What is your perfect spring beer?

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Jivetyrant

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I'm prepping for my first AG brew day sometime in the next few weeks and I'm having a heck of a time deciding on what to brew! So, I'm turn to the community for inspiration. What type of beer really screams "spring" to you?

To give you a picture of my current cellar, I have a holiday spiced ale, ESB, Irish red and pumpkin porter on draft (yes, I really need to get through that holiday themed beer faster!) In (recent) bottles I have a milk stout which came out superbly and a hoppy brown gone wrong. I don't really know how to describe it, it's not really a brown ale and it's not particularly hoppy... but it's good! On deck I have an applewine that's currently cold crashing and a pre-anchor steam beer that should be ready to bottle later this week, plus a cranberry braggot that probably has another month to go before I do much else with it.

I'm looking for something medium bodied that will be ready soon, and I'm perfectly happy to use a kit. So, what do you think, world? What's your perfect spring beer?
 
Keep it simple for your first AG batch. Go Pale Ale or IPA, bitters, maybe. Don't go crazy with specialty grains or adjunct grains like oats out maize. I've done a couple of SMaSH IPAs that turned out well.

As far as a beer that screams spring, I'd say maybe a kolsch or an APA. Something light-ish, but not wimpy.
 
Bocks! And one of my favorites, Bell's Third Coast Beer (not the Third Coast Old Ale, although that's awesome too.)
 
I love pale ales in the spring! I like em cold too. I'm brewing an American Wheat this weekend for spring, spiced with a bit of coriander and sweet orange peel.
 
I brewed an American wheat with zested blood orange peels last weekend in anticipation of spring. I can't wait to sit on the deck with a cold brew on a warm evening.
 
Pale ales and hefeweizens are two of my favorites for spring. IPAs are satisfying as well, but I drink those pretty much year-round.
 
I'm brewing a banana beer this Friday for the spring/summer time. (mostly for my wife) I can't wait to see how it turns out though. Wish me luck!
 
Pickled_Pepper said:
Considering the warm weather we're having here in the South East, I think I'm going to go right into summer beers. I think Beirmuncher's Centennial Blonde looks like a nice easy session beer.

Nice choice,The Kolsch I`m bottling tomorrow is
BierMunchers " Krisper Kolsch"
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the opinions folks! I just ordered ingredients for an american wheat and a kolsch, I can't wait to get them in!
 
Jivetyrant said:
Thanks for all the opinions folks! I just ordered ingredients for an american wheat and a kolsch, I can't wait to get them in!
Click to expand...

You beat me to it! These were the two that i was going to suggest haha. I like a simple bavarian or american wheat, or a kolsch in spring/summer, theyre great, light, and you just cant go wrong!
 
Pickled_Pepper said:
Considering the warm weather we're having here in the South East, I think I'm going to go right into summer beers. I think Beirmuncher's Centennial Blonde looks like a nice easy session beer.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/multiple-centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/
Click to expand...

This is what I had in mind too. I'm actually brewing this for the first time tomorrow! :ban: I think my next spring fare will be a New Belgium clone, I really like their seasonals.
 
Jayhem said:
I love pale ales in the spring! I like em cold too. I'm brewing an American Wheat this weekend for spring, spiced with a bit of coriander and sweet orange peel.
Click to expand...

How much spices and orange do you add? Are you using fresh oranges in your recipe?
 
Chaddyb said:
I brewed an American wheat with zested blood orange peels last weekend in anticipation of spring. I can't wait to sit on the deck with a cold brew on a warm evening.
Click to expand...

how much do you add to your beer, zest that is?!

THanks!!!
 
bmock79 said:
how much do you add to your beer, zest that is?!

THanks!!!
Click to expand...

I think the general rule of thumb is that the zest from one citrus fruit is enough, depending on how big it is and how much citrus profile you want. It is important to not get the white pith when adding rind, because that is pure bitterness.
 
I was going to suggest Witbier, but an American Wheat with coriander and orange peel is close enough!

My keg of wit just kicked a couple of weeks ago, but I'm seriously starting to think about brewing another one. It's in the 70s this week and the crappy Xmas ale is not doing it for me.
 
Bocks and kolschs (kolsches?) are perfect spring beers, but if you can't lager I would consider a pale ale. Something without too much body or sweetness, and on the hoppy side of balanced. Plenty of hop aroma.
 
Bmorebrew said:
Bocks and kolschs (kolsches?) are perfect spring beers, but if you can't lager I would consider a pale ale. Something without too much body or sweetness, and on the hoppy side of balanced. Plenty of hop aroma.
Click to expand...

A Kolsch is also and ale and it does not have to be lagered. I've brewed a good Kolsh at 65 degree temps.
 

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