How to Triple Hop a Miller Lite Clone!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Schlenkerla

Supporting Member
HBT Supporter
Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
16,779
Reaction score
5,895
OK..... I am frickin tired of seeing those triple hopped BS commercials from Miller. Who's with me?

One of my preferred HB-Library books, "Home Brewers Gold" written by Chuck has a recipe for Miller Lite.

Wow - to my surprise its not even triple hopped!!!

Here it is, I'm gonna make this but REALLY do the triple hopping with somethin'

I'm gonna keep the IBU at 16 but do a late hop at flame out, then dry hop it too.

So my proposed Tripling is at; 60, 0, Dry

Question - Now what should I use fer hops......?????
Miller Lite Clone - (Un)Triple Hopped - AG

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

01-A Light Lager, Lite American Lager

Min OG: 1.030 Max OG: 1.040
Min IBU: 8 Max IBU: 12
Min Clr: 2 Max Clr: 3 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 5.50
Anticipated OG: 1.030 Plato: 7.68
Anticipated SRM: 2.0
Anticipated IBU: 15.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 18.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.10 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.025 SG 6.32 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
36.4 2.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
31.8 1.75 lbs. Pale Malt(6-row) America 1.035 2
31.8 1.75 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Cluster Whole 7.00 15.7 60 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 Tsp Amylase Enzyme Other 14 Days(fermenter)


Yeast
-----

WYeast 2007 Pilsen Lager ( I'll probably go with Safale -05)


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 5.50
Water Qts: 5.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 1.38 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 148 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 165 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 165 Time: 10


Total Mash Volume Gal: 1.82 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



Notes
-----

Add Amylase Enzyme into secondary.
 
I forgot to mention my other motive here.

I'm unemployed and I want to make a cheap lawnmower beer. I think the novelty of REALLY triple hopped Miller Lite will just amuse me.
 
GREAT IDEA! I would love someone to actually "Triple Hop" a Miller Lite to see what it tastes like compared to an actual Miller Lite (if it is triple hopped or not).
 
I found this in an extract miller light clone recipe on the beertools board.



2 ounces of hallertau....seems high to me.


Yes, I think so. Maybe their starter was triple hopped. :D

I was thinking liberty or hallertauer. I also have a good bit of saaz too.
 
I was assuming at 60 minutes they add a hop cone to the boil kettle with a second and third cone added at 20 and 5. Of course you'd need to use a very large boil kettle to tolerate three whole hop cones but luckily the big boys are equipped for that job! Just like in their symbol; three hop cones per batch.
 
They add tons of different hops, adjusting the alpha and beta acid levels, cohumulone, etc. to what they want, more to create balance with bitterness than to create flavor. It's an attempt to make it as bland and tasteless as possible, to appeal to wider population.

The "triple hop" is a marketing gimmick and has nothing to do with their actual process.
 
We all know that its a gimmick. I'm just gonna take the base recipe do the bittering to 16 IBU. Then wack-it with flavor and aroma hops.

Then, it will be truly be tripled hopped and rather cheap.

Its also worth noting this is a give-away beer for a local bar's Jimmy Carter Happy Hour. This is where they let home brewers serve their beer. They in turn let you behind the bar to fill your glass a few times and give you dinner. The tips generally pay for your batch and then some.

Home

JC_Happy_Hour.jpg
 
( Evan's Law )

Ah! that was it. I couldn't remember the name.

That "jimmy carter hour" thing sounds pretty damn cool... if there was some place around here that did that, I'd be all over it! Knowing california though, they probably wouldn't allow it for some reason. :(
 
That "jimmy carter hour" thing sounds pretty damn cool... if there was some place around here that did that, I'd be all over it! Knowing california though, they probably wouldn't allow it for some reason. :(

This place has 105 beers on tap. They have every Rogue on tap. All of the New Belgiums, DFH's, Flying Dog.... You name it, they have it on tap. It caters to the biggest EAC-Beer-snob.

Everything in bottles to be had is there too. :rockin:
 
Sweet, another cheap swill thread. I love cheap swill homebrew. So much better than the canned water crap, yet I can drink it like I'm in college again. :D

Everybody should brew one of these, it really helps refine your process since every flaw comes through in spades. I found a hole in my water treatment with mine that was letting a slight amount of chloramine get into the brew I couldn't detect in my other recipes.

I'm curious how this comes out. I used 20% corn in my first cream ale and it tastes like, uh, well, corn :eek:, and reminded me of Yuengling Lager which I haven't had in years. I read somewhere (don't remember where :() that Miller and Coors likely use corn sugar rather than corn to avoid getting the corn flavor in their beers? For my next iteration I'll be dropping the corn to 10% of the grist, and if it finishes over 1.008 I'll add some corn sugar in the following iteration to dry it out even more.
 
