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Author Topic: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?  (Read 22570 times)

Offline Robert

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #45 on: September 23, 2018, 10:30:01 am »


I don't recall anyone saying stronger beers were higher quality...maybe I missed it, though. 

Breweries, though, have long suggested it, designating higher gravity products "best," "special," "premium," and so on.  They are costlier, so they want you to think you're getting more value for money, I guess.  England has been blessed with the combination of consumers who don't care to pay up, and brewers who know how to pack flavor into small packages.

You know, cruise control had me headed for another mid-range (~14°P) pale ale for next weekend's brew.  Thanks to this topic, I'm thinking of a nod to my roots, more Best Bitter-ish -- Golden Promise, ~7-8% light crystal, plenty of flavor and aroma from maybe Cascade and Willamette, no more than 4.0-4.5% ABV... hmm...  yeah that's what I need.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline clibit

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #46 on: September 24, 2018, 02:53:27 am »
You know, cruise control had me headed for another mid-range (~14°P) pale ale for next weekend's brew.  Thanks to this topic, I'm thinking of a nod to my roots, more Best Bitter-ish -- Golden Promise, ~7-8% light crystal, plenty of flavor and aroma from maybe Cascade and Willamette, no more than 4.0-4.5% ABV... hmm...  yeah that's what I need.

That sounds fantastic Robert.

Online BrewBama

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #47 on: September 24, 2018, 08:02:22 am »
That does sound good. I also got back to my roots this AM. I am on the second step for a Tx Brown Ale. I really enjoy beers in the low 5 to high 4 ABV range.


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Offline tommymorris

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #48 on: September 24, 2018, 06:43:56 pm »
That does sound good. I also got back to my roots this AM. I am on the second step for a Tx Brown Ale. I really enjoy beers in the low 5 to high 4 ABV range.


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Is that a post retirement brew? I’m jealous if your brewing on a Monday.

Online BrewBama

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #49 on: September 24, 2018, 07:09:50 pm »
Yep. I didn’t really need to brew, I did it out of principle. What a great day.


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Offline Robert

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #50 on: September 25, 2018, 08:44:30 pm »
You know, cruise control had me headed for another mid-range (~14°P) pale ale for next weekend's brew.  Thanks to this topic, I'm thinking of a nod to my roots, more Best Bitter-ish -- Golden Promise, ~7-8% light crystal, plenty of flavor and aroma from maybe Cascade and Willamette, no more than 4.0-4.5% ABV... hmm...  yeah that's what I need.

That sounds fantastic Robert.

I'm refining the idea a bit, but looking forward to it.  Will brew it this Saturday morning, as the blue line of a Marathon will have me trapped at home for 5-6 hours anyway!  Want to reduce the crystal to let the base malt flavor shine.  Will likely add a bit of wheat, as that's the sort of thing that screams "old school bitter" to me.  And to correct color with less crystal, Briess Midnight Wheat.  You'll never know it's there, love it.  Seems more honest than brewer's caramel too.  Plan on 25% Cascade FWH, 25% Cascade and 50% Willamette 15 min. and Willamette as dry hop, aiming for about 12°P and around 35 IBU.  Thinking the "Whitbread dry" strain, mahing to ensure it doesn't dry out too much.  It really does require some thought to plan a balanced, moderate strength beer.

EDIT  Well I just made myself some No. 2 Invert using the Unholymess directions.  Should have tried this before now.  Now I'm really headed down the old school bitter path.... Whatever I brew in the end I'll share.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2018, 05:08:53 pm by Robert »
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline clibit

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #51 on: September 27, 2018, 11:42:02 am »
I'm refining the idea a bit, but looking forward to it.  Will brew it this Saturday morning, as the blue line of a Marathon will have me trapped at home for 5-6 hours anyway!  Want to reduce the crystal to let the base malt flavor shine.  Will likely add a bit of wheat, as that's the sort of thing that screams "old school bitter" to me.  And to correct color with less crystal, Briess Midnight Wheat.  You'll never know it's there, love it.  Seems more honest than brewer's caramel too.  Plan on 25% Cascade FWH, 25% Cascade and 50% Willamette 15 min. and Willamette as dry hop, aiming for about 12°P and around 35 IBU.  Thinking the "Whitbread dry" strain, mahing to ensure it doesn't dry out too much.  It really does require some thought to plan a balanced, moderate strength beer.

EDIT  Well I just made myself some No. 2 Invert using the Unholymess directions.  Should have tried this before now.  Now I'm really headed down the old school bitter path.... Whatever I brew in the end I'll share.

All sounds great. What wheat though? Torrified would be the typical English thing, going by many of the recipes I've seen for commercial English bitters.

Offline Robert

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #52 on: September 27, 2018, 12:52:26 pm »
I've used torrefied in the past, and just once red wheat malt.   But this time I'm going to use white wheat malt.  I think torrefied has largely been replaced by wheat flour in commercial British practice (cheaper,) and my reading indicates that this malt is used frequently also.  The difference is that malt will contribute a bit of flavor as well as a nice head, but the white wheat is much milder and more of a wheat flour rather than strong malt taste, compared to red wheat (best suited to German wheat beers.)  Here's the final plan for Saturday:  hops as above; 80% Simpsons  Golden Promise 5% wheat 5% Crisp crystal light 45L 10% No. 2 Invert;  Nottingham ale yeast.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline clibit

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #53 on: September 28, 2018, 03:36:38 pm »
I dont think you're right about the wheat flour, but wheat malt is more popular i think. My understanding is that UK wheat is red rather than white, i could be wrong. But I'm in the uk and i have to buy European white wheat. Uk breweries use Torrified or UK wheat malt mostly i believe. Don't sweat it though!

Good first day all round in the golf. Up for grabs.

Offline Robert

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Re: Low Alcohol Beer Ideas?
« Reply #54 on: September 28, 2018, 05:20:56 pm »
I dont think you're right about the wheat flour, but wheat malt is more popular i think. My understanding is that UK wheat is red rather than white, i could be wrong. But I'm in the uk and i have to buy European white wheat. Uk breweries use Torrified or UK wheat malt mostly i believe. Don't sweat it though!

Good first day all round in the golf. Up for grabs.
Red or white is not so important really, they both come high or low protein. As I understand it the preference over there is for a lower protein, higher extract wheat.  For me, that means the white wheat malt.  The lower protein may account for the milder flavor development in malting as well, now I think of it.   Got the grain milled, the hops weighed, water treated... now for a couple pints of my Oktoberfest, and up early tomorrow to brew the bitter!  I appreciate the input from somebody over that side of the pond. 
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.