Looking for a Hot Weather Beer

I live in Sacramento, and it gets H O T

In the winter, I brew a lot of stouts and porters, but once the hot weather comes, I try to brew something a bit more refreshing.

With that in mind, I am looking for suggestions for something that is;

Light (my favorites in summer are Mexicans like Pacifico)

*somewhat* lower ABV (3.5 to 4.5% would be ideal)

Crisp

Refreshing

With that in mind, I also need to say that the temps are such that I really need the fermantation to be able to be done at "Room Temperature", about 72 degrees which is as cool as I can get reliably. That eliminates a lot of possabilities I know.

So, anyone have some ideas?

As much as I would like a Lager and would kill for a Pils, it just isnt gonna happen.

Thanks in advance.

knewshound

I'll give you the same advice I got today concerning my post about brewing for my wedding (which is in July and will be hot)...have you thought about a witbier? Also known as a Belgian White Ale, it's a wheat beer much lighter and more refreshing than a German Hefe or Amer. Wheat. It will ferment ok at 72 degrees (you could always buy a big rubbermaid tub and surround the fermenter with cold water and ice to keep the ambient temp down a few degrees). Beer Captured has a hoegaarden witbier clone that would be great...I didn't get the results I was looking for, but you may be much more experienced than I am.

Good luck and, of course,

BREW ON

Saison is also a good candidate, for all the same reasons. (Can ferment on the warm side, etc.)

How about a belgian "primus" or single. I know they brew these in Italy in the summer. Some friends live in Rome where it is butt-ass hot (as it is in Sac). It's basically the same as a Belgian Blonde, but with a lower SG. The proportion of candi sugar:extra light malt is the same. They use a belgian blonde yeast that ferments at hight temps.

The ale has a very fruity, banana aroma and taste, with a fair amount of hop bitterness. If you don't like fruity, though, this one's not for you.

brackbrew said:

(you could always buy a big rubbermaid tub and surround the fermenter with cold water and ice to keep the ambient temp down a few degrees

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And remember to put a t-shirt on the carboy and have a small fan blowing on it. You'll be FINE

Good suggestions all.

But does anyone have an actual Recipe?

I am leery about brewing "sight unseen".

I would love an actual recipe suggestion.....

Anyone

Beuller?

Well you could look at the sticky, links there.... here are a few more

http://www.skotrat.com/skotrat/recipes/

http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/recipen2.htm

http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/recipe.asp

http://www.tastybrew.com/

A lot of places have recipes. Do you have Promash.... bunch of recipes on thier site too.

A Kolsch would be great, but it's probably too late for that now..............

ablrbrau said:

A Kolsch would be great, but it's probably too late for that now..............

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Why too late? Is Kolsch a seasonal beer, or is it something else (e.g. fermentation temps)?

I'm new to homebrewing and I'm planning to brew a Kolsch this weekend. My first two batches came out fine (pale ale and IPA), but I'm doing this as a hobby with my father, and he likes lighter, less hopped beers, so I thought I'd try a Kolsch.

I don't know that I've even tasted a Kolsch before. Is there a "benchmark" commercial version I should try?

I looked at a number of recipes online and came up with the following (based on Ken's Kolsch at home brew depot, but with wheat extract replacing steeped wheat grains). Any obvious problems? Thanks in advance!

Kolsch
5 gallon batch, extract

1/2 lb vienna malt
1/4 lb caramel malt 20L
5 lbs light dme
1 lb wheat dme

1 oz hallertauer @ 60 mins remaining
3/4 oz tettnang @ 30 mins remaining
1 tbsp irish moss @ 15 mins remaining
1/2 oz spalt @ 10 mins remaining

wyeast 2565

Steep bagged grains in 2 1/2 gals of water @ 154F for 30 mins,
with 1 tsp gypsum. Remove grains, stir in dme, bring to boil.
After hot break, follow hop schedule. You know the rest: cool,
transfer, top off, aerate, pitch yeast.

While Kolsch is really an ale, it is cold lagered (stored) after fermentation is done. By the time it is ready summer would be done. Go ahead and brew it anyway, there's no law saying you can't enjoy it anytime you want.

This is the irony of brewing: if you want light, refreshing beers for the hot weather, then you should have brewed them when it was cold!

Ordinary bitter is good for high-volume quaffing.

what are the ramifications of non-lagering an ale made with Kolsch yeast?

Do a kolsch.

Here is my recipe. It comes out quite good.

6 lb pale malt extract
1 lb german pils
.5 lb pale wheat
.5 lb honey

kolcsh yeast

1.5 oz hallertau @60
.6 oz hallertau @ flameout

Irish moss for the last 15.

OG was 1.045

1 week in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary, 2 weeks to carbonate, and a 2 week rest in the fridge is enough to make this stuff downright delicious.

pantydropper

very good summer ale

hungsolo said:

Do a kolsch.

Here is my recipe. It comes out quite good.

6 lb pale malt extract
1 lb german pils
.5 lb pale wheat
.5 lb honey

kolcsh yeast

1.5 oz hallertau @60
.6 oz hallertau @ flameout

Irish moss for the last 15.

OG was 1.045

1 week in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary, 2 weeks to carbonate, and a 2 week rest in the fridge is enough to make this stuff downright delicious.

Click to expand...

I just brewed my first Kolsch this past weekend (recipe earlier in thread), and I'd like to try a adding honey next time. At what point do you add the honey?
Thanks!

brewhead said:

pantydropper

very good summer ale

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OK, thats settled, any beer named pantydropper simply must be brewed.

And I will keep my fingers crossed for the after effect !


Cheers,

knewshound

knewshound said:

OK, thats settled, any beer named pantydropper simply must be brewed.

And I will keep my fingers crossed for the after effect !


Cheers,

knewshound

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Is someone working on a label?

knewshound said:

OK, thats settled, any beer named pantydropper simply must be brewed.

And I will keep my fingers crossed for the after effect !


Cheers,

knewshound

Click to expand...

Don't you mean legs crossed?

Oh man that was BAD

nosnhojr said:

I just brewed my first Kolsch this past weekend (recipe earlier in thread), and I'd like to try a adding honey next time. At what point do you add the honey?
Thanks!

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I added the honey at the beginning of the boil. Most of the character is boiled out and it goes to fermentables. But this assures that you have a nice dry, light bodied beer. The few examples of kolsch I have had are pretty dry well attenuated beers.

In oz it always HOT try your pale ales LC is bloody good