Sweet, another cheap swill thread. I love cheap swill homebrew. So much better than the canned water crap, yet I can drink it like I'm in college again. :D

Everybody should brew one of these, it really helps refine your process since every flaw comes through in spades. I found a hole in my water treatment with mine that was letting a slight amount of chloramine get into the brew I couldn't detect in my other recipes.

I'm curious how this comes out. I used 20% corn in my first cream ale and it tastes like, uh, well, corn :eek:, and reminded me of Yuengling Lager which I haven't had in years. I read somewhere (don't remember where :() that Miller and Coors likely use corn sugar rather than corn to avoid getting the corn flavor in their beers? For my next iteration I'll be dropping the corn to 10% of the grist, and if it finishes over 1.008 I'll add some corn sugar in the following iteration to dry it out even more.

I agree with your comment about doing one of these helps you learn about your process. Highlighting the flaws.

Note the "Notes" Section. You add amylase enzyme in the 2ndary to dry the beer out.

OG 1.030
FG 1.000
 
I found this in an extract miller light clone recipe on the beertools board.



2 ounces of hallertau....seems high to me.

This is for their actual 1000BBL batches, not a Homebrew scaled down batch. That's where the confusion it :cross:

I agree thought that brewing this would be a great skill test.
 
BTW - This was the recipe for 1996 World Beer Cup Competition. Miller Lite took 1st Place Gold in the American-Style Light Lager.

Chuck's write up was pretty much as one would expect. Good aroma, dry, light bodied, almost like water. :D

He gives it kudos on balance and drinkability. States its a winner because its exceptionally clean with no aftertaste, but absent of flavor good or bad.

As Saccharomyces says, or implies that this beer is not forgiving on mistakes. Its a challenge!!!

2nd Place - Silver - Pabst Genuine Draft

3rd Place - Bronze - Medalla Light - Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
 
I've heard from more than one bjcp judge that the way they grade light american lagers is by the flavor. Or, more accurately, the absence of it. Thus, the winners art the ones with the least amount of flavor.

Kinda sad, really.
 
I've heard from more than one bjcp judge that the way they grade light american lagers is by the flavor. Or, more accurately, the absence of it. Thus, the winners art the ones with the least amount of flavor.

Kinda sad, really.

I'm gonna change that. My ML Clone will have bittering, aroma & flavor hops.

60 min, Flame-out, & Dry Hopped
 
I did the deed. I have a Miller Lite Clone made with cascade. I said the hell with bittering using just cluster. Fricken cascade all the way. Thanks for HG hops!!

@ 60 Min 1/2 oz Cascade
@ 0 Min 1 oz cascade


7 days from now 1 or 2 oz will be dry hopped.

Then the beer will be really triple f'n hopped!!
 
OK - Here some pictures of the final and "3rd" hopping. :D

Here's 2 oz in a 5 gallon carboy.

2009_ML_Tripple_Hop_005.jpg


Here's my Doritos-like fingers (covered with lupilin) My fingers have more hop potential than what goes into a barrel of Miller.

2009_ML_Tripple_Hop_001.jpg


The final tripple hopping now completed.

2009_ML_Tripple_Hop_006.jpg

 
Oh-yah,

Miller Brewing eat your frickin heart out...

Here's a look at the beer at 8 days after pitching. The corn taste is there, hoping the amylase enzyme will dry that out and clean it up.

FYI - Got a 92% extraction efficiency. Hoping this will be very dry.

2009_ML_Tripple_Hop_009.jpg
 
wow, all those leafs in a carboy, looks amazing!!!!


But on a serious note on brewing a bmc like product, you need to go with rice, not corn and instead of using hops at all, get the isomerized extract. Hop Extract | MoreBeer
On the plus side the extract won't skunk and it will increase the shelf life of your beer since it doesn't have any nitrogen compounds.
 
wow, all those leafs in a carboy, looks amazing!!!!


But on a serious note on brewing a bmc like product, you need to go with rice, not corn and instead of using hops at all, get the isomerized extract. Hop Extract | MoreBeer
On the plus side the extract won't skunk and it will increase the shelf life of your beer since it doesn't have any nitrogen compounds.


That's for Budweiser. This is Miller! The recipe came from Charlie Papazian after ML won gold at the World Beer Cup. (1996) Rather dated but I'm guessing the recipe hasn't changed much. Even with the "New" Triple Hopped marketing campaign.
 
Did you get a gravity reading after primary? I'm curious what your attenuation was... before the amylase...

No I didn't. I might have enough in that mason jar to do that! (stashed it in the fridge for cold drinking)

OK - Its right at 1.009 @ 60F.

The activity had just about ceased prior to racking on top of the hops and amylase. Right now its passing a bubble a every 10-20 seconds. In fact, I could have used a blow-off. I did this racking and left for an hour only to find a 1/2 pint of beer on the floor when I got back.
 
Back
Top