How to reduce abv w/o reducing flavor?

[looneybomber]

My two most favorite types of beer are imperial stouts and quads/tripels and of those types, my favorite beers of each have an OG of >1.100. They're delicious, but drinking a 750ml of 12% or 22oz of 13% keeps me from enjoying them fully.

Is there a way to get that big beer flavor and mouth feel but without the big beer abv? Or is that like asking how to get jacked without lifting weights IE you can't?

*edit* OK the quad is not >1.100 og, but it's still 11.8%

 

[kbuzz]

If you figure it out, let me know.

I'm pretty sure even the pros would love to figure a way to make this happen.

 

[looneybomber]

If you figure it out, let me know.

I'm pretty sure even the pros would love to figure a way to make this happen.

I figured that was the case, but since I am new, I figured I'd ask. I guess it kind of falls inline with not cheating physics.

 

[Dr. Francois]

I'm no expert, but I do make session beers almost exclusively.

One thing to consider is that those monster beers have higher FG. Session beers will get overly dry if you start with low gravity and attenuate 75%.

I always add maltodextrin to beers under 1.040. Adding lactose or maltodextrin will help improve the thickness and mouthfeel.

Also, I find you can go crazier with the specialty malts. You don't really have to scale them in proportion to the recipe.

 

[Draken]

Just guessing, but if you mash on the high end you will end up with more unfermentable sugars which would contribute to mouthfeel and body, counteract the sweetness with a bigger hops bill and you might get close.

 

[BrewKnurd]

I'd start by taking a recipe you like, dialing back on the malt bill, increasing mash temp (if you brew all grain), and moving to a less attenuative yeast. See what you end up with.

 

[stratslinger]

Borrowing a page from the Scottish ale styles, you can also look to take some of the first runnings off your mash tun and boil the heck out of them - this will tend to caramelize some of those sugars, making them less fermentable and lending to the body of the finished beer. It'll also change the character of the final beer, so some experimentation would likely be involved to find the right grain bill for your target style...

 

[Yooper]

My goal for the last couple of years has been to make a "session IPA" because I love them but I can't drink more than about 2 7%ers and then I can't drive or even do much except post here on HBT (hence the 40,000 posts I guess. )

I've made some "pretty good" lower ABV IPAs but nothing I would consider excellent.

I've been using 21st Amendments Bitter American as my target. I'm having trouble getting enough malt backbone and flavor in the beer to support the hops I want and still keeping the OG in the 1.040's.

On the other hand, a mild is a great beer if you like stouts and the like. It's not the same, but it's a tasty session beer in its own right.

 

[beergolf]

I have been working on a lower gravity Belgian Pale. Something that has the Belgian flavor but at about 5%. I am getting close and have another fermenting right now. The key seems to be getting the right mouth feel. Soon as I get it right I will post the recipe.

I love my Belgians but the high alcohol of most of them does not make for every day beer.

 

[looneybomber]

Jotting down some notes in my book.
With extract brewing, my final gravity tends to be a little higher than AG brewing anyhow and it sounds like this can work to my advantage. However, just how high of an FG can I get away with, before I can no longer counteract the sweetness with hops? I think Goose Island’s BCS that I love so much has a FG of around 1040 I heard/read? I’m thinking, anything past that will surely be too high, right?

 

[BirdBrau]

You could always find some friends to drink with...