big taste in low alcoholic beer

[The_Happy_Dachshund_Brewe]

i have made a dare for myself, brew under 5% alcohol only.

but a lot of recipes i find interesting are way over the limit. so i started to look after what options i would have to make a beer that looks like the one i have found but are less alcoholic. (it also not so fun only having big heavy beers to drink on a hot day.)

i found this artical
byo tastes great less alcohol

i have found a recipe made from another member (sorry i forgot you name and dont have the link anymore) that i find tempting and followed the artical.

so the recipe looks like this

Daddy - Son
82% pilsner 73%
5% chocolade 7%
5% roasted barley 7%
3% cara munich 1 5%
3% pale chocolate 5%
3% special B 5%

WLP001

1107 OG 1044
1026 FG 1011
10.6% ABV 4,3%
76 ibu 30
0,71 bu:gu 0,68

i think i will mash the big beer around 65 (149f) and the small high as 69 (156f)

but would like to hear if somebody else have any experience in scaling down a big beer, but not just make it thin and watery? because im not trying to make a Bud

 

[azscoob]

I brew an English mild and several ordinary bitters that are big on flavor but low on alcohol, look at my recipes in the pull down below my name and see if you like anything... Maybe we can assist in creating something unique that suits you better!

 

[JonM]

This is wonderfully flavorful and very low ABV. I did it with a low attenuating yeast (WLP002) and it was even more flavorful and lower ABV (around 2%).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=52776

High mash temp and low attenuating yeast are two of the key things here, though.

 

[ericbw]

I did a Belgian style patersbier (enkel?) that was just under 5% and very flavorful.

I also did a dry hopped cream ale that was about 4%. The hop aroma makes it interesting even at that low abv.

For summery beers, try adding orange peel or lemon peel at the end of the boil.

Do any of those sound interesting enough? I can share recipes if they are.

 

[Chanoc]

First point of call would be to increase mash temp.
I brewed a simple recipe for a friend that wanted something Light
5 lbs base malt, 1/2 lb Crystal, and some rice for alcohol and 1 oz bittering and 1 oz aroma.
It was a "get off my kitchen" recipe, but I like it very much...
Even though I'm more into stronger maltier beers.
For your recipe I'd increase the crystal, let the rice out and maybe throw a few oz of roasted for color.
HTH

 

[Ike]

I respect your decision. My doc and I had a talk a while back about keeping myself to two "drinks" a night; and although not specific I'm sure she was talking about two 12 oz. BMCs, not two 16 ounce 8% homebrews as I prefer (the equivalent of four of those BMCs she was talking about). SO, I too have been on a downward trend with my ABVs, happier to drink two session-strength bottles rather than one (or less!) of my stronger brews.

I also find that as I age as a brewer, the glee of being tongue-blind and just making as much ABV as possible is replaced by the need to make something that me and my friends will actually drink without grimacing. Who knew?

I have just been tuning my usual recipes back a bit, with decent success. For stuff here, check out the Centennial Blonde (just in case you are new or have been under a rock for the past several years). The Session Stout in the recipe section is also pretty tasty, BUT you need to drink it quick: even the author mentions this, and they're right, this stout does not seem to age terribly well.

 

[bobeer]

High mash temp and low attenuating yeast are two of the key things here, though.

This!

 

[grizzly2378]

I brew an English mild and several ordinary bitters that are big on flavor but low on alcohol, look at my recipes in the pull down below my name and see if you like anything... Maybe we can assist in creating something unique that suits you better!

I just bottled Grain Reaper's dark mild a few days ago. Mine came out at 3.2% but tastes like something much more substantial. Can't wait for it to carb up!

 

[johngaltsmotor]

Aside from the technical aspect of higher mash temp to limit fermentability I'd suggest you focus on the flavors you prefer. My go-to session is a hopped up Rye. Several of my friends can't believe it's under 4.5% because the flavor is so complex they assume it's a full strength brew.

 

[EPbrew]

Have you seen this? http://www.experimentalbrew.com/content/session-beer-day-recipe-bonanza-14-recipes-you-brew

I brewed a variation of the Vienna Session IPA a few weeks ago. Don't know how it turned out yet, opening the first bottle tonight.

 

[brewcat]

I respect your decision. My doc and I had a talk a while back about keeping myself to two "drinks" a night; and although not specific I'm sure she was talking about two 12 oz. BMCs, not two 16 ounce 8% homebrews as I prefer (the equivalent of four of those BMCs she was talking about). SO, I too have been on a downward trend with my ABVs, happier to drink two session-strength bottles rather than one (or less!) of my stronger brews.

I also find that as I age as a brewer, the glee of being tongue-blind and just making as much ABV as possible is replaced by the need to make something that me and my friends will actually drink without grimacing. Who knew?

I have just been tuning my usual recipes back a bit, with decent success. For stuff here, check out the Centennial Blonde (just in case you are new or have been under a rock for the past several years). The Session Stout in the recipe section is also pretty tasty, BUT you need to drink it quick: even the author mentions this, and they're right, this stout does not seem to age terribly well.

Session stout? Isn't that like a dry stout? Those age fine.

 

[NateW]

Use a lower than normal pitch rate and do not oxygenate the wort. I haven't tried this approach, but those are the suggestions in the notes for this low gravity rye stout from Chop and Brew.

http://chopandbrew.com/recipes/rse-rye-stout-espresso-homebrew-recipe/

 

[The_Happy_Dachshund_Brewe]

thanks for all the links and ideas.

i think i will try get my mash temperature a bit higher and just try and see how it goes!