Recommendation for an approachable yet interesting ale

[Shoganai]

Hi there friends! I've been brewing for a few years, though haven't graduated from the basics (still using extracts and pre-existing recipes).

Recently a good friend that is not into craft beer asked me if I could brew with her. I am looking for recommendations for a light ale that she might enjoy but that I will find interesting too (was thinking blonde, brown or red...)

As context, we are from Mexico - so her experience are mostly light lagers with a couple of light pilsners and viennas.

 

[Queequeg]

A British golden ale.

Say

9lb golden promise
0.25 caramalt

Mash low

Bitter to 30 ibis

Late and dry hop with EKG

Ferment with WLP002

 

[jwalk4]

Do you own brewer's software like beer Smith or brew mate? If So, pick a recipe from this site and convert it to extract. http://www.alternativecommutepueblo.com/2011/10/ahanhc-gold-medal-winning-recipes-for.html?m=1

Alternatively, find a copy of Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Z. and John P..
It is filled with extract recipes!

Happy brewing

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I am a big fan of Kona Big Wave Golden Ale. I made an amped up version that turned out great with 8.75 lbs. Pilsner Malt, 1.25 Munich 10L, 1.25 Crystal 20L, 11 oz Carapils. 1 oz. EKG at 60 and 1 oz. Zythos at 2. It is 6% instead of the usual 5% for a golden ale but it worked out great with the Zythos which has a very nice pineapple flavor.

 

[filthyastronaut]

A light saison? Pils, a bit of wheat, good dose of Noble hops and French Saison yeast.

 

[Joewalla88]

Are you opposed to fruiting? I have found that adding berries to blondes or cream ales can make for some really easy drinking yet interesting beers.

 

[Shoganai]

Thanks so much for the responses! I have not done a saison or have ever used fruit in brewing, so I will suggest a light saison or a cream ale with some (but not too much) berry!

 

[Splyntr]

You should brew BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde. It's the number 1 recipe on HBT, it's easy to brew, and most importantly tastes awesome.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841

 

[rlonardo]

My go-to lighter beer is a citrus "blonde". Recipe is something like:

7.5 lb 2-row
1.5 lb Vienna
1 lb cara-pils

0.5 oz Amarillo 60 min
0.25 Amarillo 5 min
0.25 Citra 5 min
0.25 Sorachi Ace 5 min
0.25 Citra 0 min
0.25 Sorachi Ace 0 min
Lemon/Orange zest added at flameout (from 1-2 of each fruit, depending on the size of the fruit)

US-05 Yeast

Mash around 148-149 F, target OG is 1.049, FG 1.008ish.

If you replaced the 2-row with enough light LME to get the same OG you could make this extract - just steep the Vienna and car-pils.

This is a great hot weather brew - pretty light and super drinkable. Brewed a batch for my wedding and handed it out as the wedding favor - well received.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

This is a 1-gallon batch, but it can be scaled up to whatever amount you want. It is very easy, very good, and very drinkable.


Blauer Mond
Inspired by Wayne1's Original Recipe for Blue Moon

1 gallon
All-Grain

OG - 1.053
FG - 1.012
ABV - 5.43%
IBUs - 14.16
SRM - 4.17

Fermentables

American Pale 2-Row Malt - 1 lb.
American White Wheat - 0.8 lb.
Flaked Oats - 0.2 lb.

Rice Hulls - 0.1 lb. (optional)


Mash @ 154 degrees for 60 minutes


60-Minute Boil

Hops

Hallertau Mittelfruh (2.6 AA) - .3 oz. at 40 minutes


Other Ingredients

Ground Coriander - 0.14 oz. @ 10 minutes
Ground, Dried Valencia Orange Peel - .2 oz. @ 5 minutes

Yeast - SafAle S-05


Notes - Don’t mess with the basic recipe - it works! If you’re looking for a beautiful straight-up beer with some awesome character, this is it.