Cold Mashing for Non-Alcoholic Beer: Pros, Cons & Our Results

Cold mashing, also known as Non-Enzymatic Mashing (NEM), is a hands-off way to brew non-alcoholic beer using an all-grain process that skips the heat. By steeping crushed malt at cool temperatures—typically 40–70°F—you avoid enzyme activation, limit sugar conversion, and extract malt flavor without much effort. It’s an approachable technique for homebrewers looking to reduce alcohol content while experimenting with malt-forward profiles. Additionally, alcohol production is limited in cold-mashed beers with the use of a maltotriose-negative yeast. A maltotriose-negative yeast strain ferments simple sugars like maltose but not maltotriose or dextrins, leaving behind residual body and sweetness that help keep ABV low. Our go-to for NA beers is LalBrew® Windsor British Ale Dry Yeast.

When you brew beer without alcohol, pH becomes your #1 line of defense. Traditional beer relies on alcohol, low pH, and hops to stay shelf-stable. Wild yeast and bacteria can thrive in low-alcohol, maltose-rich environments if pH is not properly controlled. When you remove or reduce alcohol, you lose one of the biggest protection tools brewers rely on, and that means you must pay close attention to pH. Learn why pH matters here.

New to non-alcoholic brewing? Start with the core methods and safety tips:

• Understanding pH in Non-Alcoholic Beer
• Hot Mash Method for Non-Alcoholic Beer

Need to level up your pH game? These resources help you dial in acids, minerals, and measurement:

• Water Chemistry Basics (Short Pour Pt. 1)
• Understanding pH & CaCO₃ (Short Pour Pt. 2)
• How to Choose a pH Meter

Recipe Development for Cold Mashing

This approach works best with 5-gallon all-grain batches. Expect alcohol levels between 0.5–2.5% ABV, depending on variables like yeast performance and wort composition. While this method typically results in non-alcoholic or extremely low-ABV beer, it may not always meet the legal definition of “non-alcoholic” (under 0.5% ABV). For best results, dial in your ingredients and process with care.

Grain Bill

Unlike hot mash methods—where you fine-tune the grain bill to limit fermentables, cold mashing lets you use your standard all-grain recipe without modification. Because enzymes remain inactive during the cold steep, the wort will naturally have low sugar content, regardless of the malt choices. If you have a favorite blonde ale, pale ale, or wheat beer recipe, you can start there and simply apply the cold mash process.

Hop Schedule (Target 10–20 IBU, Max 25 IBU):

• 5–10 minute boil additions: Soft bitterness (~5–10 IBU)
• Whirlpool additions: At 160–175°F for flavor/aroma without added bitterness.

Why Limit IBUs? Because these beers retain more malt body and unfermented compounds, bitterness has less sweetness to balance against. High IBUs can feel sharp or astringent against this grain-forward profile. Keep bitterness moderate so it complements the malt instead of overpowering it. Keep it smooth and drinkable.

Yeast:

Lallemand Windsor (preferred) — a maltotriose-negative English ale yeast that ferments maltose and other simple sugars while leaving maltotriose and dextrins unfermented. This moderate attenuation (about 65–72%) creates a fuller-bodied, malt-forward beer suited to low- and non-alcoholic styles. Just sprinkle it in — no starter or rehydration needed. Fast to start and finish fermentation.

Step-by-Step Cold Mash Method 

1. Crush & Prep

• Crush grains coarsely to reduce flour and minimize starch haze.
• A coarse crush also helps prevent stuck lautering during the cold steep.

2. Cold Mash

• Combine crushed grain with cool water at a 5:1 water-to-grain ratio by weight (e.g., 5 lbs water per 1 lb grain).
• Steep at 40–70°F for 1–24 hours. Once mixed, you can put the mash to the side or in the fridge for 12-24 hours, or with a constant vorlauf the total time can be reduced to as little as 1 hour.
  Tip: We like to mash overnight to split your brew day in 2 and make the process seem faster.
  

