Light IPA or Hoppy Lager?

I was thinking last night as I was drifting off to sleep how great would it be if I could brew a beer that was as "drinkable" as coors light but had the tasty hop flavor of an IPA.

I'm brewing extract kits at the moment. Any suggestions on a light summer time IPA or extra hoppy lager? I'm not sure I've ever had such a beer. I'm not really worried so much about clarity or anything like that as much as it being light and hoppy. I would prefer making an ale as I've never made a lager.

Victory Brewing Co makes an excellent hopped-up lager called "Prima Pils". I wouldn't say it is as hoppy as an IPA, but it's definitely hoppier than the average pilsner.

You can order a clone kit of this beer from Austin Homebrew.

I haven't tried it myself, but I think this is the idea behind Stone Levitation.

Their website describes that as a having "rich malt flavor" and "a big hoppy character".

That might be a little heavier than what he's looking for.

The best example out there (well not anymore since Bert died) is the Bert Grant's IPA, it was used as the classic example of the IPA category and revived the style back (per Ray Daniels). It has a OG of 1.046 and 50 IBUs. Simple grain bill

100% 2-row so you could just use extracts

Galena for bittering and Cascade for flavor and aroma

.75oz of galena at beginning of boil
1oz cascade at 30 minutes left
1oz cascade at flameout
1oz cascade dry hop

From the archived site:

History tells us the first India Pale Ales were shipped from Britain to India in the 19th century. More recent history credits the revival of this distinct style to me.

I am honored, and believe my beer faithfully honors its proud heritage.

The original India Pale Ales were heavily hopped to ward off infection by bacteria. Mine, too, is appropriately hopped. In fact, it has been proclaimed as "the only properly hopped beer in America" (a statement attributed, if memory serves me, to one Bert Grant).

I suggest drinking my India Pale Ale with sausages, curries and other spicy concoctions. And should you find a stray bacteria lurking about, don’t worry. The necessary precautions have already been taken.
Original Gravity (Degrees Plato) 11.5°
Final Gravity (Degrees Plato) 2.8°
Alcohol (% by Vol.) 4.2%
Bitterness Units (IBU) 50
Color Units 5.5
Malts Used Pale
Hops Used Galena & Cascade
Adjuncts Used None

What about a somewhat hoppy wheat, like Southern Tier Hop Sun? Or Hair of the Dog Ruth, an APA with good hop flavor but isn't highly bitter?

ADD: I don't have recipes for either, but I'm sure others have brewed hoppy wheats.

Sounds like any continental pilsner...very good btw. Victory Prima Pils is a prime example.

JuanKenobi said:

I haven't tried it myself, but I think this is the idea behind Stone Levitation.

Click to expand...

Exactly. That's the first thing that I thought of and what I was going to suggest. Levitation is VERY good.