What Strength Of Beer Do You Prefer To Make & Drink ?

[Josh]

Normal brews 4-5.5% Gonna start brewing a light black that will be 2.5-3% Might also start looking at a 6.5% IPA

 

[Jazzafish]

I average around the 5 to 6%... usually my house porter and change the other tap around.

May make a low 3% for a change?

 

[Screwtop]

Summer quaffers 3.5 - 4.5
Winter Dark Ales 4.5 - 6.0

Most of the time I like to drink something around 4%
Sometimes I just go over to Bindi's for 20min and come home with one pissed leg. Thats all it takes at his %'s

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

The norm for me is between 4.5 and 5.5% ABV. These are generally kegged.

Got a few batches in bottles at the moment ranging from 7.5 to 9.7% of varying styles.

C&B
TDA

 

[doglet]

What strength of beer do you prefer to make & drink?....

This is an interesting question and can be interpreted a couple of ways by different people ie. us beer enthusiasts or the general lay person. Does strength=alcoholic content or does strength=flavour?.

I bet the first thing people ask you when you mention that you brew beer is "how strong do you make them?" followed closely by "I once had a mate's homebrew that was really strong and go me pissed after one bottle", then by "I can't drink homebrew as it gives me a headache" or "there's too much flavour".

My stock standard responses to this (after imagining slapping some sense into them!) is I make them appropriate to style, if I want to get pissed I'll have multiple beers and not rely on one bottle to knock me over and then tell them to stop buying the same beer everytime and start expanding and developing their taste by trying different beers.

These people are happy to go to a bottle shop and buy an XYZ wine solely based on colour and the creative description written on the label. They drink said wine and either like it or not but if they do they usually forget what it was called the next time they go into the bottleshop and the pot luck process starts again. If only they would go to the beer section and work their way through the different styles such as darker beers during winter followed by wheats and lagers in spring/summertime.

My pledge here to everyone is to promote beer and introduce people to the different tastes and varieties out there. My fiance says she doesn't like "dark beers" but I always make her have a taste of every beer I brew and over the two years we've been together her appreciation has slowly evolved to the point where soon I hope to be able to make a beer we can both enjoy together. (Might start a new topic called "Other half recipes)

Sorry, rant mode off - PistolPatch would be proud of how much I've written.

For the record most of my beers are full of flavour (to my tastebuds) and generally ales are about 4-5%ABV. I do have a stout brewing up around 9% that I am hoping to sample over a 3 year period to see how the flavours develop. Cheers :beer:

 

[Mercs Own]

I am averaging my beers between 5 - 6%. The lowest range has been 4.8% and the highest so far is a 7%In the same way that they say fat is flavour in food then alc is flavour in beer. I prefer bigger beers and generally dont like to buy beer or make beer that is under 5%. As Willie Simpson said - "Life is too short to drink light beer" Sure light beer might have some flavour but it just doesnt do it for me, I like the beer buzz! If you could make a full bodied full flavoured non alcoholic beer would you drink it? I wouldnt but then I will only drink coke if it has Wild Turkey in it.

 

[Boozy the clown]

The return of ThirsyMerc, welcome back!

I guess my beers range from 6% upwards. If i wasn't such a hack i'd have a better idea of the numbers, sometimes when i'm brewing i use the 'ol 'yeah a bit of this and smore more of that' method.

Made a few which were quite strong 9%ish i reckon. People I give them to comment (compliment or complain i'm not sure :huh: ) about the strength.

Love a good Belgian ale!

 

[Jerry]

I tend to aim for between 4 & 5%. That way I can have a fair session, remember going to bed and wake up feeling half reasonable.

 

[PostModern]

I tend to brew to the upper OG for the style I'm brewing. Mostly beers come in at between 5 and 8%, although sometimes lower, for milds and bitters, etc. Currently on tap is an Extra Stout at 6.9% and a Fresh Wort Irish Red at whatever they come out at (I don't bother wetting a hydrometer if it's a dump'n'stir).

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I wouldnt but then I will only drink coke if it has Wild Turkey in it.

I had faith in you Merc after seeing your TV show on food on the weekend. But it has now been shattered after you mentioned contaminating Wild Turkey with coke... h34r:


I like the challange of brewing beers under 4%. I dont make many over 5%.....

 

[Airgead]

Folks

I seem to be averaging around 4-5% at the moment. I tend to save the heavy stuff for a winter nightcap though this years winter brew is a porter at about 4.5%.

Summertime I tend to brew them lighter (3% or so) so i can have more of them without falling over.

Cheers
Dave

 

[warrenlw63]

Mine have dropped back in strength a little over the years. I try and aim for around 1.045(ish) for regular session beers for easy consumability. :beerbang:

Has it helped? I don't think so. :unsure: I seem to be drinking more than I ever did. :lol:

Warren -

 

[Kai]

Usually between 3-10%.

 

[altstart]

:beer:
I tend to try and follow the style guidelines, however I often make mistakes which my brothers love. Old Speckled hen @ 7% at a party none of it left next day.
Cheers Altstart

 

[Bobby]

i have two taps, so i like to have one stonger (usually 6-7%) and one normal strength/lighter (5.2- 3.8%)

 

[Mercs Own]

I wouldnt but then I will only drink coke if it has Wild Turkey in it.

I had faith in you Merc after seeing your TV show on food on the weekend. But it has now been shattered after you mentioned contaminating Wild Turkey with coke... h34r:


I like the challange of brewing beers under 4%. I dont make many over 5%.....

Oh man.... would it help if I said I only drink Laphraiog with one ice cube in the glass?? Glad you saw the show what ep are they up to?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I liked the show Merc. :super: But the missus was not real keen on seeing the butcher shop scenes

You were travelling thru Rutherglen in the episode I saw. My Aunty lives there, so when I get the chance I lash out on on some of the best bold Reds, Port & Tokay in the country. I was hopping that you stopped in at the Millawa Cheese factory...YUM..YUM


I am a big fan of that style of TV show, ones that gets out and show the actuall food, where it comes from and how it is prepared. Its a show much like "Gondola on the Murray" with Stefano de Perie

Now....what about a show on Micro Breweries and home brewers and motor bikes...... :chug:

 

[bindi]

Now....what about a show on Micro Breweries and home brewers and motor bikes.....

Now you have my attention 'bring it on'.

 

[chimera]

Depends on a few things, most importantly what's in my cupboards and what mood im in when im brewing.
The sights are nominally set around the 5% ABV mark, but given that i brew kits and partials using dehydrated yeasts, results do vary.

 

[johnno]

Most of mine are between 4-5% but I do try and stay to style.

Generally if I am trying to clone a beer I will try and get as close as possible.

I have made milds at 3.8 % and big ales up to 9%.

It is all good.

Oh man.... would it help if I said I only drink Laphraiog with one ice cube in the glass??

blashphemy!!! :lol:

This is pure stuff, neat is the only way to have this magical nectar. Not to be contaminated with anything.

Ok, the ice cube might be allowed if it is from the scource.

cheers
johnno