Unfermented beer for truly zero alcohol content?

[The_Glue]

Would it taste like beer? Think styles with low to zero yeast 'effect'.

I am thinking about brewing a beer with an OG in the normal finishing gravity range (like OG of 1.005-1.010) and then after the boil and cool down i would put it directly into kegs for force carbing. (with dryhopping in the keg)

Would the resulting "beer" taste like beer?
Is the fermentation necessary for the beer taste? Even if i want to approximate clean chico strain and lagerish styles?

 

[beskone]

Would it taste like beer? Think styles with low to zero yeast 'effect'.

I am thinking about brewing a beer with an OG in the normal finishing gravity range (like OG of 1.005-1.010) and then after the boil and cool down i would put it directly into kegs for force carbing. (with dryhopping in the keg)

Would the resulting "beer" taste like beer?
Is the fermentation necessary for the beer taste? Even if i want to approximate clean chico strain and lagerish styles?

No it'll taste like hoppy cereal water. The by products of fermentation (esters and phenols), the reduction of sugars + presence of alcohol = Beer taste.

 

[GrogNerd]

page 32 of the BrewDog's recipe book lists their Nanny State beer, at .5% ABV

small amounts of grains, <2 lbs, fermented with Chico (WY1056) and 9 oz hops

https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/diy-dog

gets you close to N/A and might still taste like beer

 

[The_Glue]

page 32 of the BrewDog's recipe book lists their Nanny State beer, at .5% ABV

small amounts of grains, <2 lbs, fermented with Chico (WY1056) and 9 oz hops

https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/diy-dog

gets you close to N/A and might still taste like beer

Our country have a zero tolerance policy, even 0,5% ABV is too much if i want to drive that day.

 

[Natdavis777]

Biermuncher has a good write up on creating a NA beer as well.

 

[Stillraining]

There was a period of my life I gave up drinking for about 3 years (Health kick) ..I would occasionally try the various Alcohol free beers on the market at that time. Odouls , Neer beer..ect.

It's not very good but it is palatable after some getting use to.. I just quickly found it wasn't worth torturing myself and gave up on that Idea as well. I freely admit I drink for the buzz just as much as for the flavor. If there is no buzz why bother? YMMV

 

[theheroguy]

It isn't beer if it isn't fermented.

 

[The_Glue]

No it'll taste like hoppy cereal water. The by products of fermentation (esters and phenols), the reduction of sugars + presence of alcohol = Beer taste.

Did anybody actually tried this? (tasting unfermented "beer" (more like wort) brewed to final gravity type strength)

There are a few styles where i feel like i can't taste or smell anything yeasty. (esters, taste etc.)

 

[BigEd]

Would it taste like beer? Think styles with low to zero yeast 'effect'.

I am thinking about brewing a beer with an OG in the normal finishing gravity range (like OG of 1.005-1.010) and then after the boil and cool down i would put it directly into kegs for force carbing. (with dryhopping in the keg)

Would the resulting "beer" taste like beer?
Is the fermentation necessary for the beer taste? Even if i want to approximate clean chico strain and lagerish styles?

You can buy such a product at the grocery store. It tastes like carbonated wort because that's what it is. Buy a bottle and taste it so you will get an idea of what yours will taste like. The hopping rate is low, Malta would produce a Yuengling type beer if fermented.

http://www.goya.com/english/product_subcategory/Beverages/Malta-Goya

 

[The_Glue]

You can buy such a product at the grocery store. It tastes like carbonated wort because that's what it is. Buy a bottle and taste it so you will get an idea of what yours will taste like. The hopping rate is low, Malta would produce a Yuengling type beer if fermented.

http://www.goya.com/english/product_subcategory/Beverages/Malta-Goya

Good idea, i've always avoided them, will buy a bottle to try it.
(i suspect i need to dilute it down for beer FG sugar levels)

 

[SanPancho]

