Low Gravity Beer

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Yob

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Morning all,

The need has arisen for me to get/make a super low gravity beer for the Missus... I was thinking of doing the following.

Make an AIPA with more than the usual amount of grain so that I can get a decent AIPA out of it, Take first runnings and fly sparge to get to my normal volume. (Maybe a bit quicker run off that I would normally)

Then do a second batch sparge to get 15l with as low a gravity as I can, I would assume somewhere round the 1020 mark for final volume @ about 10 liters into a cube (just went and picked up 2 10lt cubes)

One of the problems I can see is that I would need to do 2 boils, one for the AIPA and then the second for the lighter brew... long day I think..

Ages ago I read that one of the olden days practices was to separate the runnings to 3 batches and Im hoping that I can do this or... other Ideas?

Ive still got some tinkering to do before I start cracking so any ideas appreciated.

Yob
 
Are you thinking along the partgyle (sp) line of brewing?
 
I think you'll just end up with a watery pale ale :icon_vomit:

Look into some of the traditional English styles that are designed to b brewed in the 3-3.5% abv range, such as Mild or Best Bitter.

Packed full of flavour, but mostly from Crystal and/or Roast malts, with low levels of hopping. Mash in the 69-71 degree range to get lots of non-fermentable sugars.

And delicious to session on, too, without waking up feeling like you went to a case swap the night before...
 
Why not just calculate the hopping rates at a post dilution rate and seperately cube a few liters of normal-gravity wort?

For example: 5L of an IPA (1.060 and 60 IBUs) dilutes to 15L of 1.020 and 20 IBUs.

Only have to make one batch.
 
Thanks gents, will see how I go with it.. for simplicity the diluting may well be the go at this point, I will do a little more research.

Thanks Gents

Yob
 
Currently just listening too the Brewstrong episode on Session Beers 10-18-10. Some handy hints and ideas.
 
as said above I went with diluting that one... I dunno though.. Im a bit sus on it but will go ahead and bottle it (for SWMBO) but...

I just cant freaking get the partigyle out of my head..

this thread HERE has provided some very helpful info and tmoz Im gunna have at it...

Question is, what sort of yeast to throw at it? ed: Current prediction is 1.095

I will be cubing so if I need to get a Yeast in for the job that'll be sweet... on hand a few 05 slurries and some Notto I could put on the stirplate... just cant seem to dig up what tolerance level the yeasts have..

suggestions?

ed: I know this is titled low grav beer... but Im doing that too!! :rolleyes:
 
I really think that if you care about the low gravity beer, you are best brewing specifically so that you can leave a lot of residual sugars behind so that you can have a high FG, rather than mashing for regular attenuation and cutting that FG down via significant dilution. I generally mash high gravity beers for high attenuation, which would make for excessively thin beer once diluted.

Is the need for low alcohol or low gravity?

If the need is for low alcohol you could rack to sanitary kettle and heat a normal gravity finished (clarified) beer to drive off some alcohol. I suggest quick chilling to minimise cooked flavours, perhaps adding fresh yeast back for O2 scavenging and dry hopping afterwards to give a fresh edge.
 
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