Do you keep a lager on tap for friends?

Yesterday, I finally snagged a freezer to use for making lagers, with the intention of having a beer on tap to be able to offer my friends who prefer light, American-style lagers. But as I prepare to make my first lager, the more I read about it, the more it seems there's a bit of "class snobbery" surrounding brewing such beers.

I'm curious - do you guys keep a batch of "plain, boring" light lager on tap to offer your friends who don't like the richer character of a homebrew ale?

Uh... no. I have 3 taps and I have a cali common beer on tap at all times cause my wife loves that beer. The other two taps are reserved for what I feel like brewing. I have friends that love bud lite so when they come over they bring a 12 pack for themselves. The only time a light lager is in my keg is if I decide that is what I want... but that is very very rare and usually that will be my lawnmower beer.

Why would you brew a plain boring light lager? If you want that kind of beer for your friends just buy it, it would be cheaper and easier.

Wirk said:

Why would you brew a plain boring light lager?

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To demonstrate to them that homebrew beers can be every bit as good as commercial beers. Basically, just to get them over that first hump of considering that maybe - just maybe - homebrew beer isn't the scary, Frankenstein mess people seem to think it is.

I'm absolutely baffled that people seem to have this irrational, instinctive aversion to homebrew beer. I say, "Hey, can I get you a beer?" They say, "Sure, what kind do you have?" "I've got a nice medium-bodied pale ale and a stout." They ask, "OK, but what kind is it? Stella? Heineken?" "No, they're homebrews." Then they back away. "Oh, OK then, don't worry about it, I'm fine with water."

Everybody knows they can make a better burger than McDonald's. Everybody knows they can make a better coffee than Dunkin Donuts. But for some reason, people seem to think that brewing beer is the exclusive domain of the large commercial breweries, and anything you make yourself will be a disgusting concoction bearing absolutely no resemblance to "beer." I just figured having a nice, light lager to offer them might help dispell that prejudice and introduce them into the fascinating, complex world of craft brewing. Sort of a "gateway homebrew."

I understand and agree with the concept but why a lager? Why not a simple blond, a light honey ale or a straight up plain wheat? They are all a quick turn around and plain yet tasty enough to enjoy. My wife and her friends drink 55's or ultras but when I have a blond tapped that is their go to beer.

kombat said:

To demonstrate to them that homebrew beers can be every bit as good as commercial beers. Basically, just to get them over that first hump of considering that maybe - just maybe - homebrew beer isn't the scary, Frankenstein mess people seem to think it is.

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If i have to demonstrate to them that my beer can be just as "good" as budlight, I'll just write them off as a lost cause. I'll focus my homebrew toward impressing my friends who actually enjoy beer.

Although i would like to brew something similar to yuengling, i went to school in PA, so that's the drink of choice among a lot of my friends. I think i can at least give that enough character for me to be proud of.

I wouldn't go as far as American lager...unless you really enjoy that and want something along those lines on your tap system [no judgment here!]. I definitely like to have a variety of beers on taps, so as to please as many friends as possible, as well as have a beer for my every mood. I definitely think it's important to have something accessible on tap like an ordinary bitter, wheat beer, American amber, mild/brown, low grav/low bitterness APA, or something along those lines, but you never need to sacrifice your standards to get a beer on tap that will appeal even to your macro drinking friends. Especially consider the "gateway" varieties like cream ale, kölsch, American wheat, blonde ale, etc.

$0.02

I brew for myself. My friends always try my beer and drink what they like. I usually keep a kolsch, IPA and porter on tap. I personally prefer a lager or pilsner as my go to beer.

why not a light lager? make a tasty one, that will offer a homebrew gateway to skeptics, and will impress any brewers who will be aware (undoubtedly) how hard they are to get right
but no, i don't do it because i only have 2 taps and rarely drink light lagers. if i had 5 taps then probably. maybe. don't know.

I would argue that the mass market brewers are extremely skilled at making that light lager style. Unless you like the challenge, I would agree that it would save money and time to just buy. Why not make a wheat, kolsch, or blond that opens them up to a new style?

Matt3989 said:

If i have to demonstrate to them that my beer can be just as "good" as budlight, I'll just write them off as a lost cause. I'll focus my homebrew toward impressing my friends who actually enjoy beer.

Although i would like to brew something similar to yuengling, i went to school in PA, so that's the drink of choice among a lot of my friends. I think i can at least give that enough character for me to be proud of.

