Recipes for converting non-beer drinkers

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Schlenkerla

Schlenkerla

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My wife for the most part dislikes the big commercial beer taste. Any for that matter I suppose.

I was curious if any of you had recipes to make your spouses/girl friends into converts. Homebrewing Fans

My wife will drink Woodpecker on tap. I'm considering cider for the warmer brewing season anyhow.

I have a very light honey& blueberry beer conditioning right now (abv~4.9%). :tank:

Boozin' Susan's Brewery: Beer Menu
Primary: Northern Brewers Cream Ale
Cold Conditioning: Big Boob Blueberry Beer
Drinking: Vienna Hausfrau Lager, Cali Pale Ale
 
Nothing better than blueberry beer for those folks, in my opinion, or fruit beers in general. Laying off a heavy acidic hop load might be advisable, so that the fruit flavor comes through.
 
My gf really dislikes most beers. But one night at a bar, they accidently brought me two South Hamptons Imperial Stouts (for shame :) ). Instead of letting one get warm, she tried it. To my surprise, she really liked it and finished the whole pint. That brew had verry little hop flavor to it, and she said that is why she liked it so.

She also likes the tripple black and crap, but two of those sugar waters are bad on the stomach!

Pehaps you could try a beer that is simply low on hops/big on maltiness. Steep in some specialty grains for that character.
 
Yeah, I think skipping the hops would work. Some body on this forum posted a tiger label of a IPA. The tiger was making a smirk like as if tasted something aweful. Anyhow thats the same face my wife makes when drinking a beer.

Bitter Beer Face from Milwaukees Best (Worst) Commercials (The greatest mis-nomer of all time)​

I think making a light to malty beer w/ no hops then add fruit. Something tart enough to balance the sweetness of the malt. Rasberry or Tart Cherries...

Just like the Belgian's did before hops were discovered.

Thanks!

If you know of the label please repost it or attach a link to the thread. The picture says it all.
 
Schlenkerla said:
Yeah, I think skipping the hops would work. Some body on this forum posted a tiger label of a IPA. The tiger was making a smirk like as if tasted something aweful. Anyhow thats the same face my wife makes when drinking a beer.

Bitter Beer Face from Milwaukees Best (Worst) Commercials (The greatest mis-nomer of all time)​

I think making a light to malty beer w/ no hops then add fruit. Something tart enough to balance the sweetness of the malt. Rasberry or Tart Cherries...

Just like the Belgian's did before hops were discovered.

Thanks!

If you know of the label please repost it or attach a link to the thread. The picture says it all.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say eliminate hops just reduce them. Maybe get the IBUs in the 10 to 15 range
 
Yeah, but what RishBrewer said - don't eliminate hops, just use a little less, and with less acidity. No hops = no beer!
 
My opinion on this topic (comes up often) is buy some samples of beers you think she might like first. Otherwise your brewing 5g of something you hope she likes and she turns her nose up to. And maybe you don't like it much either....
 
Is it possible to brew something on the lines of a Mikes hard lemonade or something similar?
 
I'm actually going to be bottling a Mike's Hard Lemonade clone this weekend. I'll have to dig out my notes when I'm not so dru... er, tired and ready for bed.
 
5 lbs Table or Corn Sugar
1 lb Dry Malt Extract (to make it a malt beverage like Mike does)
6 12 oz Cans Lemonade frozen concentrate (make sure there's no preservatives)

any Ale yeast
-or-
English Cider Yeast (WLP775)

heat the sugar and malt in 2-1/2 gallons of water to 170 for 15 minutes. Cool and add the frozen concentrate and 3 gallons of water. Pitch yeast. I've never used yeast nutrient, but this recipe could probably stand to have some added for faster fermentation. It takes about two weeks or so to finish fermenting, then straight to bottles. I use soda bottles since that's what the pint bottles are with Mike's Hard Lemonade.

I've used baker's yeast for this recipe in the past when I was experimenting, and it'll work, but takes a loong time to ferment out. My latest batch uses SafAle 56 dry yeast.

Yes I realize it's alcoholic sugar water, but that's what I'm going for, isn't it?:D
 
david_42 said:
Milds work really well. Not very bitter or hoppy, but good malt.
Click to expand...

Just what I was thinking. However there are those that will perceive dark to bitter or strong flavors. In that case a golden mild/mild bitter. I have been bouncing the idea of brewing a light lager to have on hand for my light beer drinkers but then keeps getting bumped for a more authentic German lager. One of them keeps telling me that lagers are too bitter:mad: . Translation, if it is a not a bud light it is a bitter lager. They have to get past that before I dedicate freezer space to make a light lager.
 
eviltwinofjoni said:
5 lbs Table or Corn Sugar
1 lb Dry Malt Extract (to make it a malt beverage like Mike does)
6 12 oz Cans Lemonade frozen concentrate (make sure there's no preservatives)

any Ale yeast
-or-
English Cider Yeast (WLP775)

heat the sugar and malt in 2-1/2 gallons of water to 170 for 15 minutes. Cool and add the frozen concentrate and 3 gallons of water. Pitch yeast. I've never used yeast nutrient, but this recipe could probably stand to have some added for faster fermentation. It takes about two weeks or so to finish fermenting, then straight to bottles. I use soda bottles since that's what the pint bottles are with Mike's Hard Lemonade.

I've used baker's yeast for this recipe in the past when I was experimenting, and it'll work, but takes a loong time to ferment out. My latest batch uses SafAle 56 dry yeast.

Yes I realize it's alcoholic sugar water, but that's what I'm going for, isn't it?:D
Click to expand...

Thank you for the suggestions. I will try the lemonade & fruit beer ideas :ban:
 
After thinking of this I thought of a few... something like Sam Adams Cherry Wheat or perhaps an even better option would be something like Woodchuck Cider. It does seem that if my wife likes something, the something in question has a very low hops taste. Which is probably why she likes the cherry wheat... oh and in the Sam Adams line they now have the Summer ale out which is very refreshing... hint of lemon taste.
 
desertBrew said:
My opinion on this topic (comes up often) is buy some samples of beers you think she might like first. Otherwise your brewing 5g of something you hope she likes and she turns her nose up to. And maybe you don't like it much either....
Click to expand...

That was a great suggestion! Not only for wives as well. I love it when you can go in a brewpub and you get like 5 -5oz samples!
 

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