Need Bud Light type recipe - I have good reason

[GarrettMD]

First reason being that it is cheaper than buying a keg. Don't argue that it's not. A keg of Bud Light is around $80-$130 depending on where you are in the country (without deposit) and it's 15.5 gallons. I can brew a 5 gallon batch of beer with a lot more ingredients and flavor for about $25 average and that only comes to $77.50 per 15.5 gallons. I am sure that a watery-tasting party beer can be brewed for much less.

Second reason is with the legality of purchasing a keg for parties which I won't delve too far into, but long story short a keg full of homebrew is allowed whereas a commercially filled keg is not.

So, I will be brewing 1 barrel batches for party purposes, and to appease the masses, I won't try to force anything too flavorful on them, hence the need for a Bud Light type recipe.

I'm not saying it has to be an exact clone, but something similar that doesn't give too much more in terms of flavor. It's purpose will still be a party beer that people won't care what it tastes like.

I have searched for a while for this and only found people turning threads into flame wars and some recipes that seem to be an attempt to make it more of a craft lager than a clone.

So if you have any idea how to make a Bud Light type beer, please post it, and don't tell me to water down a beer and piss in it, I would really like legitimate responses.

 

[Whut]

It's not Bud Light but AHS has a recipe that their site says is similiar to Miller Lite. Here's the URL and good luck.

Edit: Poke around their site - perhaps they have something similar to Bud Light.

Edit: Found a Bud American Ale recipe, here's that link.

 

[ChshreCat]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/fizzy-yellow-beer-120939/

It's a Yooper recipe, so you know it's good.

 

[thewurzel]

Miller Lite clone

Found this recipe in one of the books that I have. by charlie papazian
SWMBO asked me to brew it once.
But personaly I would never brew it, as I think it would be a lot cheeper to buy at the Store.

Ingredients

2.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 36.4 %
1.75 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 31.8 %
1.75 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 31.8 %
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 15.1 IBU
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.50 tsp Amylase Enzyme (Primary 3.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs Pilsen Lager (Wyeast Labs #2007) Yeast-Lager

Notes

65 degrees add yeast
ferment 4-6 days in primary at 50 degrees
transfer to secondary and add disolved amylase enzyme
maintain 50 degrees for 2 weeks
then larger one more week at 40 degrees

 

[KYB]

Or just brew something good and tell them to deal with it - that's what I do. If people can learn to like terrible beer, they can learn to like good beer. I think a lot of it is people being hardheaded and close-minded. If that's all that's available, it will be consumed. People will drink anything to get a buzz. Any time someone asks me if I brew anything like Bud Light, I tell them "No, but I can drink a bunch of my good beer, piss in a cup and give that to you. It will taste the same and have the same ABV." They say, "Hah, but seriously..". I respond, "I'm serious." They don't ask anymore.

 

[Clann]

Or just brew something good and tell them to deal with it - that's what I do. If people can learn to like terrible beer, they can learn to like good beer. I think a lot of it is people being hardheaded and close-minded. If that's all that's available, it will be consumed. People will drink anything to get a buzz. Any time someone asks me if I brew anything like Bud Light, I tell them "No, but I can drink a bunch of my good beer, piss in a cup and give that to you. It will taste the same and have the same ABV." They say, "Hah, but seriously..". I respond, "I'm serious." They don't ask anymore.

I have a couple of friends that will bum a homebrew when they are out of beer.
Closest beer store is 40 miles away
In smile and feed them an IPA just to watch them drink

 

[electric_beer]

So you basically want an american pilsner. That's pretty easy are you an all grain brewer or a PM/extract brewer?

For All grain:

9lbs Pilsner
1lb flaked rice (you can use instant rice)
8 oz Carapils (or wheat if you want it less sweet)

Mash @ 149 for 90 mins

1 oz of Hallertauer ~ 10 IBU

W-34/70 yeast (to keep cost down)

Lager for 5-6 weeks at 40-35 degrees after fermentation.

Won't be fancy, but will be a nice easy drinking lager for your buddies.

 

[GarrettMD]

So you basically want an american pilsner. That's pretty easy are you an all grain brewer or a PM/extract brewer?

For All grain:

9lbs Pilsner
1lb flaked rice (you can use instant rice)
8 oz Carapils (or wheat if you want it less sweet)

Mash @ 149 for 90 mins

1 oz of Hallertauer ~ 10 IBU

W-34/70 yeast (to keep cost down)

Lager for 5-6 weeks at 40-35 degrees after fermentation.

Won't be fancy, but will be a nice easy drinking lager for your buddies.

Pretty much the response I was looking for. I'll probably brew a 1 gallon test batch first, but yeah, I just need to brew 1 bbl batches of fizzy yellow "beer" for the purposes of beirut and party drinking. I just didn't know if anyone had a tried and true recipe for this type of thing.

If it weren't for the purpose of 200+ person parties, I would definitely brew some better beer and just basically force it on the party-goers, considering I do that anyway for the 25-50 person "parties" but that's not the goal for this beer.

 

[electric_beer]

Now if you want to mix it up ever so slightly. A favorite easy drinking lager I've brewed was:

7lbs 2 row
1 1/2 German Rye
1 1/2 Flaked Corn

Mash @ 150 for 60Mins

.25oz Simcoe (12%) @ FWH ~12 IBU
.25oz Simcoe (12%) @ 10 ~ 4 IBU
.25oz Amarillo (8.5%) @ 10 ~ 3 IBU
.25oz Amarillo (8.5%) @ 5 ~ 1.5

WLP 802 Czech Budejovice Lager

More hop taste than your usual lager, but not a ton of bitterness so I find that it appeases all my friends. From the biggest BMCer to the hop head.