You can buy such a product at the grocery store. It tastes like carbonated wort because that's what it is. Buy a bottle and taste it so you will get an idea of what yours will taste like. The hopping rate is low, Malta would produce a Yuengling type beer if fermented.

http://www.goya.com/english/product_subcategory/Beverages/Malta-Goya

there are quite a few of these in your hispanic/latino markets. ive only tried one and it was a bit weird, not beer, but you could see how it was beer-related.

if your concern is getting pulled over and taken to jail for drunk driving then just keep a bottle of cough syrup in your car. or some sort of breath mint/spray that contains alcohol. then there's an easy explanation for why there is alcohol on your breath.

because if you're drinking 0.5% beer, you'd have to drink a ton to get "drunk" so that's not likely. i cant imagine you'd ever drink so much you would have the appearance of looking "drunk" to people. and if you dont look drunk, why would they suspect you of driving drunk?

i dont mean to be flippant about something that can land you in jail, but it just seems like you'd have to drink a ridiculous amount for a police officer to notice that you look and smell drunk.

maybe start by drinking a six pack of nonalcholic beer, and ask some random people if you look/smell drunk. thats probly a good indication if you need to worry.

 

[The_Glue]

there are quite a few of these in your hispanic/latino markets. ive only tried one and it was a bit weird, not beer, but you could see how it was beer-related.

if your concern is getting pulled over and taken to jail for drunk driving then just keep a bottle of cough syrup in your car. or some sort of breath mint/spray that contains alcohol. then there's an easy explanation for why there is alcohol on your breath.

because if you're drinking 0.5% beer, you'd have to drink a ton to get "drunk" so that's not likely. i cant imagine you'd ever drink so much you would have the appearance of looking "drunk" to people. and if you dont look drunk, why would they suspect you of driving drunk?

i dont mean to be flippant about something that can land you in jail, but it just seems like you'd have to drink a ridiculous amount for a police officer to notice that you look and smell drunk.

maybe start by drinking a six pack of nonalcholic beer, and ask some random people if you look/smell drunk. thats probly a good indication if you need to worry.

We have these random road inspections where everybody gets tested. Also if i do something minor/harmless driving mistake and the police notices it i will get an instant alcohol test. Even minor stuff can turn into jail time then.

 

[torilen]

Have you thought about making a beer the normal way (or buy some, I suppose) and boil it? If you have a hydrometer, you can test it out to see how much alcohol is left once it is cooled down. Shouldn't be much, since a good deal of alcohol is cooked out when you actually boil wine/beer/etc.

 

[sd_brewbie]

A lot of Asian stores have barley tea... I think this would fit the bill and taste good, but it is not beer or anything close to it, it is tea.

 

[IslandLizard]

I must say, some (unfermented) root beers and ginger beers taste pretty darn good. The dryer the better! And 0% alcohol.

Kombucha (sour fermented tea) is only 0.5% ABV or less.

 

[BigEd]

Good idea, i've always avoided them, will buy a bottle to try it.
(i suspect i need to dilute it down for beer FG sugar levels)

Malta seems about mid 50s gravity to me. The problem with diluting it down to your original final gravity type number is that most of the taste is going to be diluted too. When you ferment beer the gravity isn't dropping because of dilution it's because all that CO2 is being released as the yeast metabolizes the sugar into alcohol leaving a lighter weight molecule but all the original flavor. You may want to re-think making a very low gravity wort because that probably won't have much flavor.

 

[bigken462]

The PX on the small base at Camp Speicher Iraq use to sell this God awful liquid stuff called Near Beer. Please, for the sake and integrity of all hombrewers.....Don't try it. lol

 

[Stillraining]

We have these random road inspections where everybody gets tested. Also if i do something minor/harmless driving mistake and the police notices it i will get an instant alcohol test. Even minor stuff can turn into jail time then.

Where is this land? so I can put it on my must avoid list, as they probably don't let you sail with beer on breath either.