Hiding abv

Ferment at a low temperature such as 60-62F. Hot and rough boozy beers are the result of fusels (harsh headache prone alcohols) that were produced from fermenting the beer at too high of a temperature too early in the fermentation. Over oxygenation prior to pitching can also increase fusels even if the temperature is within the optimal range.

It is not difficult to make a 10% beer that drinks like a 7% beer with respect to the smoothness of the booze. Anything less than a smooth booze beer from a pro is not a good beer.

 

Here's a link to a thread from 2013 that will give some answers. Maybe someone else can add an update to that info. The last post in this thread is certainly a good way to do it.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/hiding-alcohol.111755/#post-1650226

 

Ferment cold, ensure a high final gravity via crystal malts or lactose or high mash temps, and age well (for 6-12 months or more). Those are the biggies. Sweetness from malt or unfermentables, or even vanilla or fruit or certain spices, can do a lot to cover high octane IMO.

 

It is possible to make a dry 10% beer that has a smooth booze character. I made a 9.5% imperial saison that finished at 1.003 which is considerably drier than any DIPA or TIPA you will ever drink. It was a dangerous beer because it drank like a 6% beer.

 

Try mashing at 160 F for just 20 minutes. Boom.

 

I agree, a well made saison can be extremely deceptive. In this case I wonder if it's due to the very low FG combined with the relatively low OG required to get the same ABV as a regular beer. In other words, when your FG is 1.003, then you only need like 1.075 OG to get 9.5% ABV. So.... maybe the low OG has something to do with the deceptive detectability of the alcohol. Maybe.

 

I think some of it has to do with most saison yeasts produce less fusels than say for instance Chico (the most common IPA yeast) at elevated temperatures. The Imp Saison I made was with Blaugies yeast and was fermented at 64F. It's smooth at much higher temperatures, but I wasn't willing to risk it with the big OG.

 

You should learn how to brew. The smooth Imperial Saison does not exist in the liquor store.

 

Ahem: http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/tank-7-farmhouse-ale/

 

Hiding booze in IPAs and IIPAs takes lots of late addition hops. Hop juice tends to hide boozy flavors until the beer can age into an American Barleywine. Edit: I still do 60 min mashes around 150 with great success. Never tried a 160 mash temp. I'd assume you'd use a pound of so of table sugar in the bill.

Another factor I didn't see mentioned is TIME. On RIS and Barleywines, they tend to drink much better after sitting in a cellar for a year +

 

I haven't done a ton of big beers, but the one's I have done I fermented around 60F and the alcohol has been well hidden - and two of them have been with US-05.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24075/75497/
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/637/1716/
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18120/68486/
that's a bold ass statement.

 

Two out of three can't be purchased at my or the Op's liquor store. I haven't tried the big DuPont.

 

So if you haven't tried them it doesn't exsist?