Toning my beer ABV down

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I always aim for a 5% brew when doing my recipes, on the understanding that is I ******** up my efficiency I'll still get about 4.2-4.5%, or if I surprise my self I'll get 5.5
Happy medium!


Also cannot wait to get my hands on the new Tool album
 
I do exactly that. Just after making a blonde ale which should be less than 4%, can sit in the garden and knock it back all day. Also have a 6% red citra ipa bottled if i fancy wrecking the house.

I'd really like to make kölsch on a regular basis but I haven't worked out the ins and outs of lagering! early days though
 
I do an occasional stronger beer to put aside for aging but most of my beers tend to be 4.5 to 5%.
I can turn these round quickly, around 2 weeks grain to glass and I can have several pints and avoid a hangover the next morning. For me that's preferable to sipping a stronger beer.
 
This thread caused me to dig out a bottle of one of my stronger beers, it's around 8% and brewed 14 months ago, it's a historical beer from Ron Pattisons book, it's good, it gets better every time I sample it, but for everyday drinking (or Friday to Sunday drinking in my case) I think I'm going to stick to something more sessionable. Currently working on a session IPA recipe version 1 all gone, version 2 currently drinking, version 3 in the fermenter to be kegged tomorrow or Tuesday. Though maybe I should think about doing something stronger for the dark winter evenings/ Christmas
 
Never worked that one out either.
I drink at a set speed. So if I start at 3pm I'm a gibbering wreck by 8...
Normally I crack my first one after tea and by bedtime I'm done!
You seem to be perfectly calibrated. Tea 'til bed has got to be optimum drinking schedule.
 
um what are these strange brews of under 5% that you talk of? Isn't that pop ;)
I've seen a few forum members that prefer 3% ABV or something like that which is fine. To each his own, right?
Me? I'm not lighting the pilot unless that puppy is going to be 9% or better. I posted something, somewhere, about my next five: 10%, 11%, 11%, 9.8%, 12%. Plus I think I can coax that sub-ten beer a few points higher without negatively effecting the recipe. It's an English Old Ale so I'm going to be careful since the recipe I've been using is delicious.
 
I have a mix of strengths generally and this year has been mostly lower abv beers kicking about between 4 - 5.5% with the exception of a 6.5% Maibock. My raw wheat was planned for 4.8%, then I got a much higher efficiency which put it to 5.8%, then the yeast attenuated much higher and it ended up as 6.2%, so not the light refreshing summer beer, but still way too drinkable.

Due to that "accident" I've ran out of anything sub 6% so it's time to brew a big batch of 4% bitter and either a dry stout or a mild to get some easier going beer back in stock.
 
Back
Top