Genuinely usable Small Beer

Asalpaws · Jan 4, 2014

I'm normally a brewer of 8 % and above Belgian beers but this has got me interested. I also like black IPA, CDA or what ever you want to call it. The one's I've previously made were 7% brutes. Tomorrow I'm going to have a go at making a sub 3% black IPA.

Will try some of the concepts as above including mashing in hot. I'm going to shoot for about 20 IBUs all in the last 20 mins with a fairly complex malt bill to try and retain body. The only yeast I have is US 05, not ideal given it is usually pretty attenuative.

Here's what I'm planning but may tweak a bit:

We will have to compare notes! T

Asalpaws · Jan 5, 2014

Just finished brewing apart from clean up. After liquor back, ended up with gravity of 1.035. I'm hoping it will stop around 1.014, I mashed in at 71 degrees!

Now to wait....

back_to_brewing · Jan 5, 2014

Looks great what a colour... not the sort of beer I'd normally brew but with that hop combo would love to try it!

:idea: If my "Small Way to Amarillo" works out - happy to swap a bottle. You'd get some WPL002 in the bottom as a bonus, to add to your collection. In fact, I could send you both the 3.4 and the 1.7 (unmarked) as my blind taster...

Just waiting for the WPL002 to start its business... getting a little worried - eventually pitched at 9am this morning, no sign of life yet, but it's still early. The other two of yesterday's brews are using yeast from a topskim of the last brew, and are burping away madly. Topskim seems to produce very active yeasties.

Asalpaws · Jan 5, 2014

Yeah if mine turns out any good I'd love to swap. WLP002 has been a slow starter for me as well, however once it gets going it's done in about 48 hrs! T

back_to_brewing · Jan 5, 2014

Let's compare notes at racking/bottling time - with this low ABV that could be 2 weeks.

The yeasties are now creating a light foam on the top - so things are getting underway.

Asalpaws · Jan 5, 2014

Yes at least a long conditioning period will not be neccasary! In fact it will probably be drink as soon as carbed up. I will probably put mine in a pressure keg + a few bottles. T

Asalpaws · Jan 10, 2014

Check gravity on my mini black IPA today. 1.018 giving 2.2 % ABV! Smells really nice and hoppy, I think it will go a bit more yet though. How's yours going? T

back_to_brewing · Jan 10, 2014

Well it did a lot of bubbling off earlier in the week, Monday particularly, slowing down to a stop Thursday and now nothing. So you were spot on about WPL002 being a fast fermenter.

So, the numbers - OG 1019 - now at 1010. So 47% attenuation. Not sure if that's what I expected, but it may drop a point more I suspect. This gives 1.2% ABV. Less than 1 unit per pint.

Taste: Well, lots of hop flavour, the underlying beer, not as full as the other one I've been drinking this pm. But it's warm and flat from the FV unconditioned and in a cold garage, so not ideal tasting conditions. Sample from tap at bottom of FV was pretty clear, apart from a few big yeast clumps (to be expected from the bottom).

Plan to decamp it into a new FV at the weekend, dry hop, harvest the WPL002 for future use, and leave it for a week without heat to settle. Then next weekend put in pressure barrel / few bottles for a few days (hours?) to condition.

I suspect with a little fizz and the polish that happens in conditioning, this may be a nice light ale. If it drops a couple more points, that would be a benefit as well. What is certain is it will be drinkable, and not make you fall over after 5 of them :)

back_to_brewing · Jan 12, 2014

Racked off into FV2, with dry hop, will keep it at 20C till this pm then let it drift down to garage temp about 6C (will take 48 hours as it's nicely lagged and I'm off out and about this week so can't fiddle with it).

So, the experiment so far:

AG25 - og=1030 fg=1006 abv=3.2% mash@67 yeast=hopback attenuation achieved=80% - put in barrel this weekend
AG28 - og=1019 fg=1010 abv=1.2% mash@72 yeast=WLP002 attenuation achieved=47% - put in FV2 this weekend

Both taste good (but green) - the weaker one certainly is more watery though. But I'm suspending judgement till I have a clear foaming pint of both...

I didn't expect such a difference in attenuation by just switching two factors (mash temp and yeast) - hence the second is lower abv than I had planned.

I'm tempted to try another brew in between - aiming for the magical 1.7%ABV which gives 1 unit alc per pint. Putting 47% atten into brewmate suggests an og of 1026, which is nearly in proper quaffing beer territory.

If I have time next weekend will try this... I have about 4 litres of WLP002 trub looking for a job to do, this may be it!

Asalpaws · Jan 12, 2014

I also racked mine to secondary, US 05 is pretty un floculant, unlike WLP002 which is excellent in that regard.