3. Lauter & Sparge

• Vorlauf thoroughly to reduce starch carryover. This step is essential for clarity and stability.
• Sparge with cool water to reach your full pre-boil kettle volume (typically 5.5–6 gallons).

4. Pre-Boil Starch Liquefaction

• Gently heat the wort to 160°F and hold for 5–10 minutes.
• This step helps liquefy residual starch before boiling.

5. Boil

• Boil vigorously for 10 minutes to sanitize and reduce raw grain flavor.
• If using Pilsner malt, extend to 60 minutes to reduce DMS (dimethyl sulfide).
• Add hops per your recipe. Keep bitterness under 25 IBU.

6. Whirlpool Hop Stand (Optional)

• Cool wort to 160–175°F and steep hops for 10–15 minutes for flavor and aroma.

7. Chill & Transfer

• Chill wort to below 75°F.
• Transfer to fermenter. Top up with cold water if needed to reach 5 gallons.

6. Adjust pH (Required)

Before pitching yeast, adjust the wort pH to below 4.6, ideally between 3.8–4.4. We recommend getting as close to 3.8. This step is critical for food safety, especially in non-alcoholic beer where there is no alcohol to protect against microbial growth. Because alcohol and hop levels are low, maintaining proper pH is critical to prevent spoilage organisms and ensure shelf stability. We recommend using food-grade lactic acid and/or phosphoric acid and a calibrated pH meter to confirm your target pH range. For more details on fine-tuning your pH, including the difference between acids used, read our post: Understanding and Adjusting pH in Non-Alcoholic Beer: Safety, Stability & Brewing Success.

This part depends on your local water, your malt bill, and how much fermentation occurs. But here’s a solid rule of thumb:

• Start with your chilled wort sample and a calibrated pH meter.
• Add food-grade lactic acid (88%) or phosphoric acid (10%) in small increments.
• Stir thoroughly and wait 10 minutes for the pH to stabilize.
• Test and repeat as needed until you hit your target range (3.8–4.2).

How Much Acid Should I Add?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your batch size, water chemistry, and recipe. But for a 5-gallon batch, a good starting dose is:

• 1 ml lactic acid (88%)
• 10 ml phosphoric acid (10%)

Always test with a calibrated pH meter — never dose blindly. Test strips aren’t accurate enough at brewing pH levels and can give false readings, especially in darker worts.

9. Pitch Yeast

• Sprinkle Lallemand Windsor directly onto the wort. No starter or oxygen needed.
• Ferment at 68–72°F for 3–5 days or until gravity stabilizes.
• Do not oxygenate — oxygen can increase alcohol formation in low-gravity wort.

10. Cold Crash & Package

• Cold crash to below 45°F for 24–48 hours.
• Force carbonate to 2.6–2.8 vols CO₂, 
• Do not bottle condition. Residual sugars and low alcohol can lead to re-fermentation and spoilage.

Final Tips

• Always confirm final gravity and pH before packaging. Your pH must remain below 4.4 — ideally around 3.8–4.2 — to ensure microbial stability and shelf safety.
• Sanitation is critical. Low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers lack alcohol’s preservative power, making them more prone to spoilage.
• Store cold and drink fresh. These beers are best enjoyed within a few weeks for peak flavor and microbial safety.

Our Takeaways

Cold mashing is low-effort, equipment-light, and genuinely fun to experiment with. In our trials, though, it consistently produced beers with a noticeable raw grain flavor and alcohol levels that often landed in the 1–2% ABV range — even when using maltotriose-negative yeast like Windsor.

If you're aiming for truly non-alcoholic beer under 0.5% ABV, hot mashing offers more precision and flavor control. But cold mashing still has its place — especially for brewers interested in malt extraction techniques or testing the boundaries of low-alcohol fermentation.

With the right expectations and attention to pH, cold mashing can be a valuable tool in your non-alcoholic brewing toolkit.