Low Alcohol Brews

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FlourPower
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Low Alcohol Brews

Post by FlourPower » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:04 pm

Does anyone have a recipe for a very low alcohol brew like Badger's Harvester ale at 2.5%

I'm basically looking for something very sessionable at 2.5 to 3.5% ABV. Something that still has a good flavour.
Drinking: Turbo Cider, Black Rain Stout, Jotun Killer Double Stout, Apple Wine, AG#1 F.A.G,
Fermenting: Bramble Wine
Conditioning: Blueberry Jam Mead, Gales Mead, HLM EPIC FORCE Methegln, Tropical Juice TC on an orange mead slurry, AG#2 S.L.A.G.
Waiting for Space: Muntons Conn: Bock

dave-o

Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by dave-o » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:58 pm

I would suggest using some aromatic malt, mashing at quite a high temperature and using a yeast with low attenuation.

mshergold

Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by mshergold » Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:42 pm

Let us know how you get on Flour Power.

colonial

Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by colonial » Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:00 am

I recommend dry-hopping too. Not too much , but enough to add a forward hop flavour. Balance is the key in a low alcohol brew.

Kelburn's Goldihops one of the best low-alcohol ales (3.6%) that I have ever had. Very, very impressive - malt and hops shine through; not watery at all.

Yes, please keep us all in the know. Best of luck.

boingy

Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by boingy » Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:07 pm

It's actually quite hard work to get plenty of flavour into a lower strength beer. I've tried and failed :(

WishboneBrewery
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Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by WishboneBrewery » Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:37 pm

boingy wrote:It's actually quite hard work to get plenty of flavour into a lower strength beer. I've tried and failed :(
Wish me luck then, I've been brewing a 2.8% today! :)

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FlourPower
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Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by FlourPower » Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:07 pm

Oooh let us know how it goes!
Drinking: Turbo Cider, Black Rain Stout, Jotun Killer Double Stout, Apple Wine, AG#1 F.A.G,
Fermenting: Bramble Wine
Conditioning: Blueberry Jam Mead, Gales Mead, HLM EPIC FORCE Methegln, Tropical Juice TC on an orange mead slurry, AG#2 S.L.A.G.
Waiting for Space: Muntons Conn: Bock

WishboneBrewery
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Posts: 7874
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: Keighley, West Yorkshire
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Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by WishboneBrewery » Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:10 pm

will do, its here viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32316

coatesg

Re: Low Alcohol Brews

Post by coatesg » Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:03 am

Definitely mash high, and use some flavoursome speciality malts - if you're not brewing a dark mild, this becomes tricky - amber malt is a possibilty, as is having a good charge of late hops for some hop flavour. I'd also use a lower attenuating yeast like WLP002, which allows a slightly higher OG for the same ABV.

I've brewed a few good low ABV beers - the lowest was a dark mild at 2.8% - 1035OG with Windsor and quite a lot of crystal malts - lots of flavour and a high FG of 1013 that definitely helped.

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