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Matt, try this. It's an ale, but I did a Noble Pils Clone from them and it was really close and pretty good.
http://www.myoldkentuckyhomebrew.com/downloads/local-recipes/Yuengling.doc

Back on subject. I don't think it would financially be worth brewing a BMC clone, they can all be bought for under a dollar/bottle. Extract usually costs me 60-80 cents a bottle. Not including my time.
Like others said, brew a nice simple blonde or something else light they may like. But I wouldn't try to clone BMC.
But then again, it's you beer, do what ya want!!
I wanna say there is a clone kit for bud online someplace. Northern Brewer perhaps?

You may find that a good light American lager is harder to brew than you think.

kombat said:

I say, "Hey, can I get you a beer?" They say, "Sure, what kind do you have?" "I've got a nice medium-bodied pale ale and a stout." They ask, "OK, but what kind is it? Stella? Heineken?" "No, they're homebrews." Then they back away.

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If your friends are afraid of the word "homebrew", it won't matter what style you have for them to try, they will still be wary of the "homebrew". Try giving your beers a commercial sounding name and find a comparable commercial beer they might know.

"I have Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weiss and Bathtub Bock on tap, they're kind of like ____ and _____."

If they like what you give them you can let them know you made it yourself. If they don't like it they will be more likely to try another of your brews in the future because they don't have the homebrew stigma associate with them.

I was keeping a blonde on tap for "those" people but I've come to the conclusion they are not worth it. #*@* em Plus they don't event like the blonde's...

They get delicious food when they come here and they can drink the "beer" they like.


Its more than I can say when I visit their houses.

kombat said:

To demonstrate to them that homebrew beers can be every bit as goodbad as commercial beers.

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Fixed.

nasty_rabbit said:

I understand and agree with the concept but why a lager? Why not a simple blond, a light honey ale or a straight up plain wheat? They are all a quick turn around and plain yet tasty enough to enjoy. My wife and her friends drink 55's or ultras but when I have a blond tapped that is their go to beer.

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Exactly. A blonde ale would be easier and much tastier. I brewed one for a party and my friend who normally just drinks BL said she would gladly drink it over Bud. Mission successful.

This sounds harsh, but over the years I learned not to cast pearls before swine. I just mean don't offer your beer to people who don't even want it. At a certain point excessive generosity is actually harmful; certain people will not show any appreciation it and in turn you will end up feeling slighted. Better not to offer it in the first place.

I got an extra fridge for lagering. My intent was to take on the challenge of brewing lagers and have a nice clean lager to enjoy and to share with people. After two batches I'm done. I'm not interested in drinking that style and have ample opp. to buy it cheaply (compared to the craft beer I normally choose).

My advice is to brew up a light ale like a blonde, kolsch, cal common, etc. If you want to brew something for your friends, then there are a few tips for brewing lager:

Pitch plenty of healthy lager yeast.
Pitch at recommended temp and allow fermentation to continue until reaching expected gravity. (around 50 degrees)
Reduce temp to lagering temp and hold for 4-6 weeks or longer. (mid to low 30s)

Most people will use European malts and of course noble hops are appropriate and your friends may be expecting them.
Long mash and long boil.
Decoction if you are really excited to brew it authentically.

After all of that work, hope your friends can appreciate the beer.

Homercidal said:

I'm not interested in drinking that style and have ample opp. to buy it cheaply (compared to the craft beer I normally choose).

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My sentiments exactly. Keep some BMC in the fridge for the naysayers and brew what you like.

When I set up a fridge and temp controller, I'd love to try my hand at light, crisp lager. If I can brew a good Carlsberg clone, I'd feel pretty confident.

jwitt said:

When I set up a fridge and temp controller, I'd love to try my hand at light, crisp lager. If I can brew a good Carlsberg clone, I'd feel pretty confident.

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Yea, Carlsberg is pretty tasty. Can't fault you there.

I'm not really a fan of super light American lagers and any of my friends who try my brews try them because they are either open minded or because they enjoy good beer.
That being said I completely understand where OP is coming from. My brother and his wife love Coors and refuse to try any of my beer, which by comparison are very "big" but I would like to try my hand at an American lager that isn't very flavorful to try to convert them. I don't want to push them into anything, I'm just confident that they would enjoy some of my beers
Also I'd like to see them spend more of their beer dollars on commercial brews that are not the big 3, but that's another debate altogether.

cfonnes said:

You may find that a good light American lager is harder to brew than you think.

