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RevA

Praying this ferments
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Hi
Does anyone have a suggestion for a low abv (4-5%) sparkling drink other than cider that can be easily made?
I'm having a bit of a gluten issue so I'm taking a break from beer and want to brew something for when I want a drink but don't want to open a bottle of wine for myself...
 
Any fruit which is in the sugar level of 1.050 like apples are can be made into a cider. Example a peach or a plum cider. (I use cider as a generic term meaning legally below 9% ABV) Fermented beverages are a family, there is nothing to stop you from making a low alcohol (starting sugar) or a commercial guy from stopping a grape ferment at 5% ABV/ lots of sugar left and making a sterile beverage.

Looking at this as a preservation system, if the alcohol is reduced you will have to substitute another factor as a preservative. I would use pH and keep the pH close to 3.0 to 3.1, in addition I would guess that the free SO2 should be high if you are to get good shelf life (or else sterile filter).
From a preservation point of view it is safer/ better shelf life if you switch to drinking a sangria, a 50/50 blend of 11% ABV wine and a frozen fruit juice, ,,, and consume it out of the refrigerator.
 
Look for 100% fruit juice with no preservatives, especially sorbate. If the SG is in the range @Rice_Guy mentioned, you're golden.

I assume you'll carbonate like beer? Alternately you can use carbonation drops, available at a LHBS or online.

Fruit wines benefit from at least a bit of backsweetening, but if you carbonate you won't be able to do that unless you do carbon injection or something similar.
 
@winemaker81 mentions carbonation, this is another preservative that controls micro issues.
The trade journals are encouraging artificial sweeteners, which also prevents refermentation. They take some playing ex bench testing erythritol in a crab apple cider it seems to hide some of the tannin flavor where as in a rhubarb the sweet notes wash out of the mouth faster than sucrose. Flavors meld and I liked it in rhubarb better after a day than fresh.
 
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When I've made Skeeter Pee (look for recipe under its own forum heading) I will sometimes mix it with sparkling water in a tumbler of ice. Its about the AVB you're looking for and very refreshing in the summer.
 
Look for 100% fruit juice with no preservatives, especially sorbate. If the SG is in the range @Rice_Guy mentioned, you're golden.

I assume you'll carbonate like beer? Alternately you can use carbonation drops, available at a LHBS or online.

Fruit wines benefit from at least a bit of backsweetening, but if you carbonate you won't be able to do that unless you do carbon injection or something similar.
I have a kegging system, so will give it a go.
 
When I've made Skeeter Pee (look for recipe under its own forum heading) I will sometimes mix it with sparkling water in a tumbler of ice. Its about the AVB you're looking for and very refreshing in the summer.
Thank, I will start a batch tonight
 
@winemaker81 mentions carbonation, this is another preservative that controls micro issues.
The trade journals are encouraging artificial sweeteners, which also prevents refermentation. They take some playing ex bench testing erythritol in a crab apple cider it seems to hide some of the tannin flavor where as in a rhubarb the sweet notes wash out of the mouth faster than sucrose. Flavors meld and I liked it in rhubarb better after a day than fresh.
Should be fun playing with the options
 
Hi
Does anyone have a suggestion for a low abv (4-5%) sparkling drink other than cider that can be easily made?
I'm having a bit of a gluten issue so I'm taking a break from beer and want to brew something for when I want a drink but don't want to open a bottle of wine for myself...

Why not just continue to enjoy the beer you have always brewed? Just add Clarity Ferm (the U.S. name for it; in Britain, it is Brewer's Clarity). Originally devised to prevent chill haze and clear beer faster, Clarity Ferm has been continuously tested by U.S. craft breweries in products that are labeled reduced gluten for over 9 years. It breaks the protein bonds, resulting in consistent reduction of gluten to less than 10 parts per million. That not only meets the U.S. standard for gluten free, it is virtually an insignificant amount insofar as gluten intolerance or even celiac or Crohn's Disease.

My wife is gluten intolerant, so I've brewed literally ALL my beer with this product added for at least six years. She enjoys all she wants without problems. The beer's flavor is unaffected.

Links:
https://www.murphyandson.co.uk/product/brewers-clarity-1kg/
https://www.whitelabs.com/enzymes-nutrients-detail?id=8&type=ENZYMENUTRIENT
Some recent craft brewery test results... they go on and on...

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