Type of beer to pursue

This most likely make most of the people on this board cringe but here it goes.

I am a fan Michelob ultra and other simular commercial beers (alcohol flavered water). And I am ok with this

I made my first batch of beer recently from a mr.beer kit. I am 99% sure it was the west coast pale ale. I tossed the can. I really enjoyed it. Two things about that, 1, they don't make the kit anymore, afaik. And 2 its like making bread machine bread. I'm adding water and heat and sending it on its merry journey to beer.

I would like to make more beer simular to the wcpa but close in flavor and bitternes(or lack of) to the mich ultra.

Which style of beer recipies should I be looking for? I think its pale ales, since that was the first beer I made, I'm just not sure.

I know most people who brew their own beer tend to like the hoppy/bittery beer. I not looking for contest winners just a beer I enjoy that I made myself

Thanks in advance

There a lots of recipes on here and elsewhere for clones of big commercial beers. The problem I believe for some to most of those is the fermentation process. I believe Michelob is a pale lager, which means you'll need to be able to lager the brew at cold temperatures for an extended period. Pilsners the same thing. Cream ales are pretty close and should get you what your looking for, with the much easier fermentation process of ales.

You've got stones to admit that you like fizzy yellow beer on this forum. I like that. Here is a recipe for a fizzy yellow beer that I make for my Bud Light/Miller Lite friends. They love it and even I have one every now and then. Also it is super easy and super cheap to brew. If you can't do all grain then substitute light dme for the 2 row. I got this recipe off of this forum. I think it was Ed Worts Blonde and all I changed was the hop becuase I really like Willamette. Welcome to home brewing!

Type: All Grain Date: 2/27/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal Brewer:
Boil Size: 3.50 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
End of Boil Volume 3.00 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.75 gal Est Mash Efficiency 70.0 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 94.4 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.6 %
1.00 oz Willamette [4.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 13.5 IBUs
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 4 -
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 5 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.038 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.040 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.008 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.000 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.9 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.2 %
Bitterness: 13.5 IBUs Calories: 126.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 3.6 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs
Sparge Water: 1.77 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 11.25 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (0.02gal, 1.75gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.6
Pressure/Weight: 5.44 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 5.44 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

I second the cream ale plan. It's a good, accessible style. Midwest Supplies Liberty Cream Ale is a really good kit, always a hit with the lighter beer fans when I brew it, and it's one of my favorite beers to have around in the summertime. The kit gives you some leeway with the hopping, use all if you want a hoppier, more bitter brew, use half for a typical cream ale (low hops character all around). When I make it, I add 4 oz of corn sugar/dextrose to the boil to help it dry out and make it a crisper beer, and I dry hop it with ~.5 oz of cascade, which you could skip if you're not into hoppy beers. Good beer, easy kit, you'll need a bigger fermenter than the Mr. Beer, but it sounds like that's what you're looking for anyway.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/
The recipe is Awesome!!! and high recommend it...very good beer that will satisfy your coors/miller/bud/Michelob taste and a good intro beer for people who still love the water that taste like beer

Also recommend looking into cream ales are very similar to the light lagers you see on the market...basically the big difference it uses ale yeast instead of lager yeast....very similar ingredients ....three grain cream ale recipe I believe...

The other style that is very similar is a Common/Steam/California Lager.....its a lager beer that ferments at ale temps

If you have a way to lager then American Light Lager recipes are the way to go...

I was alot like you when I started...loved my coors....but learned to try new styles...I highly recommend branching out and grabbing a six pack (the mix 6 packs are great for this) and grab some random things to broaden your horizons

NordeastBrewer77 said:

I second the cream ale plan. It's a good, accessible style. Midwest Supplies Liberty Cream Ale is a really good kit, always a hit with the lighter beer fans when I brew it, and it's one of my favorite beers to have around in the summertime. The kit gives you some leeway with the hopping, use all if you want a hoppier, more bitter brew, use half for a typical cream ale (low hops character all around). When I make it, I add 4 oz of corn sugar/dextrose to the boil to help it dry out and make it a crisper beer, and I dry hop it with ~.5 oz of cascade, which you could skip if you're not into hoppy beers. Good beer, easy kit, you'll need a bigger fermenter than the Mr. Beer, but it sounds like that's what you're looking for anyway.

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I think I will try that one. I have 2 fermenters so I may split it up.

crosschk said:

I think I will try that one. I have 2 kegs so I may split it up.

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It's a good beer, nice and light, but still has great flavor. If you like really crisp beers, I'd recommend the ~4 oz of dextrose. Doing that, and adding the LME late in the boil (I add it at flame out), I can usually hit an FG around 1.012-1.013 with that beer, which makes for a nice, easy drinker. I use Safale us-05 and ferment it kinda cool, low to mid 60's, to keep it nice and clean. It's a nice, easy kit and it should be ready to bottle/keg in 2 weeks, so it's a great one to keep your pipeline flowing.

phuff7129 said:

You've got stones to admit that you like fizzy yellow beer on this forum. I like that.


snip

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Thanks for the recipe. One day I hope to understand it

It looks like I should be looking at the cream ales and yellow fizzy beer recipies. I will try the kit in the link.

Thanx everyone

You might also look at Kolsch recipes/kits. They are German ales that really want to be lagers Lightly hopped, mild...what we call a "session beer", they are generally 5% alcohol or less.

I second the Kolsch. I was thinking that right after I read the original post and agree with this poster.

helibrewer said:

You might also look at Kolsch recipes/kits. They are German ales that really want to be lagers Lightly hopped, mild...what we call a "session beer", they are generally 5% alcohol or less.

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