Gravity stabilized at 1.016, giving 53 % attenuation and 2.5% ABV. I'm pretty happy with that, tastes very nice as I racked it over. However I couldn't help but not follow my own advice and added 20g of Amarillo for dry hopping. Can't wait to taste it carbed up! A good 2.5 % beer would be fantastic, only time will tell. T

back_to_brewing · Jan 12, 2014

Amazing, that looks like something off Dr Who with the green sheen :shock:

You've got a good low attenuation for US 05, which seems to indicate the difference that a high mash can make. I was calculating (guessing) much less difference.

Great choice of dry hop - I too added Amarillo, but a bit more (50g pellet).

This is going to be an interesting line up - 1.2, 2.5, 3.2. And a 1.7 if I get next week's brew on. We should be able to see where beer becomes shandy with that range.

Asalpaws · Jan 12, 2014

Perhaps a new BJCP category is called for? I don't think any of these would fit the "mild" category! T

back_to_brewing · Jan 12, 2014

SPA? Small Pale Ale?
HSA? Hoppy small ale?

Hey, Rob at the Malt Miller recommended me to get the book "Designing Great Beers" when I first met him - it was my compelling read of last summer, and has given me the confidence to go off piste and just make it up as I go along (within the boundaries of reasonableness, which I now understand thanks to the book). Graham Wheeler pushes me back occasionally (eg when my brother wants a sensible traditional English ale "none of that foreign hop nonsense" just Fuggles and Goldings please.)

I'd recommend both books to all going into AG - anyway, this is heading into a book review rather than small beer experimentation, just waiting for the 3.2 to clear (fined it with Allkleer A yesterday, still a little hazy and definitely in need of carbing up. Good thing I'm out all week, or it would be sampled too many times!)

Asalpaws · Jan 13, 2014

How about HALE Ales (high alpha low ethanol) ?

back_to_brewing · Jan 19, 2014

Update: Racked the 1019 (AG28/Small Way to Amarillo) into PB and a few 500ml PETs yesterday with 2g/l dextrose for priming.

Couldn't resist a try this evening. It's lovely and clear only 2 weeks from "birth", with a good hoppy flavour. Now must keep my hands off it as it conditions for a few days (the PET bottles already firming up, a good sign).

Didn't have time for the 1026 brew, busy weekend as in between trips abroad... and all my other brews in the pipeline needed attention, as well as fixing the tap on one of my 60l FVs that got kicked off on the last brewday (green beer all over the garage floor, but managed to rescue most of it by tipping the FV over tap up, then syphon into new FV - this is why you need spare capacity as I found out!).

How's mini black IPA doing? Can you tell if it's clearing yet?

Asalpaws · Jan 19, 2014

It's now kegged and bottled. Tastes very promising from the pressure barrel. Not fully carbed yet but should be ready soon. Will update with pics of first pint. T

RobWalker · Jan 19, 2014

A black IPA sounds like a great idea, it's not uncommon for stouts to be a low abv anyway...

Asalpaws · Jan 19, 2014

Took a sneaky sample from the keg. Very dark brown rather than black, holds it's head well.

Smells great, very hoppy. Taste is really nice can get some malt as well as plenty of hop flavours but not too bitter. Although the colour is wrong, reminds me a lot of Worthington Red Shield. This is a great little beer, punches well above it's 2.5% weight in the taste department.

Asalpaws · Jan 21, 2014

Had a proper drink of this one tonight. Tastes great out if a King keg, smooth carbonation. Smells very nice, citrus/fruity hops. Taste is the same but not so much as to be astringent. I'm really pleased with this one, a proper session ale.

How are the other low gravity beers shaping up? Any pics or tastings? T

back_to_brewing · Jan 21, 2014

Well now you challenge me to put pictures in. Let's have a go. Let me know if you can't see them...

Here's the 3.3%er...

And here's the 1.2%er...

Very similar colour, head (poured under forced CO2 from Young's PB) and clarity (very slight haze when held to bright light, not noticable otherwise).

So, most important, the flavour:

The 3.3%er: Very similar to it's 4% bigger brother (barrel empty now). Lovely hoppy flavour from the Amarillo, the malt flavour carries the hops nicely and I would buy this repeatedly in publand.

The 1.2%er... Strong hop flavour, but the malt backbone isn't there. It's a slightly malty hop tea, really needs more to it. Definitely quaff-able, not unpleasant, but closer to scented water than to beer. Disappointing really, but part of the learning process.

Conclusion: This amber style doesn't work as low as 1.2%, even with the long chain mash and the low attenuation yeast. It needs more of something - either further unfermentables (eg lactose as you suggested Asalpaws) or a step up to somewhere in between the two beers.

Happy to share a PET of each with you if you would like to confirm my review... they'll be PET conditioned so will also have a fizz to them I hope!

A.

Genuinely usable Small Beer

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