Anybody remember Colt 45 Malt Liquor?

[Brownalemikie]

Just curious if there's a recipe for it. It's been years since I've seen it in liquor stores. I use to love it back in the day.

 

[MaltMaker]

For 5 gallons use RO/DI water, a teaspoon of CaCl, with 6lbs of your favorite Pils or Lager malt plus 3lbs of either flaked corn or flaked rice (not sure, think Colt 45 uses corn?), mash low @148F for a long time ~90mins. Boil with Saaz hops to ~8-12ibu. Ferment with Budweiser strain 2007 until a stable gravity reading has been reached. At that time add a teaspoon of Amylase Enzyme, the gravity should drop several more points. Dilute with Distilled water to 1.003 - 1.004 SG. Package and enjoy.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I'm old enough to remember it from back in roughly the late 60's to very early 70's. No idea what the recipe was, but since it emphasized malt (whereas most US pale brews have loads of rice and/or corn) it seems to have been what I've learned recently to call a "Blonde Ale". Here is my recipe for a simple Blonde Ale:

RO water with 3 grams of CaCl2-2H2O added to mash, and ditto to sparge.
0.6 ml of 88% lactic acid added to sparge water

7 gallon boil
5.6 gallons to the fermenter

10 Lbs. Avangard Pilsner Malt
4 Oz. Acidulated Malt

1/3 Oz. Magnum, 12.4 AA, 60 min. boil
1/3 Oz. Sterling, 8.4 AA, 15 min. boil

Nottingham dry yeast, ferment at 62-64 degrees F.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Started out in 1963, and apparently is still available today. 5.6% ABV

http://colt45maltliquor.com/

Bump up the Pilsner malt in my recipe above by ~2 lbs., and (since it is defined as slightly sweet) also add 8 ounces of 20L to 30L crystal.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

wow they defiantly got the rap street hood type of adds going on there, never seen that on a commercial beer website

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Almost seems as if someone recently purchased the name and the rights and are bringing it back from oblivion. I believe that somewhere along the line Pabst marketed this product. The current company is called 'G. HEILEMAN BREWING CO.'

 

[Brownalemikie]

Thanks guys. I'll eventually attempt to brew a batch.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

No idea at all if this is accurate, but I personally remember way back in the day asking why it was called a Malt Liquor and not an ale or a lager, and I was told (way back then) that they could not (nationally at least) market it as either an ale or a lager due to its being above the then established legal ABV limit for ale/lager. Any chance that this has truth to it? It could also have just been a marketing gimmick and a rumor mill to go along with the gimmick. This was back in the day of 3.2 beer.

 

[brick_haus]

Same thing that I heard back in the seventies Silver...Another 40 ouncer here please!!! Colt 45 was my high school sweetheart...

 

[Brownalemikie]

No idea at all if this is accurate, but I personally remember way back in the day asking why it was called a Malt Liquor and not an ale or a lager, and I was told (way back then) that they could not (nationally at least) market it as either an ale or a lager due to its being above the then established legal ABV limit for ale/lager. Any chance that this has truth to it? It could also have just been a marketing gimmick and a rumor mill to go along with the gimmick. This was back in the day of 3.2 beer.

Apparently now Colt 45 is only 5.6%, but I'm pretty sure that back in 70's it was more like 8%. I remember a 6 pack of 16 oz cans was enough to catch a serious buzz. JMO

 

[friarsmith]

I've made this a few times and bumped up the OG to 1.064. Quite good after a few months in the keg. Dare I say "sublime" but definitely dangerous after 3-4 months.

+1 to the other comments advising WY2007 and amylase. I pitched about 500B cells in my last 6 gallon batch of this rocket fuel. The amylase dropped it from 1.010 to 1.004

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/american-malt-liquor/

 

[BassElement]

Scuba tank! Back in college my drummer and I (bass) would each get one of those 40 oz beauties to liven up rehearsal... by the end the rhythm section was loose but happy!

 

[bobeer]

good god... I used to drink 40's all the time in my 20's. St. Ides, Ole English, Schlitz, HG-800, etc...
I don't think i'd try to brew any malt liquor though. That stuff was naaaasty but it got the job done for cheap. We used to buy out the whole mini-mart's inventory of them Thursday-Sunday and sit on my buddy's front porch and drink them. Good times but not good beer! haha.

