Who is in the 3-5% ABV Club???

[Owly055]

I lean heavily in the 5% range, but wander up and down a bit......... zero interest in really big beers. I've made one or two in the 8% range, and I have one that comes in right about 2% that is wonderfully light and complex......... I seldom repeat a beer, but this one get's repeated fairly frequently......... It's just so good that I have to go there again and again.
I've got 19 years on you........ and find that my body doesn't get along with alcohol as well as it once did.

H.W.

 

[hbhudy]

Don't like drinking for hours on end except when we are sitting around playing cards which is only a couple of times a year. I like my beers big and have pushed a few over 10% and one over 12%. My thoughts on the subject and many others. ... "Go big or go home and put on your diaper" if you can't handle a few of my beers then you probably shouldn't be drinking. That being said I have made a beer or two in the sub 5.5 range and was able to satisfy the people who like to spend their time peeing.

I used to be of the same mindset, bur for me at this point drinking 3 lower ABVs as opposed to 3* 8% IPAs is more in line with what works for me. Now just to be clear I do still make kicka$$ IPA and Belgian golden strong that everyone loves, but few have mastered drinking..��

 

[Schmoltsbeer]

I have been trying to maintain sub 4.5% beers on my menu regularly. The problem is, they are easy to drink and I will drink them when my 'heavy' beers get to my head. Which means they end up going faster than all the others, as they make great week-day drinks, as well as weekend fillers and in-between drinks. Most recently I had a Falconer's Flight 7 C's Pale ale that came in under 4% that is quite fine to drink. Definitely a hop forward, though not bitter, session beer.

 

[Steadfast707]

Am looking for recipes that are 4.5 and below. Love the the taste of beer but can do without the alcohol. The only buzz I need is when I do a hive inspection to check my bees. Am looking for recipes for session and small beers if you have some good ones.

 

[Phunhog]

I am definetly in the "Session Beer" club!! Most of my beers are under 5% and I would really like to make some that are under 4%. Judging by the response here I can see why so many breweries are really stepping up their "session beer" game. It makes sense on many levels...cheaper to make but sells for the same price.

 

[hbhudy]

I am definetly in the "Session Beer" club!! Most of my beers are under 5% and I would really like to make some that are under 4%. Judging by the response here I can see why so many breweries are really stepping up their "session beer" game. It makes sense on many levels...cheaper to make but sells for the same price.

Problem is that I really don't know or have seen any session craft beer selling in my neck of the woods (Cincinnati Ohio)

 

[Owly055]

The comments about diapers are incredibly offensive.......... It falls into the same category as using the N word or the C word or Q word, or the FP expression..... all of which I would print in full except for the tender sensibilities of our moderators.

The FBPC (Federal Bureau of Political Correctness) is also worth considering.... I really don't want my phone tapped and a dossier started ;-)............ NOTHING is so offensive to me as political correctness....NOTHING!!

Reduced alcohol tolerance is a medical condition just like alcoholism is a medical condition. It's not something to be ashamed of or hide in the closet. Your ability to down vast amounts of ethanol and remain upright may be a matter of pride to you obviously.... but it is in fact a rather hollow accomplishment. It falls into the same category as being proud of being born white! I don't know about you, but I didn't have any say in the matter.

Reduced alcohol tolerance can have serious consequences, both social and sexual, but it is NOT taken seriously by the medical community......... Just imagine going to your doctor and asking for treatment for this problem!! I live in a VERY small town. I can just imagine the nurses trying to maintain a straight face while dealing with me, and the explosion of laughter as I walked out the door!! Soon every single woman in town would know I was a "lightweight"............. That could be a real liability.


H.W.

 

[Orthobrewsky]

I usually have at least one thing on tap in the 3-3.5 range. I make some pretty magnificent brown ales in that range and I really love my Irish stouts which usually are in that range as well. About half the time I'll have an IPA or a Maibock on tap which comes in over 6%, but most of my beers are around 4-5%.

 

[MaxStout]

A while back I did a parti-gyle brew from the grain in a 5-gallon batch of RIS. Second runnings produced 2.5 gallons of a nice 3.9% brown ale. So I can have the best of both worlds: a big beer to sip and enjoy, and a small one for when I just want to drink several and not fall out of my chair.

 

[rhythmsteve]

I just can't seem to brew anything below a 6%

 

[ubnserved]

Hey I'm a d!ck, so I don't want people hanging around too long, So all the better if they can't handle the beer. I see a bunch of you using age as an excuse to make lower abv beers I don't want to get so old that I have to use age as an excuse for anything. If I do get that old (47 now) I will make sure the next accident I have will end all the screwing around and leave the beer recipes to my oldest kid. I get the whole want a good beer that I can drink for hours thing I did that in my 20's now days I'm way too busy for that. Can't retire early if you spend hours on end drinking beer. A pint or 2 of my beer and it's nap time or past time to get busy doing something.

