Light, summer brew

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Trubadour

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Alright, so I've gotten the green light to build a keezer, and I have plans to make it somewhat mobile (ie. wheels, long extension cord, etc) so I can wheel it out by the pool in the summer on occassion.

SWMBO doesn't really drink beer except Dos Equis with a wedge of lime by the pool, sometimes Heineken, but really doesn't have a taste for beer. Since most of my brews are IBU'd around 100, needless to say, she won't get near it.

What is a good "light" beer I can brew to say thanks for letting me build a six-tap keezer? I'm planning on Biermunchers Centennial Blonde. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
 
8 lbs 2-row
8 oz Vienna
8 oz 20L Crystal
1 oz Noble Hops for 60 min.
Mash at around 150d.

EDIT: Jeez... I nearly just rattled off BM's Centennial Blonde. Ah well.
 
I'm bottling the Orange Honey Hefe in my signature today for SWMBO. She doesn't want me to keg it because she thinks it will go too fast if I do... and she's probably right. I'm a hop head myself, and did the OHH specifically for SWMBO. Another option would be to do a lager since you'll have a large keezer you could ferment in. White Labs sells WLP940 seasonally (available now) which is a mexican lager strain from Modello.
 
I just brewd BM's Black Pepper Wit. I think it will be good for the summer. those 100IBU bombs won't fair too long out in the sun by the pool.
 
I just brewd BM's Black Pepper Wit. I think it will be good for the summer. those 100IBU bombs won't fair too long out in the sun by the pool.

I too brewed this same beer.

I also have a 4.5% lager getting hooked up to gas as soon as I kill a keg.

I also have a Vienna/NB/Pacman smash planned which should be around 5.5 - 6% and 45 IBUs which should be an ok summer beer.

Lastly, I have a copperhook clone on the brew list which is a nice "copper" color :cross: with about 20 IBUs and 5.7% ABV
 
I've just cracked into my Kristalweizen, and I can say it's a great light summer brew.

It's modeled after SWMBO's favorite beer from back home in Australia, Redback Beer. It has a similar big estery flavor to a true Bavarian hefeweizen, but is slightly more muted (still prominent notes of cloves and more subtle banana). It's completely crystal-clear unless you intentionally swirl up the sediment in the bottle, so for people who are scared of darker/cloudier beers it should pass muster.

A few advantages to this beer:
1. Very simple ingredient list. It's fine as straight extract (I did it as the second brew on a 2-beer brew day), though I'm doing an all-grain for the next batch--the grain bill on it should essentially be a standard hefe choice that's 50/50 wheat/barley.
2. It was incredibly fast from grain to glass. It took 5 days to reach FG, I racked to secondary on gelatin for 2 days, and it was almost fully carbed 10 days later. 3 weeks after brew day we were drinking it.

The recipe as below is formulated to be as close to the public information on Redback as I could get in an extract recipe; I haven't ever seen or tasted the original, so it was research online with help from the aussiehomebrewer crowd as well as people here and at Northern Brewer.

In my case, Pride of Ringwood hops weren't available so I subbed in Clusters for the bittering addition.

Brown Recluse Kristalweizen

This is an Australian-style kristalweizen in the vein of the original Matilda Bay Redback. It should be nearly clear (not cloudy), pale, and relatively low hoppiness, with mild to moderate clove esters and low to mild banana esters. This is going to wind up a bit darker in color than a Redback.

Beer: Brown Recluse Kristalweizen Style: Weizen/Weissbier
Type: Extract Size: 5 gallons
Color: 7 HCU (~6 SRM) Bitterness: 18 IBU
OG: 1.048 FG: 1.012
Alcohol: 4.7% v/v (3.7% w/w)
Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.081 3 gallons
1 lb. 5 oz. Briess Pilsen DME
4 lb. 5 oz. Briess Wheat DME
Add the Pilsen DME and a touch of the wheat DME before the boil; add the majority of the wheat DME with 15 minutes to go in the boil.
Hops: .8 oz. Pride of Ringwood (8% AA, 60 min.)
.4 oz. Saaz (3.75% AA, 5 min.)
Yeast: Wyeast W3638 Bavarian Weizen yeast. Pitch a 3l starter cake. Ferment at 62F (over 65 skews toward banana esters in lieu of cloves).
Carbonation: 3.5 volumes Cane Sugar: 6.49 oz. for 5 gallons @ 62°F
3.5 volumes is a touch on the low side for the beer, but on the high side for bottling. If you're kegging, go to 4 volumes.


EDIT: Research notes if you want some background:
Help A Yank Clone Redback - AussieHomeBrewer.com
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/cloning-redback-australian-wheat-beer-105929/
The Northern Brewer Homebrew Forum - Need help cloning Redback Weizen (Australian)
 
When I brewed Cheesefoods Vanilla Carmel Cream ale it was very popular with girls and non beer drinkers.
 
1. Edwort's Kolsch
2. BM's Centennial Blonde
3. Ed's Haus Pale Ale (but lower the bittering hops)

My wife is the same way and tends to like the lighter beers...except for my brown ale which suprised me! Each of the beers above can be kegged as soon as fermentation is complete (7-10 days), and enjoyed at the 14 day mark.

Another house favorite of my own design:
(11 gallon batch - 75% eff.)

19# 2-row (or split 2-row/pale ale/marris otter)
1.5# Crystal 60L
1# White Wheat Malt
1.5oz Cascades - First Wort Hop (16 IBU)
1 oz Centennial - 15m (8 IBU)
2 oz Centennial - 5m (6.4 IBU)
2 pkgs - Nottingham Dry Yeast

OG: 1.054
FG: 1.012
ABV: 5.4%

Primary for 10 days or until gravity is stable
Keg and force carb @ 30 PSI for 2-3 days (test every day for desired carb level)
This will take another 1-2 weeks to clear unless you use isinglass, polyclar or some finings in the keg. Damn tasty clear or not though, and disappears in no time at all around my house. I don't usually drink it much as I prefer the darker and/or hoppier brews, but friends and family just quaff it like I've got another 10 gallons ready to go (well, I ususally do :D).
 
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