SWMBO Beer help

[Pyg]

I am trying to find a recipe to brew for SWMBO. She is a corona drinker (I know, I know!). She likes to top up the bottle with some citrus rum instead of a lime, adds a better kick.

The problem I have is that SWMBO is picky. She likes Corona and sours, but only sours that have a fruit taste and even then it is a gamble.

So I am trying to nail down something along the line of what she likes, light, crisp, not hoppy. Something for by the pool.

I dont lager so it has to be an ale!
But It can not be a cream ale! While she does not mind my cream ale, she knows it is brewed with Corn and that is a game changer for her.
I have heard alot about Blondes, but Have never tried one.
my LHBS also has the golden ale listed below, but I have never used Hallertau.

My thought was for me to brew 1 or 2 gallons as a test. She likes it and I would brew more.
I dont want to make 5 gallons and end up having to drink it myself, when I could have spent time on something more my style.
My other idea is to bottle them in Corona bottles and just start pouring in a glass!
I generally do a partial mash, but can convert for a 1 or 2 gallon AG.

Golden Ale
1# vienna Malt
3.3# Light LME
3# DME
1.5 OZ Hallertau 60 min
1 OZ Hallertau 30 min
1 OZ Hallertau 15 min
White Labs 05 or Wyeast 1098

5.3 abv
19 IBU

Or
Centennial Blonde (From BierMuncher)
5.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) G
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (45 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (20 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (10 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-)

Any help is appreciated!
Thank you

 

[Hello]

There is a Centennial blonde recipe here that I would try if I were you. Proven and brewed by many.

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

 

[m00ps]

I'm guessing she's fine with wine?
Have you ever explored any Belgian styles? I have yet to find a wine drinker I couldnt immediately convert to at least admitting that beer isnt exactly what they thought it was from trying a saison

 

[Pyg]

I'm guessing she's fine with wine?
Have you ever explored any Belgian styles? I have yet to find a wine drinker I couldnt immediately convert to at least admitting that beer isnt exactly what they thought it was from trying a saison

She likes a specific brand of Pinot noir & just to keep me guessing an occasional chilled white wine!

 

[mattdee1]

I had an "apricot wheat" over the weekend. It was not a homebrew, nor was I very fond of it, but it struck me as something that might be good for people who are typically non-beer drinkers.

- low ABV
- low IBU
- fruit flavor

Personally, I'd probably rather put a campfire out with my face than tie up my system making a fruit flavored beer, but it might serve your purpose here quite well.

 

[treacheroustexan]

What about this beer? Lemon-Lime Hefe.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=255659

I plan on brewing it this spring. She can garnish it with a lime by the pool. Or add rum! It's perfect

 

[IslandLizard]

There is a Centennial blonde recipe here that I would try if I were you. Proven and brewed by many.

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

This ^

And have you tried wheat beer on her yet? Either Belgian Wit, German Hefeweisen, or American Wheat. Many women who aren't crazy about beer do seem to like wheats.

 

[chickypad]

I'm guessing she's fine with wine?
Have you ever explored any Belgian styles? I have yet to find a wine drinker I couldnt immediately convert to at least admitting that beer isnt exactly what they thought it was from trying a saison

I was going to say this too, especially if she already likes sours. To defend the girls it isn't a woman only thing . My dad is a wine drinker mostly pinor noir and chardonnay who hates bitter beers and heavy sweet beers but finds the average American and other light lagers too boring. He really likes the Patersbier/Belgian single styles that I make. So very similar to a light blonde like you are thinking but with the Belgian yeast character for some complexity.

 

[JimRausch]

I am trying to find a recipe to brew for SWMBO. She is a corona drinker (I know, I know!). She likes to top up the bottle with some citrus rum instead of a lime, adds a better kick.

Golden Ale
1# vienna Malt
3.3# Light LME
3# DME
1.5 OZ Hallertau 60 min
1 OZ Hallertau 30 min
1 OZ Hallertau 15 min
White Labs 05 or Wyeast 1098

5.3 abv
19 IBU

Or
Centennial Blonde (From BierMuncher)
5.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) G
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (45 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (20 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (10 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-)

Any help is appreciated!
Thank you

Both of these recipes look like they might satisfy her, but I would maybe do small batches and try them out on her. Another recipe to consider is Wayne/Nilo's Blue Moon recipe. It's in the data base and has a thread that's probably at least 50 pages long by now. Done with US-05, it's a clear, clean easy drinking, slightly citrus wheat ale. You can up the coriander/orange peel for more citrus character, or substitute lemon peel or maybe lime peel. It's also a great base for adding fruit of various types(I've done raspberry, blueberry, apricot). It's a huge hit with the females in my drinking circle, and a pretty nice lawnmower beer in the summer when I don't want my usual heavier brews.

