Non-Alcoholic Golden Ale Recipe (Under 0.5% ABV)
A crisp, pale, lager-style golden ale under 0.5%: Pilsner malt, noble hops, and a cool fermentation with SafBrew LA-01.
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Non-Alcoholic Golden Ale at a glance: about 0.5% ABV, 19 IBU, OG 1.026. A crisp, pale, lager-style golden ale under 0.5%: Pilsner malt, noble hops, and a cool fermentation with SafBrew LA-01.
Bräu Supply recipe · Non-alcoholic · All-grain
Non-Alcoholic Golden Ale
Grain · for 5 gal into the fermenter
| 4.5 lb (2.04 kg) | Pilsner malt | 82% |
| 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) | Carapils / dextrin malt | 14% |
| 0.25 lb (0.11 kg) | Munich malt (10L) | 5% |
Hops
| 1 oz (28 g) | Hallertau Mittelfrüh · 4% AA | 60 min |
| 0.75 oz (21 g) | Saaz · 3.5% AA | 10 min |
Yeast, water and acid
| 1 pack | SafBrew LA-01 (11.5 g), sprinkled on the wort. Maltose-negative: it ferments only the simple sugars, then stops. | |
| Acid | Food-grade lactic acid (88%) after fermentation, a few mL at a time, to pH 4.4 or lower. | |
Process
- Mash: 156°F (69°C) for 60 minutes
- Boil: 60 minutes, lid off
- Ferment: 60°F (16°C) for 3–5 days, until the gravity holds for 2 days and has dropped no more than 3.5 points
- Crash: 34°F (1°C), then dump the yeast from the cone
- Acidify: to pH 4.4 or lower, measured with a calibrated meter
- Carbonate: 2.6 volumes: about 10 psi at 34°F
- Serve: keg it, keep it cold, drink it within about 4 weeks
Based on 72% brewhouse efficiency and about 5.5 gal after the boil for a 5 gal batch. Alcohol is an estimate from LA-01’s typical 13–14% apparent attenuation; measure the gravity yourself and leave a margin. Never call homebrew 0.0.
How to brew it
- Mash at 156°F (69°C) for 60 minutes. The low starting gravity is the point: it keeps the simple sugars, and so the alcohol, low.
- Boil 60 minutes with the lid off, adding the hops on schedule.
- Chill to 60°F (16°C), transfer to the fermenter and sprinkle on the LA-01.
- Take a gravity reading every day. When it holds for two days, check the drop is no more than about 3.5 points (about 0.45% ABV).
- Crash to 34°F (1°C) and dump the yeast from the cone.
- Measure the pH. Add food-grade lactic acid a few mL at a time until it reads 4.4 or lower.
- Carbonate cold to about 2.6 volumes (10 psi at 34°F), keg it and keep it cold.
Keep it safe
With almost no alcohol and plenty of sugar left, this beer can grow things a normal beer can’t. Acidify it below pH 4.6 (we aim for 4.4 or lower), keg and force carbonate instead of bottle conditioning, keep it cold from the tank to the glass, and drink it within a few weeks. The full reasoning is in how to make non-alcoholic beer.
Tips
- Ferment at the cool end of LA-01’s range, around 60°F (16°C), for the cleanest flavour.
- Pilsner malt can leave a corn-like DMS note: boil a full 60 minutes with the lid off and chill quickly.
- Keep it very cold and very fresh. A light beer with this little alcohol shows its age within weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different yeast?
Use another maltose-negative yeast such as LalBrew LoNa, and follow its maker’s starting gravity; LoNa attenuates a little more, so aim slightly lower, around 1.020–1.023. A normal ale yeast would take this wort to about 3% ABV.
Is it really under 0.5%?
It should be, if the gravity drops no more than about 3.5 points, but a hydrometer gives an estimate, not a lab result. Leave a margin, and don’t serve it to anyone who must avoid alcohol completely.
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