Lower ABV without losing flavour

Are you speaking from a recipe perspective or for a already produced beer? I've heard John Palmer talk at length about brewing a batch of big beer then spitting and watering down with deoxygenated sterile water. Also about diluting a strong beer that he wanted to take to the golf course but still be able to walk at the end of the day. If we are talking about diluting an already brewed beer, I'd add a measured amount of water to a glass of beer and see. Carb will be a little low but you will get an idea. CAUTION: there will be math involved

If it's from a recipe angle then that is a horse of a different SRM.

The brewing network has some shows on session beers that may have info on what you are looking for.

 

Mash @ 158 degrees and adjust your grain.

 

I don't think it (flavor) can be done really, but the degree of success is style dependent, IMHO. I think a wheat beer will be a lot closer...especially one with a dominate, estery yeast along with the higher mash temps and use of more dextrinous malts already mentioned. Once the consumer's palate gets used to the lower alcohol I guess it really doesn't matter....(eg. American adjunct Lagers)

 

I would introduce 10% wheat to the grist if it's not already there or do the 158-160f mash in temperature.

 

“So, what would you do to lower the ABV of a beer from 5.5 to 4.0 without losing flavour and/or aroma?”

If I wanted to brew a 4% ABV beer that was flavorful I would not approach this effort by looking at the recipe for a 5.5% ABV and scaling back but instead formulate a recipe for a 4% ABV that is flavorful.

A beer style that is on my ‘bucket list’ to brew is an English Dark Mild Ale (as defined by the BJCP).

My ‘strategy’ would be to utilize:

· An English base malt like Warminster floor malted Maris Otter Malt

· Specialty grains like: ½ lb. of Simpsons Medium Crystal Malt, ½ lb. of Simpson Dark Crystal Malt, ¼ lb. of Pale Chocolate Malt.

· Mash at a higher temperature (156-158 °F)

· Use a flavorful English yeast strain like Wyeast 1469

A flavorful low ABV beer I brewed last year was a Grodziskie which was 3.3% ABV. I used 100% Weyermann Oak Smoked Wheat Malt and that beer was full of flavor.

Cheers!

 

Windsor ale yeast can help you out. The attenuation is only like 60% but it tastes like a fully attenuated (75%) beer.

 

You can't lower alcohol without losing flavor. Alcohol contributes a lot to flavor. That being said, that doesnt mean you cant make a great lower alcohol beer, it just probably wont be the same.

 

I have homebrewed a number of times with Windsor and while it is not a highly attenuating yeast I have never experienced anything like an Apparent Attenuation of 60%. The last time I used Windsor (for an Oatmeal Stout) I achieved an Apparent Attenuation of 73%.

Needless to say but the level of Apparent Attenuation achieved is dependent on the fermentability of the wort.

Cheers!

 

If I want a flavorful 4% ABV beer I just brew a Dry Stout

 

Here's a thread from a few weeks ago that might give you some help.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/lowering-the-gravity-of-an-ipa.282126/

 

Okay, then how about Wyeast 1099. Now that one is a real stinker, even worse (or better? if you want low alcohol) than Windsor. But 1099 also leaves the beer tasting slurpy and underattenuated, which is different from Windsor.

 

I have never brewed with 1099 so I can't provide any personal homebrewing details here.

In the Attenuation Study that Greg Doss presented at the 2012 NHC, he obtained approx. 76% AA for 1099; those test results do not equate to "stinker" to me.

Cheers!

 

Give it a try, you'll see. I know I'm not the only one who's complained about these. Windsor in particular takes the most heat. I think people haven't used the 1099 barely at all or they'd be saying the same about that one.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=125008&hilit=1099

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=121621&hilit=windsor+attenuation

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=120160&hilit=windsor+attenuation

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=119821&hilit=windsor+attenuation

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=60697&hilit=windsor+attenuation

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=20876.0

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=11720.msg146552#msg146552

 

I'm assuming you want to rework some recipes to lower the ABV, not engage in dilution. It's tough for things like IPA's, not so hard for wheat beers, stouts, English styles in general. I advise just cutting the recipe ingredients 25% across the board as a first step. Note what is working and what is missing (besides the buzz) and make changes from there. Beware of going overboard on crystal malt; you will not like it. For some styles just mashing a little higher and not overusing bittering hops might get you there.

In general you will be better off writing recipes with a reduced ABV in mind, rather than altering recipes designed for stronger beers. Flavorful yeast is your best friend here. You can make a very tasty table saison (table beer = a very weak beer served to the whole family, including children at meals in Belgium) at 3 - 4% ABV. Try Dupont Avril if you can get it (and use their yeast from the bottle to make a starter). Hefes and Belgian pale ales are also good at low strength.

 

The answer is use Breiss Special Roast, Weyerman Melanoidin and mash high.

 

Yes, indeed, the family that drinks together...stays together! : )

 

Are you really trying to discredit the anecdotal experience of one legendary brewer with the results from a legion of inferior brewers? They probably didn't even use yeast nutrient.

 

As Denny Conn posted: "Windsor is a low attenuator, so that could be part of it. But the bigger factor is the fermentability of your wort. If you make a wort high in unfermentables, any yeast will have trouble getting high attenuation."

Cheers!