 

[GenIke]

I'm in the club. I'm drinking a glass Cream of Three Crops and watching football now.

 

[JPrather]

Don't like drinking for hours on end except when we are sitting around playing cards which is only a couple of times a year. I like my beers big and have pushed a few over 10% and one over 12%. My thoughts on the subject and many others. ... "Go big or go home and put on your diaper" if you can't handle a few of my beers then you probably shouldn't be drinking. That being said I have made a beer or two in the sub 5.5 range and was able to satisfy the people who like to spend their time peeing.

If you chose beer as your primary alcoholic beverage because you want to get drunk quickly, you're doing it wrong.

Unless, of course, your real motivation is simply to stroke your ego over one of the most ridiculous possible things to have an ego about, in which case you seem to be doing it just right.

 

[70ls1nova]

I don't think I've made a beer under 6% since I switched to all grain. I like a nice big, full bodied high abv beer. I am over 50 and put weight on much easier so I don't need the calories or the feeling of a full belly from pounding 4 5 or 6 beers. I have one, two at the most and I'm good. Even when at the bar, I'll order the bigger abv beer to just have one or two and save on the calories. Plus, I'm 6'4" and 295, so i need the bigger beers to get a buzz. The lower abv beers just seem to fill me up.

 

[AndytheBeave]

Don't like drinking for hours on end except when we are sitting around playing cards which is only a couple of times a year. I like my beers big and have pushed a few over 10% and one over 12%. My thoughts on the subject and many others. ... "Go big or go home and put on your diaper" if you can't handle a few of my beers then you probably shouldn't be drinking. That being said I have made a beer or two in the sub 5.5 range and was able to satisfy the people who like to spend their time peeing.

*pounds chest*

 

[hbhudy]

Hey I'm a d!ck, so I don't want people hanging around too long, So all the better if they can't handle the beer. I see a bunch of you using age as an excuse to make lower abv beers I don't want to get so old that I have to use age as an excuse for anything. If I do get that old (47 now) I will make sure the next accident I have will end all the screwing around and leave the beer recipes to my oldest kid. I get the whole want a good beer that I can drink for hours thing I did that in my 20's now days I'm way too busy for that. Can't retire early if you spend hours on end drinking beer. A pint or 2 of my beer and it's nap time or past time to get busy doing something.

Glad to hear you can still run with the pack, but I will stay on the porch with my lower ABV beers.. To each their own, and this is why we get to enjoy this pastime..
Brew it, drink it, make more..

 

[azscoob]

I make a vast range of beers from my 12% barrel aged wee heavy and 9% Hefeweizen down to my Reapers Mild and my Bitter Brit Ordinary Bitter.
I find myself reaching for the low gravity ales because my three year old keeps me busy, and I'm not looking to get fall down drunk, just want to quench a thirst and keep on with whatever I'm puttering with.

 

[azscoob]

As for using age as an excuse, it's not that I'm old, just too busy for a beer induced nap or whatnot, I'm up at 5:15am heading off to work as a master mechanic,then heading home at 5pm to be a dad, and when he goes to sleep I'm out in the garage rebuilding transmissions, building race engines, or fabbing a custom turbo system for a customer until 1 or 2am. If I had a couple big beers I might not finish what I need done that night. Or worse I screw something up or forget to torque a rod bolt...
When I have a free evening/weekend I do enjoy some big beers, it's just not that often that I get the time anymore.

 

[moreb33rplz]

I'm surprised that so many people do on or the other. Beer must be enjoyed in all of its beautiful forms.

 

[uncleleon]

Count me in! I like to get a belly full sometimes. I'm on a bitter kick now too. But I've still got a double IPA on tap.

 

[ubnserved]

The comments about diapers are incredibly offensive.......... It falls into the same category as using the N word or the C word or Q word, or the FP expression..... all of which I would print in full except for the tender sensibilities of our moderators.

The FBPC (Federal Bureau of Political Correctness) is also worth considering.... I really don't want my phone tapped and a dossier started ;-)............ NOTHING is so offensive to me as political correctness....NOTHING!!

Reduced alcohol tolerance is a medical condition just like alcoholism is a medical condition. It's not something to be ashamed of or hide in the closet. Your ability to down vast amounts of ethanol and remain upright may be a matter of pride to you obviously.... but it is in fact a rather hollow accomplishment. It falls into the same category as being proud of being born white! I don't know about you, but I didn't have any say in the matter.

