Sam Adams Alpine Spring clone with MR.beer ingred?

My nephew wants to make something similar to the Sam Adams Alpine Spring. Does anybody know the Mr.Beer ingredients needed to come close to this?

I have access to a home brewing store that I can get more hops, spices, orange ,lemon zest or flavoring, etc.

I would just like to use the MR.Beer HME and/or UME, Booster etc.

Thanks,
Tom

Well, this beer is a lager so you need to have the capabilities to ferment at 45-50 degrees and then lager it for at least a month. As far as ingredients you're going to have to use pilsner malt extract, and according to the website tettnang hops. If you enjoy brewing and want to make better beers you might want to think about eventually ditching the mr. beer kit and investing in some other equipment There's a variety of posts in the archives about what to buy when starting out without breaking the bank.

amazinglarry said:

Well, this beer is a lager so you need to have the capabilities to ferment at 45-50 degrees and then lager it for at least a month. As far as ingredients you're going to have to use pilsner malt extract, and according to the website tettnang hops. If you enjoy brewing and want to make better beers you might want to think about eventually ditching the mr. beer kit and investing in some other equipment There's a variety of posts in the archives about what to buy when starting out without breaking the bank.

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Good info, Larry. I'm trying to hold down this hobby since I tend to get carried away. My reef hobby is way out of control. I do enjoy brewing quite a bit, but right now I like making the smaller batches. My nephew does have a quality kit he's never used and I promised to help him make a batch. He does have a fridge not in use in his basement so we should be able to set that for some cooler lagering. I'll have to get to my brewing store to find out more.

Thanks for the help,
Tom

Can anybody tell me what Alpine Spring is supposed to taste like? I'm having a hard time describing it to the guests at my bar. Tastes almost like a maibock to me but I'm not real experienced with German hops.

It's a Hellesbock and Kellerbier style hybrid. Definitely a lager, easy drinking like a spring day, hints of lemon and spice. It's not a small beer but it drinks like one. It's unfiltered and likely has some "youth" characteristics to it, perhaps a tad yeasty.

I spitballed a recipe similar to it on hopville...let me see what it comes out to in my other software.

Sam Adams' description:
http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=2b8621d0-84bd-41aa-85fa-8134badb69d2

I had 8lbs. German 2-row Pils, 2lbs. Munich.

I'd try Tettenang hops, per Sam Adams page.
1.5oz. at 60
1.5oz. dry-hop in secondary.

WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast seems to fit the profile, but any German Lager yeast might work out.

2-weeks primary at 50* or so, maybe high 40's in that fridge.
2-3 day diacetyl rest at 60's/room temp (not 70's though)
28 days in secondary at 40*, dry hop the last two weeks.
Keg or bottle, keep around 40's. If bottle, probably need some time at room temp to carb first otherwise you'll be waiting a very long time.

Comes out SRM of 4.2, golden orangey, could use more Munich to get it even more orange. ABV 5.3%, 21.6 IBU's, a somewhat malty profile but good aroma from dry-hopping. Could up the 60m hops to 2oz if you want less malty profile an more balanced taste.

There is nothing wrong with the Mr Beer as a fermenter, but their ingredients are overpriced IMO. The only think you can't do with Mr Beer than you can with other kits is make 5 gallons at a time. Just halve the recipe above or try to find suitable LME or DME substitution from a LHBS if you aren't going all grain.

The case box says 2-row pale and honey malt with tettnang hops....I was just browsing around to find a similar recipe and saw your post, thought I'd add my 2¢

OClairBrew said:

There is nothing wrong with the Mr Beer as a fermenter, but their ingredients are overpriced IMO. The only think you can't do with Mr Beer than you can with other kits is make 5 gallons at a time. Just halve the recipe above or try to find suitable LME or DME substitution from a LHBS if you aren't going all grain.

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I finally broke down and have a 6.5gallon fermenter. What brands of lme do you recommend for 5 gallon batches and where is a good place to get 'em?
Thanks,
Tom

Muntons or Breiss for LME is what I've used in the past. Midwest Supplies is a good online HB shop, Northern Brewer is great as well - best customer service I've experienced in this business.

Now here is some yeast food for thought because I too have a fridge for lagering however at its highest temp, I still could not hold in the suggested range of a normal lager yeast - it was just too cold and at one point I actually put yeast to sleep.

Strain 1: Nottingham ale - this was recommended to me by Yooper, it's clean and pleasant, ferments well in a wide temp range. I used it on an Oktoberfest which after fermentation I cold crashed for a couple weeks, it turned out very good - not perfect but good.

Strain 2: Wyeast 2112 (California Lager), this yeast did VERY well for me as it holds lager characteristics but has a suggested fermentation range of 58-68° F (14-20° C) which is easily achievable if you have a basement. My finished product was clear, good malt flavor, and had that lager aroma / taste. Very impressive and I'll be using it again this year.