 

[joshesmusica]

just brew a blonde and then use all those corona bottles on that batch. Then let them sit in the sun for about 15-20 mins before you put them in the fridge. It will be like a slightly better corona.

honestly though, a low hop level blonde might be the way to go, or a wheat beer (shooting for like 8-10 IBUs). I fear the centennial blonde might be a bit too hoppy for her.

 

[ba-brewer]

My wife was a BMC/corona drinker and it took about of year and a half of gradual IBU increases to get her bitterness tolerance into the mid 20s. It was like brewing for goldie locks in the beginning, if the color was too dark she would think it was too heavy, too much hop aroma would trigger a too bitter response.

People like what they like, listen to her comments and adjust accordingly. It might take a while to dial things in, just keep at it. In the mean time see if you can get her to drink pacifica that way you will get brown bottles to refill.

With a extract recipe you might end up with too much body unless you add some sugar to help dry it out. I would also keep the IBUs in the low teen to start then gradually inch it up.

This is base for blonde ale;
85% 2row
5% crystal 10
5% abbey
5% carapils

mash about 150

In my system for a 5gal batch I use a half pound of grain for each of the three 5% grains.

 

[Cyclman]

This recipe is super for the ladies, extremely popular in CO. I like it without the apricot extract, it is fresher, but a wonderful beer.

MAILLARD MALTSTM
EXTRACTS & OTHER FERMENTABLES
-- 6.3 lbs Gold malt syrup
-- 1 lb Briess Golden Light DME
-- 1 can Vintner's Harvest Apricot Puree (add to
primary at day 2–3)
HOPTIMUS REXTM
PREMIUM HOPS
& OTHER FLAVORINGS
-- 0.75 oz Cascade (60 min)
-- Apricot Extract (add at bottling)
YEAST
WYEAST #1056 AMERICAN

 

[rodwha]

The advice of adding sugars to thin the body may well be inline here. You can only mash so low in a partial mash to get a thinner Corona-like body with extract.

Were I in your shoes I'd likely try a blonde or wheat with nothing but a bittering addition at around 10 IBUs.

I've worked on mine and she likes some IPAs. Not a big fan of stouts yet, but I'll keep it up!

 

[alexacuna]

Lucky to have a girlfriend who likes stouts and porters.

 

[signpost]

You should try a Berlinerweisse. That seems to fit what you described as her preferred flavors. And it's traditional to add some fruit flavored syrup in the glass.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Your wife likes Corona but won't drink a cream ale because it's brewed with corn?

"According to Sinebrychoff, a Finnish company owned by the Carlsberg Group, Corona Extra contains barley malt, rice and/or corn, hops, yeast, antioxidants (ascorbic acid), and propylene glycol alginate as a stabiliser."

 

[Pyg]

My wife was a BMC/corona drinker and it took about of year and a half of gradual IBU increases to get her bitterness tolerance into the mid 20s. It was like brewing for goldie locks in the beginning, if the color was too dark she would think it was too heavy, too much hop aroma would trigger a too bitter response.

People like what they like, listen to her comments and adjust accordingly. It might take a while to dial things in, just keep at it. In the mean time see if you can get her to drink pacifica that way you will get brown bottles to refill.

With a extract recipe you might end up with too much body unless you add some sugar to help dry it out. I would also keep the IBUs in the low teen to start then gradually inch it up.

This is base for blonde ale;
85% 2row
5% crystal 10
5% abbey
5% carapils

mash about 150

In my system for a 5gal batch I use a half pound of grain for each of the three 5% grains.

Thanks for advice
I am going to brew a 1 gallon Centennial Blonde batch
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841
I might drop the second centennial addition to lower the ibu's

I was going to use this opportunity to brew my first AG batch

If I screw it up I only lost or have to drink 10 bottles

 

[krazydave]

You can actually do a cream ale without corn also. Just take out the corn and add a lb. of malto-dextrin for some mouthfeel.
It may not win any competitions due to the lack of corn for the style, but it will be a very tasty beer.

One that I have brewed several times now and love to experiment with.
Tastes great with vanilla beans, coconut, and even jalapeños added after primary.

 

[Dixon9717]

My SWMBO don't care for beer either so I made her a Mango ale. It was a big hit with her and friends.