A brewer’s guide to what works, why, and what to watch out for
Why style is important
Some styles don’t work well as non-alcoholic beers— YET! I’m hopeful that as improvements and advancements are made in NA production, we’ll be able to resolve some of the issues that prevent breweries from making good NA versions of some styles. I am not saying that it is impossible to make a good NA for every style out there— it definitely is, with varying degrees of success and effort. These are my guidelines for “styles” that play well in the NA market and are a perfect for first time NA producers.
IPA
Why it works:
Hop aroma can make up for a lack of esters. Hazy beers may get away with having lower body, due to mind tricks.
Preferred Methods:
Any method of production will work, but some haze may be removed if using filtration. Dry-hopping is strongly recommended.
Watch outs:
Bitterness— NA beers present a harsher bitterness than alcoholic beers, make sure you are adjusting your IBUs to account for that, I’d recommend at least a 20% drop, but it depends on preference, hop product, and style matching. Less fermentation means less biotransformation; Lean on dry-hopping to make up for the aroma loss.
Most Wheat Beer
Why it works:
Wheat adds body, which is usually lacking in non-alcoholic beer.
Preferred Methods:
Yeast. Filtration may reduce hazy note.
Watchouts:
It may be difficult to make a decent hefeweizen without a flavoring add.
Belgian- Blonde, Saison
Why it works:
The non-hop aromatics in Belgian beers can help hide some of the missing yeast derived aroma and cover up the worty notes at the same time.
Preferred Methods:
Yeast.
Watch outs:
Make sure any additions are going into the kettle or are unlikely to infect your wort
Amber/Brown/Stout
Why it works:
Anything with a malty build has melanoidins that will hide some of the worty note that pops up in NAs. Body can be an issue with the heavier styles, like stouts and porters, but the right grain bill or a maltodextrin add will help.
Preferred Methods:
Any method of production will work. I prefer to use NA yeast.
Watch outs:
Low body and reduced malty flavor. Your ratio of specialty malt to base malt needs to be adjusted to ensure that the malt flavors and aromas make it into the final product. My very basic advice is to add 10% total specialty malts to your grain bill. Depending on what you are shooting for, you may need to add more.
Sours – Berliner, Kriek, Lambic
Why it works:
If you are already making a product with a low pH and kettle souring, you might as well make a sour. Plus, Berliner-weisse is already a low alcohol beer. A lower pH will help with microbial stability.
Preferred Methods:
Yeast with kettle souring.
Watch outs:
If you are adding fruit or any flavoring, make sure your yeast is removed, otherwise you may get an increase in alcohol.
Why Not Light Beer
I know everyone wants a non-alcoholic light lager. I do too. For most brewers though, it will not be worth the research or the equipment needed to make a light NA. Light beer is hard enough to make well without the constraints of non-alcoholic production. There is nothing to hide the worty note behind. A tiny mistake in a water addition moves your NA from ‘light-bodied’ to ‘watery’. The yeast derived aromas, while minimal on light lagers, are still expected and it is hard to thread the needle between ‘obviously flavored’ and ‘doesn’t smell like beer’.
Curious how these styles translate to production? Read Modern Methods for Brewing Non-Alcoholic Beer for a closer look at the methods and science behind today’s NA brewing.