So I haven't brewed in a while. I did do a beer kit a couple months ago but it wasn't anything special. I have been trying to lose weight so I haven't been drinking much beer at all. Beer is pretty high in calories and not very good for a low calorie diet. If I brew beer I will have it in the house and drink it and screw up the weight loss, so far Ive lost about 40 pounds.
Lately I have had the brewing bug, and luckily I watched my favorite brewing video/podcast Basic Brewing, and they did a low calorie homebrew. It makes use of the body that rye adds to beer. They did a rye wit which really isnt my style but I drew up the recipe anyway and it looked like this.
Low Blow Rye Witbier
3 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 75.0 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (Briess) (3.7 SRM) Grain 2 25.0 %
1.0 pkg Safbrew Wheat (DCL/Fermentis #WB-06) [50.28 ml] Yeast 4 -
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 9.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 5 0.0 IBUs
This is a BIAB all grain 5 gallon batch. According to Beersmith it is about 70 calories per 12 oz, with an ABV of 2% or so. Now I know this won't be the best beer in the world but it's something I feel comfortable having in the house.
But as I was sitting around and thinking this morning making a list for the brewing store. I decided to try this with 2 row instead of wheat and change up the hops to be more American Pale Ale like. Which is much more to my liking. That recipe looks like this.
Low Blow Pale Ale
3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.7 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (Briess) (3.7 SRM) Grain 2 22.2 %
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 5 -
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 11.1 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 6 0.0 IBUs
.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 23.1 IBUs
This one is also a BIAB all grain 5 gallon batch. This one is about 75 calories per 12oz and also about 2% ABV.
Some people will ask what's the point in a 2% ABV beer. While you cant get drunk off it but hopefully it will be good enough to keep from drinking higher calorie stuff. This is very experimental for me however, both batches will cost about 30 bucks total including yeast.
I am leaving in just a few minutes to get these ingredients from the homebrew shop and have a healthy lunch with my wife.