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This. I've never brewed one (hope to soon) but making a great (for example) Helles I've found to be much more difficult than making a lot of "real" beer styles (IPA, stout, etc.). There's nowhere to hide flaws with the more delicate beers.

cfonnes said:

You may find that a good light American lager is harder to brew than you think.

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Oh I absolutely agree. Everything I've read so far suggests that brewing lagers is challenging enough, but to attempt to brew a light lager is harder still, requiring meticulous attention to sanitization, temperatures, timing, technique, and so on.

But personally, I find that part of the draw of it. The challenge of brewing something that appears so deceptively simple, yet in actuality is quite unforgiving. I guess a part of me hopes that in brewing a few light lagers, I might even learn a few techniques that would carry over into ale-brewing to result in even better ales.

My primary motivation was to have a beer I can serve friends who "don't like homebrew," then hit them with a "Surprise! That's a homebrew." But I also like a challenge, and part of me just wants to see if I can pull it off. Anyone else feel the same way?

Yeah the challenge would be the fun of it. From what I read, you'd know your methods are good if you can read a newspaper through your delicately flavored fizzy yellow beer.

I'm not sure I'd go through the trouble of making a light lager just for my lite beer drinking friends. Brewing a lager takes time and it's a lot of work. Especially light lagers and pilsners. If I'm going to the trouble of making a lager, it's going to be something I want to drink. I'd just stick to a cream ale or blonde like others have suggested. You can have those fermented out in a week. I usually keep some type of cream ale on tap for company and because I like to have something light on one tap and something heavier on the other for variety.

Nope. Fuc k the homies, they can bring their own beer if they don't like what I'm offering for free

I'd just do a blonde, very similar taste and much, much, much easier.

kombat said:

...I'm absolutely baffled that people seem to have this irrational, instinctive aversion to homebrew beer. I say, "Hey, can I get you a beer?" They say, "Sure, what kind do you have?" "I've got a nice medium-bodied pale ale and a stout." They ask, "OK, but what kind is it? Stella? Heineken?" "No, they're homebrews." Then they back away. "Oh, OK then, don't worry about it, I'm fine with water."...

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Stop telling them it's homebrew up front.
"OK, but what kind is it? Stella? Heineken?"
"It's new... kinda like Heineken..."
-Drinks-
"How did ya like it? Could you even tell it was a homebrew?"

Really just brew a blonde/cream ale/etc. and just tell them it's new and kinda like any of their favourite beers, sounds like they wouldn't even know it is not a lager anyway.

kombat said:

Yesterday, I finally snagged a freezer to use for making lagers, with the intention of having a beer on tap to be able to offer my friends who prefer light, American-style lagers. But as I prepare to make my first lager, the more I read about it, the more it seems there's a bit of "class snobbery" surrounding brewing such beers.

I'm curious - do you guys keep a batch of "plain, boring" light lager on tap to offer your friends who don't like the richer character of a homebrew ale?

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Not unless I'min the mood to drink it. Most of my friends don't care for the style, but sometimes it's just the right thing. I brew delicious, complex lagers for all of us.

I brew light American lagers. It's good practice for when I go pro and take over the BMC scene. $$$

for a cheap experiment. Buy a case of Coors,(or the BMC of their choice) fill up a pitcher with the beers. Serve telling them it is their favorite beer. After they finish the first one or two, tell them it's a home brew, and ask what they thought it tasted like. Whatever their answer ask them if they want another, if they want another, feel free to try to start educating them. If not they are most likely a lost cause.

Every lager is a challenge, heck, every beer is a challenge. I know that the old "light lagers are actually the hardest style to brew well!" line gets a lot of work around here, and there might be some truth to it since every mistake sticks out like a second nose in the face, but brewing a bock or a czech pilsner is also going to need a lot of skill, preparation, patience and talent, while being drinkable afterward.

Most people's choice in beer is inherently irrational, like it is when it comes to cars or computers or motorcycles. There's a lot of brand loyalty associated with light lagers, like there is with most consumer products: they grew up with it, so they like it. My grandfather only bought Fords and most of them were crappy, shoddy, break down after 3 years pieces of junk, but to him, they were "his cars" and he wouldn't miss an opportunity to piss on "fancy imports". BMC drinkers are the same with their brand. It's their beer.