 

[ChelisHubby]

I made a mild pale ale over a year ago, it was a simpie recipe 9lbs of 2 row 1lb of white wheat and 1lb of crystal 40. The crystal 40 Gave it a flavor much like malt liquor. I. personally didn't care for it, but it was a experiment. And I drank all of it to remember that crystal 40 imparts a Malt flavor. If I wanted to create the old malt liquor at 7% or so 12lb of two row
1.5 lb of cry 40 and 2lb of wheat. Then figure on letting this sit in the bottle or keg for 3 weeks or so for the flavors to mellow.

 

[Nemanach]

I don't have a recipie but I do have an anecdote. I was at a "beer" liquor store by my house that shelves beer by country of origin. A young lady came in looked around for a minute and then asked the gal behind the counter if they had Old English. The counter gal asked if she checked the British aisle. Strangely enough after teaming up and looking through the British aisle they couldn't find it.

I'm still not sure if I respect the liquor store more or less because they clearly had no idea what Old English was.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Well, it isn't furniture polish, but you wouldn't find it in the British aisle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olde_English_800

 

[allanmorgan]

If I recall correctly, Billy Dee hocked that beer. Never had it though.

 

[Brewenstein]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491446399.669824.jpg

 

[Steveruch]

I drank some of that back when I was 17; it actually tasted better on the way back up, especially when mixed with vodka.

 

[PartagasD4]

Oh my the memories, Colt 45 ... Schlitz Bull or how about Mickeys Big Mouth. Those were the days

 

[Stillraining]

I drank some of that back when I was 17; it actually tasted better on the way back up, especially when mixed with vodka.

Now that's funny!

 

[allanmorgan]

how about Mickeys Big Mouth.

Short green bottles if I remember right.

 

[SanPancho]

AGGHHH!!!!!! mickeys. grenades we called em.

 

[SanPancho]

For 5 gallons use RO/DI water, a teaspoon of CaCl, with 6lbs of your favorite Pils or Lager malt plus 3lbs of either flaked corn or flaked rice (not sure, think Colt 45 uses corn?), mash low @148F for a long time ~90mins. Boil with Saaz hops to ~8-12ibu. Ferment with Budweiser strain 2007 until a stable gravity reading has been reached. At that time add a teaspoon of Amylase Enzyme, the gravity should drop several more points. Dilute with Distilled water to 1.003 - 1.004 SG. Package and enjoy.

why add AE after stable gravity? is there a reason not to add it right into fermenter at pitch?

 

[ChelisHubby]

Pancho has a good question! And Where do you get bud 2007 yeast, I haven't heard of it?

 

[Singletrack]

I drank some of that back when I was 17; it actually tasted better on the way back up, especially when mixed with vodka.

A little clarification on this recipe? Is the vodka added before or after it comes back up?

 

[Steveruch]

A little clarification on this recipe? Is the vodka added before or after it comes back up?

Definitely before. The vodka facilitates the reverse run.

 

[Seth_E]

Oh my the memories, Colt 45 ... Schlitz Bull or how about Mickeys Big Mouth. Those were the days

Mickey's is the only malt liquor I have ever seen or bought in Australia. I thought - oooh malty - but was diiissssappointed with the malt character.

That was in the early days of my beer adventure. I discovered that the shop also sold Unibroue bottles in a pack with a branded glass. May have been the start of my glass collection too.

FWIW, Dad's Little Helper from Rogue is a more refined and much less nasty malt liquor style brew. It's brewed using W2278 Wyeast Czech Pils, and the Brewing Network team cloned it in an episode of Can You Brew It.
I plan to brew it this year. Could be a dangerous Christmas beer for the hot Summer's we get here.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=175557

 

[roccobrews]

Billy D's Iced Tea

 

[MaltMaker]

why add AE after stable gravity? is there a reason not to add it right into fermenter at pitch?

It depends, usually you want to know if the beer actually needs the enzyme before adding it. In other words if the beer regularly finishes lower than your desired FG there's no need to add it, or if you don't mind a very dry FG of 1.000 or less then by all means add it right away. Everyone's processes and tastes are different so the best is to experiment and find what works for you.

 

[ChelisHubby]

Thanks, Malt maker!

 

[NSMikeD]

Almost seems as if someone recently purchased the name and the rights and are bringing it back from oblivion. I believe that somewhere along the line Pabst marketed this product. The current company is called 'G. HEILEMAN BREWING CO.'

I worked on their bankruptcy after Alan Bond did his leveraged buyout that failed. I'll never of get the day the creditors got wind of the roll out of "Power Master" a high test malt liquor targeted to the african american market. Boy were they pissed - rightfully so.