Reduced alcohol tolerance can have serious consequences, both social and sexual, but it is NOT taken seriously by the medical community......... Just imagine going to your doctor and asking for treatment for this problem!! I live in a VERY small town. I can just imagine the nurses trying to maintain a straight face while dealing with me, and the explosion of laughter as I walked out the door!! Soon every single woman in town would know I was a "lightweight"............. That could be a real liability.


H.W.

Hey I said nothing about being a lightweight and did not mean to offend you if you have to wear diapers but I also don't really care. My point was that I don't spend hours sitting around drinking, don't have time for it. I also don't get s#!+faced don't have time for that either. Well I do right now but I don't do it. As for political correctness, I don't care, too many people hide behind that so they don't have to hear the truth. Too many people are too afraid of offending someone that they no longer speak the truth. I was not making fun of those that make light beers merely pointing out that I like to push the limits of my beer making. It is not easy to make a heavy beer that is drinkable. By the same token I am sure that it is not easy to make a light beer that doesn't taste like water. We all have our strengths and weaknesses my weakness is enjoying a wee heavy.

 

[AndytheBeave]

I'm surprised that so many people do on or the other. Beer must be enjoyed in all of its beautiful forms.

Beer must be enjoyed by however one enjoys it regardless of form without having to pull out the measuring stick....

 

[ubnserved]

I don't understand why you think that a heavy beer has to be drunk fast a proper glass and the right outdoor temperature sitting in front of the fire and my beer will easily last me an hour. No chest pounding and definitely not running with the big boys or whatever you said. I enjoy the beer or two that I do have and then move on to do other things. Now that my kids have moved out I don't have to worry about getting faced but I still don't. Just like making wine it takes skills to make sure that it doesn't taste like crap and my beer is usually 1/2 the abv of wine.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I usually stay between 5.5 and 7.
Just getting my pipeline back up after brewing for a wedding and starting my kegerator lineup.

Plan is 3 beers 1 cider
1 session (mild, pale/saison) 5.5 or less
1 brown/porter/stout
1 cider (apple, cherry, etc)
1 belgian (dubbel/tripple, golden strong etc)

 

[CJ1]

I don't think I've made a beer under 6% since I switched to all grain. I like a nice big, full bodied high abv beer. I am over 50 and put weight on much easier so I don't need the calories or the feeling of a full belly from pounding 4 5 or 6 beers. I have one, two at the most and I'm good. Even when at the bar, I'll order the bigger abv beer to just have one or two and save on the calories. Plus, I'm 6'4" and 295, so i need the bigger beers to get a buzz. The lower abv beers just seem to fill me up.

You seem unaware that most of the calories in beer are from the alcohol.

Here's a chart to help you estimate calories based on ABV.

 

[worlddivides]

Although I do enjoy big beers (as I said on page 1) and purchase quite a few commercial beers that fit into that category, I don't drink beer with the purpose of getting drunk.

Likewise, I don't brew beers with the purpose of making a beer that will get me drunk the fastest. If I just wanted to get drunk, I'd grab a 50% ABV whiskey from my liquor cabinet. A 9% ABV "big beer" is a "girl's drink" compared to a 65% ABV absinthe or a 55% ABV whiskey or a 96% ABV spirytus rektyfikowany luksusowy if you think that alcohol strength should be the gauge of what to drink.

I like beers as low as 3% and as high as 20%. I drink spirits and liqueurs that go as high as you can imagine. My favorite beers tend to be in the "typical beer range" around 5% or so.

But I brew beers primarily in the 4% to 6% range for the art and flavor. If all I cared about was the ABV, I wouldn't brew anything in the first place.

 

[AsgardNorth]

My goal is to make a tasty beer in the 2.0~3.0 ABV range. I love my beers in the 5-9% range, but when I have my son every other week, I still want to drink, but would prefer something with less of a hit. My first go was not bad, but lacked something. Batch two will happen soon in the 2.5 range.

 

[Dopeybrew]

I do a little of each.
Usually I have 1 big beer(currently a 12% Wee Heavy)
1 mid range beer(5-7% range currently a Double Chocolate Stout)
2 low end(anything under 5% currently an Irish Red and a standard Bitter)

I drink whatever Im in the mood for at the time. Some days its a shot or 2 of whiskey with a chaser of my Wee Heavy. Others its my DCS. If I have papers to grade its my low enders.

 

[OleGoatBrewing]

While I like exploring the beer landscape as well I do prefer a session beer over a bomb. I'll do those high ABV brews during a meal or special tasting, but for a "just got home from work beer" a lower AVB is good!

 

[hbhudy]

While I like exploring the beer landscape as well I do prefer a session beer over a bomb. I'll do those high ABV brews during a meal or special tasting, but for a "just got home from work beer" a lower AVB is good!

This is exactly how I look at the world as well.