What is your ideal ABV?

[AntzBrewz]

I had this argument with my girlfriend the other day, no one wants to drink a beer under 4%. I disagreed with her. I stated that almost half of the entire beer market was based on a beer that was 3%. She gave me the fizzy yellow water speech from stone (I know shes a keeper) and made a good point about high abv craft beer having excellent flavor. Then continued on about how we drink to get drunk and a 3% won't do the trick. I argued that some people would like to drink more without getting so drunk. I also used "session beers" and how popular they have become in my argument

well this all started because, I wanted to make lighter beers because I wanted to gage my ability to make all kinds of beer. I'm good at making beers at 5%-7% abv but I wanted to try making beer that was 3% abv. I've read that these beers are more delicate and can be ruined by slight mistakes. So I made a few: an over-hopped hefenweizen 3.8% and a scottish ale 60 shilling 3.15%. The hefe was just ok and the other two are about 2 weeks from finishing.

My ideal abv is around a 6%

What is yours?

 

[myelo]

For me, that's like asking what's the ideal IBU, color, favor etc ... because my answer is "it depends." I like a well-made 10% barley wine as much as the next, but I can also appreciate a nice 3% bitter. Or two. Or three.

 

[edco76]

Everyone's tolerance is different I suppose.

A 3% beer is pretty much useless to me. Even as a session beer.

Personally, I like 5.5-6.5 as "stock" beers or even sessions. I can handle 8-10 of them and still function.

Beers that really make a mark, or get my attention tend to be even bigger. I bet if I made a top 10 GOAT beers, at least 8 of them would be over 7%.

Thats just me though.

 

[WayFrae]

I also like my beer in the 6% range. I really have no desire to brew low ABV (<4%)beers but I understand where you are coming from. I have a hard time wanting to brew a beer that has an OG less than 1.060

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Depends on what I'm doing.

Right after work I want a 8%-12%er. Lighting the grill at noon on a Saturday, expecting some friends over for some food, drink, and haha's. I'd much rather a 2%-4%. An everyday sipper, I would be happy with a 5%-6% ale.

 

[stpug]

I understand your discussion/argument about low ABV session beers, and that a large portion of the market is a low ABV, BUT 3% ABV - no way, I'm with your GF. Had you said that a large portion of the market is 4% ABV I'd have agreed but not 3%.

Regardless, I understand where you're coming from and also agree that low ABV beers are a good thing; but they need to be priced accordingly for me to buy them, therefore I rarely buy them. I have, however, made a few low ABV sessionable beers. The lowest I've gone is 2.9% ABV British Mild and it turned out fantastic! There was 20% crystal malts, and the FG was 1.018 - it made for a reasonably hardy "session" beer that came across more like a 4-4.5% beer. You could drink it all night and never get more than a buzz, but it was packed with maltiness and an overall easy drinker.

Brewing an extremely low and drinkable ABV beer is not an easy task. It's a difficult balancing act to produce something that's great, but when done right it's quite rewarding.

As for my "ideal" ABV, I like the 5.2-6.1 range typically, so the average would be 5.65 ABV I guess. Enough malt to get in plenty of flavor but light enough to drink lots of.

 

[Jeffinn]

Somewhere between 5.5% and 6%.

 

[Brettomomyces]

I like to drink but don't like getting stupid sloppy, between 5-6% is my go to. I've started brewing some >5% lagers recently and the SWMBO loves em, and I like the change of pace too.

 

[Natdavis777]

Most of my beers fall into the 5.5-6.5% range. Sometimes though I dip down to 4% or up to 10%. That just happens to be how the cookie crumbles for my styles I brew.

 

[Zepth]

I tend to stick in the 4.5-7 range. Big range, I know. Depends if it's my lunchtime hefe, or IPA right after coming home from work. Odd part about that is I'm currently sipping the 9% weizenbock. Funny how that works now isn't it?

With that said I'm planning a RIS recipe and planning to make a second runnings batch as well. I looked at the grist and it wasn't all too far off quantity wise from what I'd usually look at for making a 10 gallon batch. Begs to be gyled. Expecting second batch to be in the 1.025-1.030 range OG.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The average beer in the US (Bud Light/Coors Light/Miller Lite) is 4.2%. That's 3.3% by weight though. Not 3%. 3% beer in the US is extremely rare.

However, I am a session beer fanatic. My ideal, I would say, is the 2.5-4% range. I brew a number of beers (the 60/- that I'll be brewing 10 gallons of next weekend, and my house Mild that I've got right now and will also be rebrewing soon) that are in the 2.5-3% range, and then a good number of beers between 3 and 4%. A number of English Bitters, Brown Ales, other Milds, Belgian session beers, Dry Stout, Sweet Stout, etc.

Your wife has never had much English beer, I take it. My 2.7% Mild is neither yellow (very dark brown) nor fizzy (the bottles are fairly low carb, but I split between bottles and cask, although the cask is tapped out, but you'd probably find it completely flat).

