31 replies to this topic

[Poptop]

It went down quick and ice cold on a hot day and it was pretty much what I expected, plain, watery and lackluster taste wise. But it got me thinking that if anyone of us designed and made a low carb and low abv beer, they would all have more character and flavor than any Ultra-type BMC out there.

Which brings me to my summer quest; to make very light and highly drinkable summer beers either ale or lager. All having their own characters.

Right now I have 9#’s Pils and ½# Carapils with Saaz finishing up in it’s Bayern fermenter and by my estimations it’ll be 4.4. An Ultra is 4.2 and I know mine will bring more to the glass. This simple recipe will be my baseline for upcoming batches. I think Pickle_Rick’s into this groove. Anyone else?

[positiveContact]

Best low abv beer I've made is bitter Galaxy for sure. Lots of flavor but I think about 3.7% abv.

[Poptop]

Yes, sub 4 is where I'd like to experiment.

[Big Nake]

I feel like these beers are made so there is just NO FLAVOR as if they don't want to offend anyone. There seems to be no real contribution from the malt, hops or yeast as if they used the most bland malt they could find, hop extract from the most tasteless hops and then they chose a yeast with absolutely no soul. The result is a beer that is unbelievably bland. We don't have to worry about any of that because we can use somethign like Barke Pils, use fresh Hallertau hops (or whatever), lighten the body with flaked corn if you like but then (and I think this is the key) use a great yeast so you give the beer that great character. Bayern could really make just about any beer great, even a sub 4% gold lager. You're just not going to get that kind of character from the bland American lager yeasts. 940 does something similar for me... it's not German but it's very distinctive and it has the ability to improve the character of a lighter beer.

[positiveContact]

Whatever you are making Ken is right that using a really good base make will help.

I would prefer to use something a little more intense than Pilsen but maybe that barke Pilsen could do the job. Maris otter, Vienna, golden promise, etc I think would all be good choices.

[Big Nake]

Imagine the difference between the most bland base malt + a high percentage of something like rice and then tasteless hop extract (or whatever they use) and then the aforementioned soulless yeast... and then... A really good pilsner malt like Weyermann (I like this Swaen Pils too) plus some Vienna or Munich 1, fresh hop pellets and Bayern or 2124 or 940 or whatever good lager yeast you like. Even at 4% the difference would be remarkable, IMO.

[Poptop]

Yes, the difference WOULD/WILL be remarkable. The Barke Pils btw is one I can burn through a sack of. I really like that grain. "Not to offend, Souless yeast, hop extract..." Almost sounds like a drinkable punishment.

[Big Nake]

"Not to offend, Souless yeast, hop extract..." Almost sounds like a drinkable punishment.

There will always be a certain percentage of the [mostly American] population that doesn't expect to taste much when they drink a beer. The fact that so many people drink Bud Light intentionally tells you something. But making a beer like this (lower ABV but with solid ingredients and good flavor) is a great way to get people to wake up a little bit. It is your mission, Brother Poptop. Brew it.

[Poptop]

My mission will please my people. The others (Bud Lite) are lost hahaha.
Also I guess I need to get some 940 huh....

[denny]

I think my latest test batch of American Mild is 99% of what I want it to be.  It's 3.1% ABV.

[Poptop]

I think my latest test batch of American Mild is 99% of what I want it to be.  It's 3.1% ABV.

And I'd assume flavor and body is in direct relation to the specialty/boutique malts you are using. Not to mention your stellar brewing prowess

[cavman]

I think my latest test batch of American Mild is 99% of what I want it to be.  It's 3.1% ABV.

Getting the malt profile dialed in that low is tough, sounds like a crusher.

[denny]

And I'd assume flavor and body is in direct relation to the specialty/boutique malts you are using. Not to mention your stellar brewing prowess

 

Getting the malt profile dialed in that low is tough, sounds like a crusher.

 

Yeah, it has a lot to do with the Mecca Grade malt and the American noble hops from YCH.  AAMOF, pretty much everything!  I think I need to make one last mod before I call it good.  I want to bump up the body a bit, so I'll try adding some crystal.

[HVB]

Yeah, it has a lot to do with the Mecca Grade malt and the American noble hops from YCH.  AAMOF, pretty much everything!  I think I need to make one last mod before I call it good.  I want to bump up the body a bit, so I'll try adding some crystal.

What about Mecca Grade makes it so special to make this beer work now over the other tries?

[neddles]

*dumps out all stock of American nobles from Hop Heaven*

[denny]

What about Mecca Grade makes it so special to make this beer work now over the other tries?

 

It's got flavor out the wazoo.  Other American malts I've tried are bland compared to it.  IMO, it's the key to making a beer with a lot of flavor without a large amount of ingredients.

[positiveContact]

Yeah, it has a lot to do with the Mecca Grade malt and the American noble hops from YCH. AAMOF, pretty much everything! I think I need to make one last mod before I call it good. I want to bump up the body a bit, so I'll try adding some crystal.

Noble hops in a mild? Maybe I don't know exactly what an American mild is.

[denny]

*dumps out all stock of American nobles from Hop Heaven*

 

Don't do that!  The YCH American nobles are totally unlike "normal" noble hops.  It's the debittered leaf left from making cryo hops.

[denny]

Noble hops in a mild? Maybe I don't know exactly what an American mild is.

 

Yeah, but they're Simcoe, Loral, Citra, etc.  They're called "American nobles" because they're low bitterness leaf left from making cryo hops.

[positiveContact]

Yeah, but they're Simcoe, Loral, Citra, etc. They're called "American nobles" because they're low bitterness leaf left from making cryo hops.

Ah! I thought it was American grown hallertau or something.