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.