Light Beer

Todd · 06-26-2006, 04:17 PM

Most of the ales I try tend to have quite a bit of flavor. Is there a way to brew light beer? Something like coors light?

Fatabbot · 06-26-2006, 04:22 PM

I'm sure there's a way to brew a lighter beer, but why?

Part of the fun of homebrewing is brewing more complex beers with distinct flavors. Coors light is cheap and bland, just buy some. I can't see spending multiple hours trying to clone a BMC.

Cheesefood · 06-26-2006, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd

Most of the ales I try tend to have quite a bit of flavor. Is there a way to brew light beer? Something like coors light?

Depending on how light you want it, add a couple gallons of water prior to bottling.

Light Beer just means that it has more water and less sugars (flavor) than regular beer.

Todd · 06-26-2006, 04:40 PM

Thanks guys. I don't want to brew it, I was just curious. I just got some Belles this weekend and if this is what my beer tastes like I will be pleased.

I like the add a couple gallons of water before bottling.

**the_bird** · 06-26-2006, 04:41 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's also the addition of a boatload of adjunct grains - mostly corn and rice -that effectively removes most of the *beer flavor* from BMC and BMC Lite, right? You'd want to find some adjuncts that are highly fermentable, so that you don't have a lot of residual sugars around to make the mouthfeel heavier. Fewer unfermented sugars means fewer calories, as well. I'm certainly not the expert in this matter, but I do believe that it's more complex than just watering down a regular beer.

Of course, the end result will probably taste pretty close to the same.

Most light beers are lagers, are they not? Makes the fermentation process a lot more complex, you'll have to be able to keep temps low for an extended period of time for the yeast to work properly. Something else to keep in mind.

Nothing wrong with a commerical beer on some occassions (for me, not Coors Light, but I'm not one to judge). My guilty pleasure is Molson; nothing better with a plate of Buffalo wings than a bottle of Molson Canadian. I agree with Fatabot, though, that if I'm brewing, I want to make something a little more complex, something that I'm apt to savor. "Drinkability" isn't a key consideration, I'm not drinking homebrew to get drunk (I *might* be the exception around here). Buy the cheap beer for when it's hot and when you want to drink a lot, brew the *good stuff* for when you want something a little more complex.

**edost** · 06-26-2006, 04:42 PM

Make sure you boil & cool your water so you do not add oxygen to your beer.

Fatabbot · 06-26-2006, 05:01 PM

...........

**DesertBrew** · 06-26-2006, 05:55 PM

There was a topic similar to this on Saturday but was all grain. Check this thread...

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/what-would-you-call-10584/

mysterio · 06-26-2006, 06:46 PM

Homebrewers can brew any beers, there's no reason why you can't brew a coors light clone if you really wanted to, providing you have the means to cold ferment and lager. To lighten the colour reduce the crystal malt and maybe replace it with carapils, to reduce the bitterness just use less hops, and to reduce the body without reducing the alcohol use adjuncts like corn, rice or wheat.

Like the_bird said, theres nothing wrong with these sorts of beers and they have their place. I was on holiday in Canada at the weekend and I went to the Blue Jays/Mets game and thoroughly enjoyed a few pints of Budweiser along with some pizza... usually I never touch bud.

casebrew · 06-26-2006, 08:52 PM

Do you think BMC actually cool their wort to lager temps? Afterall, they're big business, concerned with through-put. I can't be;ieve they take 90 days to brew a lager when an Ale could be done in 10 at 80 degrees...