Greetings all, new member hoping for some advice. Anyone got any good recipes or tips for the above? Aiming for something 2.8 to 3% with a load of hop flavour and aroma. So far I'm looking at mashing high and skipping early hop additions. Should I chuck a load of carapils or caramalt in or stick to Maris and maybe some Munich? Any good low attenuating dry yeast suggestions for a hoppy beer? I've got some Surebrew ys020 slurry harvested from a small hoppy beer that was nice but the brew I did with it came down to 1.008. Thanks for any suggestions.
Hoppy low alcohol recipe ideas wanted
- Thread starter Bodge
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I suggest you use the site search engine. There are many previous posts that will answer your question.
Typically this one
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/low-alcohol-beers.77734/#post-764193
There are others
Typically this one
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/low-alcohol-beers.77734/#post-764193
There are others
peebee
Out of Control
This was a corking recipe https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2018/07/rye-neipa-with-mosaic-and-hallertau.html. Don't be spooked by the 74C (165F) mashing temperature. All hopping is steep and dry hops (no boil hops).
My own thread on this subject is https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/peebees-brewday-low-alcohol-beer.77965/. Might be aiming a bit low ABV-wise for you? I'm always scanning for new ideas in this area.
My own thread on this subject is https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/peebees-brewday-low-alcohol-beer.77965/. Might be aiming a bit low ABV-wise for you? I'm always scanning for new ideas in this area.
Cheers for the links. Peebee, how are you finding s33 for hoppy smalls? I'm going to be bottling so if it's going to continue to attenuate the remaining complex sugars I could be in trouble. I think I'll have a try at something similar to the mad fermentationist link and see how it goes.
peebee
Out of Control
I haven't used S-33 like this before this current batch, and that's only two days old! I perhaps over did it (whole 11.5g pack into 18L) so ferment was done in 30 hours. Attenuation was even better than I thought … less than 30%! But I have used S-33 in "full strength" beers, and it does very slowly munch complex sugar such that I had a very over-pressured keg after 9 months.
The current brew is not "hoppy". I purposely "under did" hopping because I'd be plagued by over-hoppy results. This time I was using the "BU:GU ratio" method and aiming for about 0.5 (one of my earlier brews was 4!).
Hop flavours are being difficult, it's easy to over-hop (not using "boil hops" works well and maximises flavour) and the tastes are different in a 0.5% ABV beer (but you might not want to go that low).
peebee
Out of Control
I had thought about bottling low-alcohol beer but reducing the risk of attenuating complex sugars and creating "bottle bombs". Gave it a bit more thought after the query …
First off, I don't see a problem if the bottles are only going to last a couple of months. And if using PET bottles the hazard is much reduced. But for longer-term glass storage (and you'd need to satisfy yourself that it would work): This does require fermenting under pressure or "force carbonation" and the equipment to achieve that (I ferment under pressure in Corny kegs); also requires a counter pressure bottle filler that will fill glass bottles (they exist, or can be adapted to fill glass like my "Pegas" tap) and a means to chill the beer to be bottled.
* Allow the beer to drop fairly clear (fermented under pressure, and still under pressure, so already carbonated).
* Fine beer and add 1/2 tsp per gallon of potassium sorbate as a solution. Unless depressurising, adding the extras, and then repressurising, this will require a means to "inject" liquids into a pressured vessel (I've done it through the gas-in disconnect post of a pressurised Corny keg). Swirl the container a bit to mix additions. (NB: Sorbate doesn't kill the yeast, but interferes with its reproduction).
* After a few days chill the beer (and clean bottles) to about 4C.
* Using the counter-pressure filler (to reduce foam) to fill bottles (that have been sprayed with "Star-san" or the like). Expel air space with CO2 as allowed by filler, or else not necessary if enough foam created to fill space.
* Cap bottles (fairly quickly to hang on to CO2).
This is entirely untested by me - it might attract remarks to say "don't do it, because … ". Using Sorbate is unusual for beer (established method for wine) but there are folk who've done it with (allegedly) good results.
Some expenditure involved, I'd use PET bottles initially (and no "special equipment") to test if it is something I'd want to try.
First off, I don't see a problem if the bottles are only going to last a couple of months. And if using PET bottles the hazard is much reduced. But for longer-term glass storage (and you'd need to satisfy yourself that it would work): This does require fermenting under pressure or "force carbonation" and the equipment to achieve that (I ferment under pressure in Corny kegs); also requires a counter pressure bottle filler that will fill glass bottles (they exist, or can be adapted to fill glass like my "Pegas" tap) and a means to chill the beer to be bottled.
* Allow the beer to drop fairly clear (fermented under pressure, and still under pressure, so already carbonated).
* Fine beer and add 1/2 tsp per gallon of potassium sorbate as a solution. Unless depressurising, adding the extras, and then repressurising, this will require a means to "inject" liquids into a pressured vessel (I've done it through the gas-in disconnect post of a pressurised Corny keg). Swirl the container a bit to mix additions. (NB: Sorbate doesn't kill the yeast, but interferes with its reproduction).
* After a few days chill the beer (and clean bottles) to about 4C.
* Using the counter-pressure filler (to reduce foam) to fill bottles (that have been sprayed with "Star-san" or the like). Expel air space with CO2 as allowed by filler, or else not necessary if enough foam created to fill space.
* Cap bottles (fairly quickly to hang on to CO2).
This is entirely untested by me - it might attract remarks to say "don't do it, because … ". Using Sorbate is unusual for beer (established method for wine) but there are folk who've done it with (allegedly) good results.
Some expenditure involved, I'd use PET bottles initially (and no "special equipment") to test if it is something I'd want to try.
