Suggestions Needed For Cheap, Non-Adjunct Beer

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mkory

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I like beer. All kinds. Cheap, expensive, home made, micro, macro, cold, warm, free, etc. I'm a believer that there is a time and place for every beer. What I'm looking for is a replacement for that lawnmower/tailgate/I-feel-like-drinking-a-ton-of-these beers. Why a non-adjunct beer? Because I don't like mixing corn with my barley and hops. There's a reason why we all love German beer so much... let's get those adjuncts out of here.

What are some cheap non-adjunct pilsner (or similar) on the market? Preferably less than $20 for a case or better yet, a 30 rack.
 
Yuengling? I don't know for sure if it's brewed without adjuncts but it's what I drink when I want to drink a cheap beer in large quantities. It's brewed not far from where I grew up, by a family owned business and not an international conglomerate.
 
Unfortunately, Yuengling isn't available in Indiana. I'm really having a tough time finding this information, but there has to be some more information out there somewhere, right?
 
You won't find many non adjucnted lawnmower beers. You clearly don't understand the role of adjuncts in brewing, and you CLEARLY don't even know much of your brewing history, or else you would realize that it was the GERMAN BREWERS who came up with using rice and corn to create that light refreshing style of beer that is a lawnmower beer.

In fact it was Karl Balling and Anton Schwartz's work at the Prague Polytechnic Institute with the Brewers in Bohemia who when faced with a grain shortage started using adjuncts, which produced the pils which was light, sparkly and fruity tasting. And the German brewers both in Germany and America picked up on.

And that once that happened the Reinheitsgebot was pretty much tossed out the window.

...nor was it prohibited by a Rheinheitsgebot type law in the Austria-Hungarian area of Bohemia at the time.

"Wheat" has a separate entry in "100 Years of Brewing" under the ingredients sections, as do "Rye and Oats" and "Sugar, Syrups, etc." so I doubt they're including wheat under the discussion of "Corn".

Notably, under "Sugar, Syrups, etc." they write:

"In all German states, Bavaria alone excepted, sugar is used in brewing...Grape sugar for brewing was experimented with extensively as early as 1856, under the direction of the Bavarian minster for commerce, at Weihenstephan."

The book also notes that "the materials used in the manufacture of these different beers are: For German beers (Bavarian character) malt, hops and other cereals, and saccharine matter for special brands."
Click to expand...

(That means "adjuncts" in other words.)

And that all malt beers, without adjucts are just too heavy to be quaffable, to be considered lawnmower beers, which are light and refreshing. The purpose of an adjunct is to thin the body of a beer; that you can have the same gravity of two different beers, but that the one with a percentage of adjuncts will have thinner body and be more drinkable.

Go get a 9% ABV Belgian Dubbel or Tripel, and a 9% or more Barleywine, and do a side by side comparison. They both will have similar grainbills, and obviously have the same alcoholic content, but the bodies will be completely different. The Tripel and Dubble will feel less "heavy" and thinner than the barleywine.....That thinness come from adding sugar to it, or rice or corn.......

Or get a 5.5% bottle of whatever BMC beer you hate, and a 5.5% pale ale, and compare the two of those...you'll see the difference in body that an adjunct adds, or I should say subtacts from the full feeling of the beer.

We have plenty of great lawnmower beers on here, which we'd be glad to share with you.....but they have your "evil" adjuncts in them.....else they just wouldn't be lawnmower beers..... And some of them are the most brewed, most popular beers on here.

Sorry.
 
So, you don't know of any then?

Thanks for the history lesson. I think we have different ideas about what this beer should taste like. I happen find Heineken, St. Pauli Girl, Becks, etc. to be very refreshing and with a better flavor than your typical BMC. I was just looking for something similar, or at least cheaper, domestic, or new. Thanks.
 
mkory said:
So, you don't know of any then?

Thanks for the history lesson. I think we have different ideas about what this beer should taste like. I happen find Heineken, St. Pauli Girl, Becks, etc. to be very refreshing and with a better flavor than your typical BMC. I was just looking for something similar, or at least cheaper, domestic, or new. Thanks.
Click to expand...

And all of those that you mention, are STILL considered BMC type beers, sorry to burst you bubble. A beer snob sees no difference between Heinekin and Budweiser. In fact many will actually laugh harder at someone who sees themselves as superior to someone who drinks Budweiser, because they drink Heineken (especially with it's skunk producing green bottle.)

You still obviously have WRONG ideas about how beer is made.

And ALL THOSE THAT YOU MENTIONED, are made with adjuncts.You still don't get it, in order for brewers to GET that "refreshing flavor" you have to add either, corn or rice or simple sugars.

THAT is what gives you the "refreshing quality," that you want, otherwise the beer is just too heavy...so you replace some of the malt with something that has the same amount of sugar, but doesn't contribute to the body of the beer.

