriousness good question brew calculator estimated i guess before vs after ferment based on known volumes. The amount of grain used and consistent process as in i melt my hands on the bag. Playing with a brew calculator will yield doable differences between 70 -80 % efficiency. Im more typical around 7 most styles estimated that is