Anybody else finding themselves enjoying American Lite Lagers again?

[GrowleyMonster]

Bud Miller Coors beers are what I got started drinking, then I went through a long IPA/craft beer phase. However, over the course of 2021, I’ve found myself greatly enjoying the American Light style.

Pale Lagers in general are my new favorite thing to drink, not that I dont enjoy a good NEIPA or hoppy pale ale, but my taste buds have actually adjusted to thoroughly enjoy the crisp bite of a smooth, mass produced lager. Same goes for nice craft pilsners alike.

I think its the subtle floral hoppy-ness i get from a craft pilsner, or even the slight hoppy flavor from something like miller lite, that has me hooked. I dont know if i’ve just started to not appreciate the hop bombs like I used to.

Anyone else in the same boat?

My normal glass for the last couple of years has been my own home brewed, not very hoppy, medium to heavy brown ales with an occasional batch of something more like a stout I suppose. Almost the opposite of the big brand American yellow pilsners I used to drink. I still see merit in Miller Lite or similar as a hot weather thirst quencher in some circumstances, though. Here in New Orleans there are two seasons...Summer, and January. Okay, it's not quite that bad but we get a lot of hot, humid weather, and except for the very wealthy folks, going outside and sweating is sometimes unavoidable. There are always cars to fix, nails to pound, holes to dig, trees to cut and logs to buck, grass to mow, and other tasks that call for something ice cold and very wet to drink. And a crazy hot bowl of chili or a cold cut po-boy with lots of creole mustard actually goes good with a brain-freeze cold pilsner sometimes. Otherwise, I will have a nice glass of liquid bread, dark, foamy, and with a reasonably high ABV.

 

[jtratcliff]

OK, I'll try it....

Don't forget to double dry hop!

 

[Toxxyc]

I think most homebrewers go through a "hophead" stage. It's fun to try and see where you can push it to. However, most of us also return to what we enjoy most of the time, everyday drinking. I'm the same. Used to like the hop bombs, but I'm back to trying to recreate authentic German lager tastes. No American Light Lagers, but something just slightly more flavourful, like Czech Pilsners, German Lagers (like Helles or Marzen), etc.

But yes, it is seasonal. I now brew for the upcoming summer (in 2 months or so here), and in high summer I'll again brew for the coming winter (probably a double stout, a sweet stout, etc.).

 

[madscientist451]

Funny story, the guy that just won home brewer of the year at the NHC competition submitted a light lager made with a few pounds of light DME and a couple pounds of rice flake. His recipe was about 5 lines long total. Just read it in the zymurgy magazine so I’m giving it a try this weekend. Totally funny IMO.

I'm a little skeptical that you can make a beer with just DME and flaked rice.
Don't you have to use something with enzymes like barley malt to convert the flaked rice?

 

[Toxxyc]

Yeah I also don't know if the DME will contain enough (or any) enzymes to do anything with the flaked rice. Seems to me you'll get a pretty starchy beer, unless fermentation will break down the starch into sugar (I know yeast can do this, albeit slowly).

 

[Jayjay1976]

 

[Steveruch]

I'm a little skeptical that you can make a beer with just DME and flaked rice.
Don't you have to use something with enzymes like barley malt to convert the flaked rice?

It wasn't brewed with flaked rice but with dried rice extract.

 

[yowzers]

It wasn't brewed with flaked rice but with dried rice extract.

Thank you that’s what I meant but did not have the article right in front of me. Leave it to the editors to check your work on HBT

 

[madscientist451]

It wasn't brewed with flaked rice but with dried rice extract.

So its all DME and DRE?

 

[tracer bullet]

I'm not a fan of the style. Never was. I can handle an Amstel Light, it has some flavor. But the normal American lagers, aside from being fairly devoid of flavor, often have a flavor I specifically dislike. I saw Miller High Life mentioned. I specifically dislike that beer and have poured it out and switched to water because there was no other beer to be had. I'm not judging anyone, everyone has different tastes. But some of our lagers are just... Hmm I wont' say bad, but I will say have a flavor I actively dislike. Some day I hope to find out what it is, because I'd like to brew a lager, but no way I'm going to chance it until I figure out what it is I dislike so much.

 

[Ogilthorpe2]

I'm not a fan of the style. Never was. I can handle an Amstel Light, it has some flavor. But the normal American lagers, aside from being fairly devoid of flavor, often have a flavor I specifically dislike. I saw Miller High Life mentioned. I specifically dislike that beer and have poured it out and switched to water because there was no other beer to be had. I'm not judging anyone, everyone has different tastes. But some of our lagers are just... Hmm I wont' say bad, but I will say have a flavor I actively dislike. Some day I hope to find out what it is, because I'd like to brew a lager, but no way I'm going to chance it until I figure out what it is I dislike so much.

Corn.

 

[yowzers]

So its all DME and DRE?

Yes and 34/70 at lager temps with a starter

 

[Bilsch]

Some day I hope to find out what it is, because I'd like to brew a lager, but no way I'm going to chance it until I figure out what it is I dislike so much.

My guess is it's the corn syrup or more specifically high maltose corn syrup that is used now pretty much universally as the adjunct to save money over running the old cereal cookers. Back in the day brands like Yuengling, Rolling Rock, Hamms etc were absolutely delicious beers. Then came cost saving measures and well, you can taste the result now. Mexican brewers held out for a long time but even those are beginning to change for the worse. One of the few you can still get with those lovely flavors intact is Peroni Nastro Azzurro if obtained within 2-3 months of packaging.

If only the macros in North America would offer a premium all malt lager again or even if containing some adjuncts then done the traditional way.

 

[CKuhns]

No if i want a "lighter" summer time drink. I tend to go to a citris session mead.