And I believe that ALL the beers you mentioned above, are Rice adjunted beers, really no different than Budweiser...except they're imported version.

But it's the same style of beer...regardless of who made it.

Here's the BJCP description of the style.....all of those fall into one of the three categories...

1A. Lite American Lager

Aroma: Little to no malt aroma, although it can be grainy, sweet or corn-like if present. Hop aroma may range from none to a light, spicy or floral hop presence. Low levels of yeast character (green apples, DMS, or fruitiness) are optional but acceptable. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Very pale straw to pale yellow color. White, frothy head seldom persists. Very clear.

Flavor: Crisp and dry flavor with some low levels of grainy or corn-like sweetness. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low level. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is relatively close to even. High levels of carbonation may provide a slight acidity or dry "sting." No diacetyl. No fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Very light body from use of a high percentage of adjuncts such as rice or corn. Very highly carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue. May seem watery.

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Comments: A lower gravity and lower calorie beer than standard international lagers. Strong flavors are a fault. Designed to appeal to the broadest range of the general public as possible.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.028 – 1.040
IBUs: 8 – 12 FG: 0.998 – 1.008
SRM: 2 – 3 ABV: 2.8 – 4.2%

Commercial Examples: Bitburger Light, Sam Adams Light, Heineken Premium Light, Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Baltika #1 Light, Old Milwaukee Light, Amstel Light
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1B. Standard American Lager

Aroma: Little to no malt aroma, although it can be grainy, sweet or corn-like if present. Hop aroma may range from none to a light, spicy or floral hop presence. Low levels of yeast character (green apples, DMS, or fruitiness) are optional but acceptable. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Very pale straw to medium yellow color. White, frothy head seldom persists. Very clear.

Flavor: Crisp and dry flavor with some low levels of grainy or corn-like sweetness. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low to medium-low level. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is relatively close to even. High levels of carbonation may provide a slight acidity or dry "sting." No diacetyl. No fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Light body from use of a high percentage of adjuncts such as rice or corn. Very highly carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue.

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Comments: Strong flavors are a fault. An international style including the standard mass-market lager from most countries.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040 – 1.050
IBUs: 8 – 15 FG: 1.004 – 1.010
SRM: 2 – 4 ABV: 4.2 – 5.3%

Commercial Examples: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Budweiser, Baltika #3 Classic, Kirin Lager, Grain Belt Premium Lager, Molson Golden, Labatt Blue, Coors Original, Foster's Lager
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1C. Premium American Lager

Aroma: Low to medium-low malt aroma, which can be grainy, sweet or corn-like. Hop aroma may range from very low to a medium-low, spicy or floral hop presence. Low levels of yeast character (green apples, DMS, or fruitiness) are optional but acceptable. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Pale straw to gold color. White, frothy head may not be long lasting. Very clear.

Flavor: Crisp and dry flavor with some low levels of grainy or malty sweetness. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low to medium level. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is relatively close to even. High levels of carbonation may provide a slight acidity or dry "sting." No diacetyl. No fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body from use of adjuncts such as rice or corn. Highly carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue.

Overall Impression: Refreshing and thirst quenching, although generally more filling than standard/lite versions.

Comments: Premium beers tend to have fewer adjuncts than standard/lite lagers... Strong flavors are a fault, but premium lagers have more flavor than standard/lite lagers. A broad category of international mass-market lagers ranging from up-scale American lagers to the typical "import" or "green bottle" international beers found in America.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with up to 25% rice or corn as adjuncts.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.046 – 1.056
IBUs: 15 – 25 FG: 1.008 – 1.012
SRM: 2 – 6 ABV: 4.6 – 6%

Commercial Examples: Full Sail Session Premium Lager, Miller Genuine Draft, Corona Extra, Michelob, Coors Extra Gold, Birra Moretti, Heineken, Beck's, Stella Artois, Red Stripe, Singha, St Pauli Girl
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Click to expand...

As you can see they're all made with some form of adjunct to them...the amount is really what determines which it tends to fit in. Those 3 beers you mention ALL HAVE 25% of their grain bill made of corn or rice, or simple sugar....you CAN'T have it any other way. I think YOU are the one who are then one who doesn't understand HOW A BEER'S TASTE IS DERIVED.

Like I've said, if you want something like these, WE HAVE TONS OF GREAT RECIPES LIKE THESE, AND BETTER, and I'd be glad to point them out, but you have to understand that they ALL HAVE ADJUNCTS IN THEM......you need to realize that, or else you're SOL.

Also, do you even have the capacity to LAGER? And do temp control?
 
This thread turned ugly, but I have an answer for OP:

Michelob.

Straight-up Michelob.

It is probably a SMaSH beer (Pale Malt and Hallertau).

Michelob Light is all-malt, too.
 

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