To me, I don't consider anything above 4.2% to be a session beer. And US craft beers below that limit is incredibly rare, even the self-described session beers. There's a number of examples, but not many.

 

[bbrim]

I'm an outlier here. My target is usually 4.5-5% ABV. Often going lower than this. Right now I have 5.0%, 4.8%, 4.1% and 3.0% beers on tap. I really don't like to get drunk very often at all and I like my ingredients to spread out over more brews. However, I do like a nice Barley Wine, Trippel, or Quad on occasion. Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'm an outlier here. My target is usually 4.5-5% ABV. Often going lower than this. Right now I have 5.0%, 4.8%, 4.1% and 3.0% beers on tap. I really don't like to get drunk very often at all and I like my ingredients to spread out over more brews. However, I do like a nice Barley Wine, Trippel, or Quad on occasion. Cheers!

For sure. I like my bigger beers too. My Quad is almost 14%, to give you an idea. But they're not my daily drinkers.

 

[dkevinb]

I'm a session beer guy in general. Virtually everything I brew is 4.5-5.5% ABV, though a couple have accidentally slipped up to 6+% lately. I've made a mild and an ordinary bitter that were just at 3% and I found them a bit thin and watery. I need to work on that. Most of the commercial stuff I buy is in the same range. I like a stronger ale from time to time, but it's not my go-to.

 

[olotti]

Ideal is 5.5-6.5% keeps me outta trouble and from packing on the lbs by drinking 7-8% all the time. But there is a time and a place for the bigger beer and my fridge is stocked with them for when that occasion and taste arises.

 

[Tutsbrew]

4.667 to 5.122%.

 

[AntzBrewz]

I guess my argument was off, guess i'll just make beer from 5%-14% from now on xD

 

[Mikefury77]

I prefer 7% to 10% I haven't had anything lower in like a year

 

[kh54s10]

I too have a big range. I don't think I have gone lower than 4% but really like my 10% + beers. I like to have a range on tap but they are most often in the 5 - 6% range. 3 at a time at present.

Whatever suits my mood at the time.

Right now a Pale Ale at 5.9% and an Octoberfest at 5.4%. Next up a Milk Stout at 6.3%

 

[Yooper]

I love beer, and like to have several nightly. But I'm a 135 pound weakling, and can't drink more than a couple of bigger beers.

I love everything from a 2.7% ABV mild, which I can drink while running a chainsaw, to a 6% IPA. I drink those often, but prefer to make most of my beers under 5.5%.

Anything bigger is more of a treat for me, and a "stay at home and sip this" beer. I might drink a beer over 6+% maybe once a week, or less.

I never get drunk, and hate the feeling, so having a bigger beer limits my consumption greatly.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

When I was younger...5-9%. Now, four out of five beers are in the 3.8-4.5 range. I have managed to make very flavorful, full bodied beers in that lower range.

 

[pdxal]

Everyone's tolerance is different I suppose.

A 3% beer is pretty much useless to me. Even as a session beer.

Personally, I like 5.5-6.5 as "stock" beers or even sessions. I can handle 8-10 of them and still function.

Beers that really make a mark, or get my attention tend to be even bigger. I bet if I made a top 10 GOAT beers, at least 8 of them would be over 7%.

Thats just me though.

That's a lot of beer. 8-10 beers over what length of time?

 

[Braufessor]

Ideally? I would LOVE to have a beer that tasted just like Pliny or Heady or Two Hearted...... and was 0% alcohol. Basically, I would be fine (most of the time) with a beer that was as low alcohol as possible without sacrificing any body, flavor, etc.

That said..... in my experience, that limit seems to come in some where in the 4% range. It starts to get quite difficult to make most styles of beer, and have them taste the way you wan them to as you head toward 4%. 4.5-5.5% though......... I think you can make a damn fine beer in most styles in that alcohol range. I would say that is about where I would like a beer to be and still maintain flavor, body, etc.

Some beers though, like milds, bitters, etc...... I brew those in the 3-4% range and they are great just like that.

 

[worlddivides]

4.8789%, definitely.

I'll drink at any ABV, but my favorites are usually between 4.5% and 6%. I just finished brewing one that's 7% and it tastes amazing, though, so it's kind of weird trying to nail down a specific ABV as my "ideal." Especially since I'll drink spirits all the way up to 70% ABV (in general, that's about the limit though and most of the spirits I drink are between 40% and 50%).

 

[stonecutter2]

Most of mine are around 5% abv or so.

I just wrote up a 3% Citra APA that's only 99 calories. Going to make and try some tasty "light" beers for the coming spring and summer parties.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

If I'm at a bar: I usually look for the biggest bang for the buck, trying to find a 6.5-7% for about $6 or $7.

