Beer made with Mountain Dew

[Lando420]

Me and a buddy at work became pretty addicted to those Mountain Dew throwbacks a while back. (made with real sugar) I have kicked the habit but he stashed a bunch. We are both starting to brew, I am currently 4 days into bottle conditioning my 1st hefe and he has an obsession with creating "Mountain Brew" as his 1st beer when he gets started.

My question is how would you go about this? I am thinking he should boil it flat and use it as priming sugar when he bottles and make a light beer where you could taste the citrus. Any other ideas? Would it be prudent to mix a store bought beer that is similar to the beer he brews with some mountain dew to make sure the combo does not taste like ass before trying this? I told him to make something simple his 1st time so if he messes up he knows where he goofed but he is pretty set on "Mountain Brew". Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

[Skyforger]

Using it as a priming sugar wouldn't need nearly enough to give any real flavor. I would add it in secondary. I wouldn't boil it; I might put it in a sanitized jug to decarbonate, but it's not entirely necessary. There's co2 all over the place in the fermenting beer anyways. Don't add too much, as it no doubt contains preservatives and is quite acidic. Count the sugar of the soda into the recipe; there is a considerable amount of it. And don't expect the finished product to taste like Mt. Dew at all. If you want that, just mix it with some lighter beer. Fermentation inevitably changes flavors, and drives off aromas.

You'll need to make a light beer, like you said. Maybe even as light as a cream ale to taste it at all.

Personally, I don't think this is a good idea. Especially for a first batch. But hey, weirder things have worked.

Just bear in mind the unpleasant scrutiny drinks that blend alcohol and caffeine are getting from the scientific community. Mixing uppers and downers is almost always a bad idea.

 

[Skyforger]

Here's something else you could try. Try blending Mt. Dew with some likely commercial beers, until (and if) you find a combination you like, brew a clone of it. Then, before bottling, add enough sorbate to inhibit fermentation, and bottle without priming sugar. Then fill all the bottles with a combination of 'dew and the beer. The carbonation from the soda will have to work for both of them.

 

[jmo88]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/mountain-brew-59746/

 

[Lando420]

Thanks guys, Ill pass on the info!

 

[PolishStout]

found an updated page with the recipe
http://byo.com/component/resource/article/Indices/51-Recipe%20Exchange/1172-mountain-brew

This idea really intrigues me!

 

[kpr121]

Just bear in mind the unpleasant scrutiny drinks that blend alcohol and caffeine are getting from the scientific community. Mixing uppers and downers is almost always a bad idea.

Cmon he would have to add a hell of a lot of Dew to even see any effect of the caffeine. Four Lokos probably had more caffeine in them than MD by itself, let alone MD mixed with non-caffeinated beer.

That doesn't mean its still not a bad idea.

 

[Revvy]

The mountain dew brew is pretty famous, there's plenty of info on here and on the web. It was in BYO magazine even. Google is your friend.

 

[carnevoodoo]

The mountain dew brew is pretty famous, there's plenty of info on here and on the web. It was in BYO magazine even. Google is your friend.

I think that every response to every thread from here out is, "Google is your friend."

Nothing new gets asked. It will work.

 

[rosier9]

i've been considering a mountain dew cider lately, ya know, something for the morning...

 

[Revvy]

i've been considering a mountain dew cider lately, ya know, something for the morning...

To me a cider with it sounds more palatable than something with grain.

 

[Kokopuff829]

To me a cider with it sounds more palatable than something with grain.

Yea me too. Mountain dew and beer doesn't sound tht good.. Cider sounds a little better

 

[joeirvine]

I got bored one day and decided to do an expiriment with it. Used the Mountain dew throwbacks, a 5 pound thing of lipton lemon tea powder, and a two pound bag of barley malt sweetener from the local health food store. Used the Red Star wine yeast in the red pack. I didn't do any gravity readings but I'm surpised to say I think the yeast handled all the sugar in it. Came out very tart and dry. Pretty much undrinkable, but I do add some cane sugar and mix it in once in a while and it improves it a lot. I gave most of it away to buddies I go to school with and they all came to the same consensus that it tast like ****ty wine but it f***s them up lol. One buddy said its pretty much the worst thing to have in his house because he'll come back from the bars and have good buzz, then drink a glass of the stuff and he blacks out and wakes up in random areas of his house.