How to Make Non-alcoholic Beer? Is it any different from normal beer?
Non-alcoholic (NA) beer is almost exactly how it sounds like. It doesn’t get one drunk but it does have a percentage of alcohol in it.
Despite the obvious popularity of the alcoholic kind, this other kind has its patrons, too, for various reasons. Maybe someone just likes the t aste, however bland it may seem to others. Maybe one is temporarily prevented by circumstances to enjoy alcohol. They could be in situations such as being pregnant or on antibiotics. If one is going to drive, that would be a good alternative drink to avoid drunk-driving. Some certainly are not into beers so getting the much lighter kind should still keep them from feeling out of place during parties.
Whatever the reason, it cannot be denied that NA beers do have their own following, so to speak. From the Brewers’ point of view, the more people to cater to, the better. Everybody happy.
How Non-alcoholic Beer Came to Be
The main difference between an alcoholic drink and an NA is, you guessed it, the alcohol part. The latter isn’t entirely free of it. It still has 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) in it. That is basically the difference between the two beverages.
The creation of NA beers had to do with the Prohibition in the early 1900s. It only allowed beverages with up to 0.5% alcohol. To be able to keep earning without breaking the law, large breweries decided to make the very pale, nearly flavorless “non-alcohol” that had the required limit as an alternative. In 1919, the NA was, suffice it to say, born.
Once Prohibition was lifted, however, NA beverages stayed in the market. There was a demand for them so breweries continued the supply though leaving a little more of the alcohol in. That’s the reason for light beers, lagers, and similar beverages.
How to Make an NA Drink
That small percentage mentioned is actually courtesy of the alcoholic beer — NA is somewhat its offshoot. NA starts as a normal beer, going through almost the whole process. What is left undone is the bottling (or canning or kegging). Instead, a new process is begun to now remove 95% of the alcohol.
Removal is normally through heating. The fermented beer is heated up to around 173 degrees Fahrenheit. It stays at that temperature until ABV has dropped down to 0.5%.
Some practice vacuum distilling to avoid or minimize flavor changes. Large-scale distilling requires vacuums that need not be very powerful that the boiling point can be lowered to 120 degrees. If more powerful, the temperature can be lowered to 50 degrees, but it will not be for large scale.
How to Make non-alcoholic beer at Home
Removal of alcohol through heating could actually be done at home though it does work best with beer, wine, hard cider, and other drinks with low alcoholic content. Meanwhile, doing this with carbonated drinks will remove the carbonation.
Follow this simple procedure:
Pour the drink into the pot/saucepan that should allow it to be a few inches deep.
Heat it on a stove until it simmers gently. Adjust the heat when necessary. NO BOILING.
Simmer it for 2.5 hours or more. That should remove the alcohol.
Let it cool off then chill.
As an additional tip, it would be wiser to use an appropriate thermometer while heating to monitor the temperature.
How to Chill your Non-Alcoholic Beer
Now that you know how to make non-alcoholic beer, you need to learn how to chill beer! When doing the DIY NA beverage, remember to start much earlier if a company is expected later in the day or in the evening.
A good host serves a nice, chilled beverage. So rather than heating then putting drinks back into bottles, homebrewing and using a kegerator would be a great idea. Homebrewers understand its significance perfectly. And that’s especially perfect for people who love to throw little parties that involve drinking. A kegerator keeps beer fresh and chilled for a long time. Keg tapping is made easy. Again, everybody happy.
Downing a non-alcoholic drink is, in a sense, an acquired taste. As long as the drinker gets what he or she expects from it and is satisfied, it should not be a problem.
I anyone is interested to know more about homebrewing tips and guides, visit KegFridge.com. There is enough information there that should be able to answer questions and concerns. Feel free to connect with Keg Fridge!
