Granny state!

[PeeBee]

So I do need to drink less...

I agree & I fancy giving this a go, but am unsure what the benefit is..
If it is create a school night and beer which is very low in alcohol for safety / driving purposes, I get it.

However.. If it is to help control weight or diabetes type issues then I am not sure what the chemistry is actually doing.

Does this method extract less sugar(s) from the grain?
-or-
Is it extracting the same amount of sugar(s) but is leaving it unfermented?

The latter not necessarily making a beer that is any better for us. In fact, far from it...more sugar (fermentable or otherwise) in the product is a bad thing.

Alcohol is not a carb, the unfermented sugars are.

Beer drinkers get belly's. Wine drinkers don't and unit for unit often consume more alcohol (different problem)

https://type1traveler.com/2016/02/09/a- ... rmentation.


Thoughts??

Excellent points! And an argument that will continue to fuel disagreements with my partner for some time ... despite that article you posted.

She claims the alcohol keeps her over-weight. I claim the eating keeps her over-weight. That article does leave that debate slightly open-ended (and a bit mind-numbing!).

The problem I think stems from the statement in your quote:

"Does this method extract less sugar(s) from the grain?
-or-
Is it extracting the same amount of sugar(s) but is leaving it unfermented? "

It's not an "or". It's either! "High Temperature Mashing" edges towards the latter hence is a good way to hang on to flavour without excess alcohol, whereas using less ingredients will reduce flavour as well as alcohol. "Cold Mashing" could go either way if you are not very careful, and also haven't destroyed your brewing equipment in the process!

At Xmas I had brewed an "Ale". A "historic" ale that is. "Ale" was a foodstuff and the laws-of-the-land treated it as one, alongside bread. The common way of thinking it is "beer" has hops, "ale" has no hops. But that is bo11ocks! My attempts produced a drink that had an OG of 1.071 ( ) and FG of 1.034 ( ) with an enormous calorific value (from the carbohydrate "dextrin" not from alcohol!). Dextrin isn't very sweet BTW. Alcohol in the ale was less than 5%. Like some "low alcohol" beer, it had the potential to make you very fat!


I find the "benefits" of low-alcohol beer very obvious: I can continue drinking my home-brew every night (full alcohol most nights), but not at high risk of developing a disastrous dependency.

[MashBag]

I am with you on weight gain, just eat less (or better for you) food. When beer was liquid bread (high in sugars etc) it served a purpose as nutrition was scarcer.

But how the beejeebers does cold mashing destroy your brewing kit?

[PeeBee]

... But how the beejeebers does cold mashing destroy your brewing kit?

You don't remember the "grain omelette" discussion? My tangle with the phenomena.

"Cold Mashing" (more accurately "cold extraction") dissolves far more soluble protein than normal mashing. None is getting denatured (not hot!) and caught up in the grain bed. But once it gets in the boiler! The denaturing protein comes out of solution, cakes all over the hot surfaces of the element, insulates the element, overheats it, ... bang!

I was fortunate and only experienced some coating (with translucent sheets of "grain omelette"). Others weren't so lucky.

[MashBag]

Blimey yes. I have heard it referred to as Gelatinization. Yes gotcha.

[drjim]

In this case it's a shedload less grain for starters.

Hoping it will taste nice and I can just quaff away without getting past the "sensible quantity of alcohol imbibed" point - I don't seem to have a stop button built in!

[MashBag]

Looking forward to hearing all about it.

Wasn't having a pop in any way. Just thinking out loud. One man's beer is this own affair.

[drjim]

No pop noticed!

HAve normal beer on the go too - Today I made 45L of "Shed" lager - stella clone, bottled 24L of bitter, and have just started a 25L batch of same bitter fermenting. Currently have 30L of a light lager, 25 of a NZ pilsner underway too. Trying to get lager made before the weather warms up too much, but it's gone too cold for the shed itself to be used so my Wife is now annoyed there are fermenting beers all over the house!!!

[Nitro Jim]

No pop noticed!

HAve normal beer on the go too - Today I made 45L of "Shed" lager - stella clone, bottled 24L of bitter, and have just started a 25L batch of same bitter fermenting. Currently have 30L of a light lager, 25 of a NZ pilsner underway too. Trying to get lager made before the weather warms up too much, but it's gone too cold for the shed itself to be used so my Wife is now annoyed there are fermenting beers all over the house!!!

A man has got to do what a man has to do!

[MashBag]

.... Wife is now annoyed there are fermenting beers all over the house!!!

You are a braver man than me. Apart from the airing cupboard, I get "that look"

Your post has made me think I might be able to shift my session ale from 4kg to 3.5kg, drop the mash temp to 64c which should reduce the unfermentables. While not producing any more alc%. Pick up the flavour with a few more hops, Hoppy beers help hide a reduced malt flavour.

Hmm. Thanks this thread had made me think.

.... And I need to make room for a three award winning "old bernard" bitter

[drjim]

I was planning to leave the lagers in the shed for 3 weeks, but as it's subzero overnight they are in the utility room!

Just grabbed a sample of the Granny State which has dropped to 1.008 and stopped bubbling. Bottom tap on fermenter so it's sludge in the trial jar but it developed a lovely looking head and smells like beer. Have put a glassful in the fridge to settle. The fermenter is now out to the rather chilly shed to rest while we are away next week ready to go into kegs once clear.

[MashBag]

C'mon
It's been in the fridge all night.. Breakfast tasting?

[drjim]

Actually tried it last night, it's pretty good. Bit thin in terms of mouthfeel, but the hops give loads of flavour, and it's got a nice maltiness.

Only had about 100ml of clearish beer and a big lump of hop/yeast debris from my glassful, will see how it clears with a week outdoors.

[MashBag]

You might find the mouthfeel improves after conditioning.

So would you make it again? Or is it too early to say?

I have had some success with yeast blending.
Particularly using 1/2 sachet of cml Four. With yeasts like Windsor or clipper.
I like its flocculation qualities, it tidies up nicely and sticks the priming to the bottom of the bottle.

[drjim]

So it's in a keg and partially carbed. Comes out nicely with a decent head hich fades rapidly.

Tastes like beer.

Tested on my neighbour last night, he was suspicious of the dark colour - he was the test subject for my Coffee laced 11% imperial stout - spotted the ginger straight away but didn't work out it was (almost) alco free.

I think it's a success.

[MashBag]

That looks good. I think you may have started something here.

I am wondering if I should modify my summer air recipe.

23L - 1.7kg total grain - 70c - cml Windsor.

This makes me think I could really reduce my alc% if not my waistline.