I have an old neighbour who is an harcore piss water drinker. He was talking to me about my brewing while I was having a beer (a cream ale), so I offered him one. He said it was horrible. The next time I was mowing the lawn, I offered him another of my "homebrews" in a glass, which was actually a Labatt Bleue, his favourite beer. He nearly vomited on my shoes. The old bat has no tastebuds and I'd wager your friends are pretty much the same. They like the brand. Everything else is crap, no matter where it comes from.

kombat said:

To demonstrate to them that homebrew beers can be every bit as good as commercial beers. Basically, just to get them over that first hump of considering that maybe - just maybe - homebrew beer isn't the scary, Frankenstein mess people seem to think it is.

I'm absolutely baffled that people seem to have this irrational, instinctive aversion to homebrew beer. I say, "Hey, can I get you a beer?" They say, "Sure, what kind do you have?" "I've got a nice medium-bodied pale ale and a stout." They ask, "OK, but what kind is it? Stella? Heineken?" "No, they're homebrews." Then they back away. "Oh, OK then, don't worry about it, I'm fine with water."

Everybody knows they can make a better burger than McDonald's. Everybody knows they can make a better coffee than Dunkin Donuts. But for some reason, people seem to think that brewing beer is the exclusive domain of the large commercial breweries, and anything you make yourself will be a disgusting concoction bearing absolutely no resemblance to "beer." I just figured having a nice, light lager to offer them might help dispell that prejudice and introduce them into the fascinating, complex world of craft brewing. Sort of a "gateway homebrew."

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Very well said....

my BMC friends all love my cream ale - if you brew it well most couldn't tell you it's an ale vs lager

they also loved my vienna lager which is more flavorful but still a nice enjoyable crisp beer that can be enjoyed by anyone, especially me

if you want to brew a light american lager go for it, but keep in mind they probably won't appreciate the extra time and skill that goes into it and would likely be just as happy with a cream ale or easy drinking blonde ale

I don't have a lager on tap very often- usually twice a year because that's about the timeline when I enjoy them most.

I normally have a maibock or a Bohemian pilsner on tap in the spring (and the maibock is so good!) and then an Oktoberfest in the fall. Occasionally, I'll do a dopplebock or a bigger lager.

I rarely make a light American lager. Why not? Well, I don't really care for them, and those that do will still prefer their BMC brand anyway. But....other lagers like Classic American pilsner, maibock, BoPils, maibock, Oktoberfest, etc, are all beers that I like to drink so I make them and have them on tap occasionally.

I keep at least one lager on tap for most of the year, but for me, not my friends. Although I stick to German style lagers. Once I dialed in my lager process, I couldn't stop making them.

I have a buddy who is positive that molson Canadian is the best beer in the world. In a blind test I am certain he wouldn't be able to tell which one was the Canadian. It's all about the bottle it comes in.

jfr1111 said:

...I have an old neighbour who is an harcore piss water drinker. He was talking to me about my brewing while I was having a beer (a cream ale), so I offered him one. He said it was horrible. The next time I was mowing the lawn, I offered him another of my "homebrews" in a glass, which was actually a Labatt Bleue, his favourite beer. He nearly vomited on my shoes. The old bat has no tastebuds and I'd wager your friends are pretty much the same. They like the brand. Everything else is crap, no matter where it comes from...

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This illustrates exactly why it is worthless to try an brew a BMC clone for you BMC freinds.
Even if you manage to get it to taste exactly like Bud, Miller or Coors all your freinds will "taste" is homebrew. It is pointless to do for them, for you the point would only be the same as can I match XYZ beers.

I wouldn't brew something I wouldn't want to drink just to try to convince other people homebrew is ok. **** 'em. If brewing for a party with non-craft drinkers I'd make something more simple to give them an opportunity to enjoy my beer but it would be something I would still enjoy drinking on my own after they leave.

My only advice to OP is to try making a lager you want to drink a lot of until you get your lager process down perfectly. That way if it has some flaws you can still drink it. Nobody wants to drink diacetyl bud lite clone.

I brew mostly lagers.. I really only offer my beer to people that I think would appreciate it. It's a labor of love, but it's still effort. I don't make enough to waste it. I love the beer I brew.
If others don't, Oh well..More for me.