Non-Alcoholic Stout Recipe (Under 0.5% ABV)
A dark, roasty stout under 0.5%. Roast malts hide the worty taste of a short fermentation better than any other style, and they bring the pH down on their own.
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Non-Alcoholic Stout at a glance: about 0.4% ABV, 20 IBU, OG 1.025. A dark, roasty stout under 0.5%. Roast malts hide the worty taste of a short fermentation better than any other style, and they bring the pH down on their own.
Bräu Supply recipe · Non-alcoholic · All-grain
Non-Alcoholic Stout
Grain · for 5 gal into the fermenter
| 3.5 lb (1.59 kg) | 2-row pale malt | 64% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Flaked barley | 9% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Crystal 60 | 9% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Carapils / dextrin malt | 9% |
| 0.25 lb (0.11 kg) | Chocolate malt | 5% |
| 0.25 lb (0.11 kg) | Roasted barley | 5% |
Hops
| 1 oz (28 g) | East Kent Goldings · 5% AA | 60 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: 158°F (70°C) for 60 minutes
- Boil: 60 minutes, lid off
- Ferment: 64°F (18°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 158°F (70°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 64°F (18°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
- For a creamier stout, add 8 oz (225 g) of lactose at the end of the boil. Yeast can’t ferment it, but it makes the beer no longer dairy-free.
- The roast malts usually bring the pH close to target on their own; measure before you add any acid.
- Serve it a little warmer than the pale beers, around 40–45°F (4–7°C), and at about 2.2 volumes.
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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