 

[rockfish42]

I might suggest using minute rice in place of the flaked corn suggest up thread, it's a little more neutral tasting.

 

[jiggs_casey]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

 

[kmk1012]

I tried the recipe with the amalyse enzyme and ended up dumping it out after several months of "aging" it. Just trying to do too much without enough ingredients. The Fizzy Yellow beer is a very good recipe and I reccomend that one!

 

[malvado78]

I would just like to mention that all of the above recipes left out the late addition of cat piss...

 

[mixedbrewer]

A four week lager to end up with bud light just seems like a lot of work for not much in the way of a result. It might be a few dollars cheaper to make it, but what a pain in the a**. I agree with a previous post that you should offer something better, and less time consuming... like maybe a cream ale.

 

[andrew300]

The American Lite Lager in Brewing Classic Styles would probably work for you. I dont have the recipe in front of me, but its 2 row and flaked rice bittered to around 12ibu with low aa hops and no flavor or aroma additions. Starting gravity is around 1.036 and the yeast is pilsen lager from wyeast or equivalent.

 

[IrregularPulse]

A keg of keystone (cheapest) for me is $106. A 1/2 barrel is 15 gallons. You get 13-13.5 gallons of actual beer. The above recipe scaled up 2.5 times is around $50 on brewmasterswarehouse. Add 7 shipping and you're saving roughly $63. per 13-13.5 gallons. My question is how does one person become responsible for providing all the beer for these people? I'd imagine they'd be throwing money in, and IMO, they'd be throwing in however much is cost me to run to the store and pick up kegs.

*edit* Nevermind I saw your other post about your bar building and understand your reasoning.

 

[mixedbrewer]

If six weeks of your time is worth $63.00 then go for it.

 

[Ace_Club]

If six weeks of your time is worth $63.00 then go for it.

That's not entirely accurate as it is not six weeks of constant work. Nor is it fair, as an American Light Lager is harder than any style that you or I have ever tried to make (unless you have brewed an American Light Lager before). You may not like BMC, but at least give the style its proper respect.

 

[mixedbrewer]

Thats my point... to try and make that is more of a pain than to just buy it.

 

[Ace_Club]

Thats my point... to try and make that is more of a pain than to just buy it.

Most of the beer we make is more of a pain to do so than to just go to the store and buy it. That's not the point of homebrewing.

To the OP, I say go for it and good luck. It's a hard style to make correctly and I hope you succeed.

 

[mixedbrewer]

The point of homebrewing is different for everyone.

 

[Flomaster]

I vote for "Cream of 3 crops"... seems BMC drinkers like it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

-=Jason=-

 

[Ace_Club]

The point of homebrewing is different for everyone.

True, but nobody brews because it is cheaper or easier than going to the store. Because it's just not the case.

 

[bob1852]

http://www.brewersconnection.com/recipes/budlike.htm

 

[andrew300]

Actually brewing a lite lager can be very helpful in your brewing process. If you have any problems, they will definately show in the finished product. If you can master this style, you can pretty much do them all.

 

[JonK331]

If it were me, and I was brewing something of which the majority would be consumed by others who don't really care what they are drinking, I would try to do it with extract. For a 5 gallon batch (you can up the quantities for larger scale) I would do 2-3 lbs of Pilsner lme or ultralight dme, and 3 lbs of corn sugar. 1 oz of Hallertau. 34/70 to ferment. This way, you spend way less time doing actual work and I highly doubt anyone will be able to tell the difference between that and an all grain that you've put a lot of work into. Also, doing an all malt version will have waaaaaay more flavor and body than if you use 50% or so corn sugar and I assume you're trying to keep it pretty light/flavorless. That's what I'd do, either that or drink lots of IPA every night and start filling kegs with piss. Then chill and force carb

 

[SC_Ryan]

I vote for "Cream of 3 crops"... seems BMC drinkers like it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

-=Jason=-

This. Search for Centennial Blonde if you want something that is still light but a little more ale like. Might be a good "gateway" beer.

 

[electric_beer]

If it were me, and I was brewing something of which the majority would be consumed by others who don't really care what they are drinking, I would try to do it with extract. For a 5 gallon batch (you can up the quantities for larger scale) I would do 2-3 lbs of Pilsner lme or ultralight dme, and 3 lbs of corn sugar. 1 oz of Hallertau. 34/70 to ferment. This way, you spend way less time doing actual work and I highly doubt anyone will be able to tell the difference between that and an all grain that you've put a lot of work into. Also, doing an all malt version will have waaaaaay more flavor and body than if you use 50% or so corn sugar and I assume you're trying to keep it pretty light/flavorless. That's what I'd do, either that or drink lots of IPA every night and start filling kegs with piss. Then chill and force carb

Except the amount of extract needed to do a BBL is INSANE. 5 Gallons is a LOT different than 31!

I don't get why so many people have such a problem with light lagers. I mean, even the worst attempt he makes will probably taste better than from the can and there are actually a lot of really tasty lagers. Not to mention I wish I could predict my brews as well as the big guys do.

 

[mixedbrewer]

True, but nobody brews because it is cheaper or easier than going to the store. Because it's just not the case.

Nobody? I would say most of Canada brews at home because its cheaper than going to the store. Sometimes a brewers pride takes them away from reality.

 

[mlyday]

+1 on the cream ale. I used nottingham and fermented in the 54-55 degree range, and it came out really clean.