Zero Alcohol Recipe

Mash

Heat 3.5 gallons of brew water to ~168°F (76°C). Add crushed Pilsner malt, flaked corn, and rice syrup solids to the mash tun. Target mash temperature 150°F (66°C) for 60 minutes to produce a highly fermentable wort with a light, delicate body. Stir well to eliminate dough balls and check thermometer in several spots for accuracy. Maintain temperature with insulation or recirculation.

Mash out: raise temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve lautering.

Sparge with 1.0 gallon of water at 170°F (77°C) to collect roughly 6.0–6.5 gallons of wort in the kettle (accounting for boil-off).

Boil and Hop Additions

Bring wort to a rolling boil and boil for 60 minutes total. At 60 minutes (start of boil) add 0.5 oz Saaz hops (bittering). At 15 minutes remaining add Irish moss (1 tsp) and yeast nutrient (1 tsp). At 5 minutes remaining add 0.25 oz Saaz hops (aroma/finish). Turn off heat at end of 60-minute boil.

Optionally, if you plan a light dry-hop for aroma resembling a noble, add 0.25 oz Hallertau at flameout or in the fermenter for a short contact (24–48 hours).

Cool wort quickly to yeast-pitching temperature (50–55°F / 10–13°C for lager yeast; 60–66°F / 15–19°C for clean ale yeast). Use an immersion chiller or ice bath to reach target within 30–45 minutes.

Pitching Yeast

Aerate the cooled wort (shake or use an aeration stone) and pitch the yeast package. If using lager yeast, ferment initially at 50–54°F (10–12°C) until activity slows (7–10 days), then raise to 65–68°F (18–20°C) for a diacetyl rest for 48 hours. For an ale strain, maintain 60–66°F (15–19°C) until fermentation is complete (~5–7 days). Aim for a relatively high attenuation to produce a drier beer with low residual sweetness.

Monitor gravity daily. Target original gravity ~1.036–1.040 to simulate a light American lager and (if fermented fully) final gravity ~1.006–1.010. Note: the user described 'zero alcohol' in the title; this recipe is for a very low-calorie, very light American lager that mimics a 4.6% ABV profile in flavor. To actually produce zero-alcohol, different processes (dealcoholization or arrested fermentation) are required and are not covered here.

When fermentation is complete and gravity is stable for 48 hours, rack to a secondary vessel for conditioning if desired, or proceed to packaging. Cold condition (lagering) at 34–40°F (1–4°C) for 2–4 weeks to clarify and mellow flavors, achieving the delicate body characteristic.

Carbonation

For canning/kegging: force carbonate to a bright, high carbonation typical of American lagers (2.5–2.7 volumes CO2). For bottling: dissolve priming sugar (3 oz corn sugar) in 1 cup boiling water, cool, add to fermenter and bottle. Condition bottles at room temperature for 2 weeks, then cold condition for another week.

Before serving, chill cans/bottles to 38–40°F (3–4°C). Pour slowly into a chilled 16 oz glass, leaving a small head. Expect a light straw color, delicate body, soft Pilsen malt character, subtle noble hop bitterness and a refreshing finish. Adjust carbonation if too low or high to reach a crisp mouthfeel similar to a 16 oz American lager can.

Storage: keep cold and consume fresh within a few months for best hop aroma and delicate profile.