If I'm having a meal: I have no problem upping the alcohol level, but I don't like drinking 6%+ on an empty stomach.

I really don't like the way alcohol makes me feel - actually went through a recent weight loss and after a couple beers one night I forgot about that, so I drank the way I used to and it hit me hard at this new weight. Definitely not much fun.

But for some reason, I feel like I've failed if I brew a beer that is under 6.7%. I don't know why, but that's how I've been feeling for some time now. At the same time, I seldom have more than 2 homebrews because otherwise I don't feel great.

 

[ericbw]

4.5-5 is ideal for me. I'll sip a bigger beer sometimes, but I'll only have one of those. If I want hot alcohol and intense flavor, I prefer bourbon.

 

[ericbw]

I love everything from a 2.7% ABV mild, which I can drink while running a chainsaw...

Certainly possible, but maybe not advisable for everyone.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I love beer, and like to have several nightly. But I'm a 124 pound coffin nail, and can drink more than a couple of bigger beers. (see what I did there, @Yooper ? hahahhaa!)

I don't have an ideal ABV. just like how I brew, it just depends on my mood. sometimes I like to have a few low ABV, some times I like to have a few High ABV beers.

 

[Jawbox0]

I wish it could be 0%, and yeah, that's as likely as ordering no calorie ribs, but that's the ideal.

I enjoy beer for the taste and honestly, the alcohol gets in the way of that. I don't want to be drunk or buzzed. In my dreamworld, I want to be able to go to my favorite craft beer bar, enjoy all my favorite beers, and still drive home after.

That being said, I order based on mood and just ignore ABV. When I walk in, I want what I want whether that's an ordinary bitter, big Belgian, dark roast stout, or a thick luscious barleywine. (and yeah, then I might have to get that ride home).

My everyday choice is a nice low ABV (extra)ordinary bitter.

 

[dlaramie08]

I've been brewing in the 3-4% range now for about a year. That is my ideal range. So far, I have found that the easiest beers to brew in that range are ipa and hefeweizen. The other styles tend to be difficult to get the flavor complexity that I want from a session beer. I'm not saying it's impossible, just difficult! I'm gonna keep chasing that rabbit, though.

 

[gbx]

Beers that really make a mark, or get my attention tend to be even bigger. I bet if I made a top 10 GOAT beers, at least 8 of them would be over 7%.

Good luck finding anything on hatebeer's top 50 that are UNDER 7%

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

Its pretty ridiculous actually. "Subtle complexity" is not something the average craft beer enthusiast appreciates.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Good luck finding anything on hatebeer's top 50 that are UNDER 7%

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

Its pretty ridiculous actually. "Subtle complexity" is not something the average craft beer enthusiast appreciates.

This.

Because the average beer hipster is usually a trend hopping twat who knows f*** all about brewing or what a properly executed beer is supposed to taste like, and can't comprehend or figure out beer that doesn't nuke the taste buds or that doesn't include some stupidly obnoxious ingredients. It all tastes the same to them.

 

[Eucrid]

Obviously variety is the spice of life and all that but most of the beer I make tends to fall into the mid 5% range. Thats just where I like my go to beers and if I want to get the beer in and out of a corny before the next ones ready it needs to be plenty drinkable.

I did make some lower ABV beers for January though. The way some people give up beer for the month I'm just taking the alcohol content down. The 4% American Wheat I made is just way too bland though. My Irish Stout is just ready to keg so hopefully that'll fare better.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

This.

Because the average beer hipster is usually a trend hopping twat who knows f*** all about brewing or what a properly executed beer is supposed to taste like, and can't comprehend or figure out beer that doesn't nuke the taste buds or that doesn't include some stupidly obnoxious ingredients. It all tastes the same to them.

I honestly think ol' Dar is a prime example.

 

[drainbamage]

I like to stay around 6%, give or take a half point. If I'm going with something stronger, I try to stick with 1 or 2 in a sitting.

 

[TommyTbar]

The average beer I brew is around 6%.

I have brewed a number of low gravity beers including a micro IPA that came in at 2.9% ABV. Mashed it super hot around 158 and added some oats very light bittering addition and a 3 oz flame out and 4 oz dry hop.

When i gave this beer to some of my friends and asked how much ABV they thought it was around 6-8% haha

I enjoy session beers but tend not to brew them as they go way too fast on tap.
I would be brewing double the amount i do now haha

 

[AirAssault]

Most all of my beers fall in the mid 6's. I occasionally brew stronger, but would never brew anything below 5.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I spoke to the brewer at a brewery yesterday and we spoke about this topic yesterday actually. He had a session beer with 3.9% abv, and said he had to use 6 different malts to give it as much dimension as possible. It still wasn't all that great - at least not as good as the other beers he had.

 

[campbelldm1]

Most of my beers fall in the 5.5-7.5 range but I do like when my bitter (3.4) and Berliner (3.2) are on tap.