CAT. 1a

[sudbuster]

Anyone brewing in Category 1A? I have recently become interested in the least interesting of all beer styles. I knew they are the most difficult of all styles to brew due to the lack of covering (masking) elements that more malty, hoppy, beers exhibit to brewing errors or improper sanitation.
Recently I attempted a low cal. light American lager style beer. I have been brewing for over 20 years, but somehow have never attempted one of these.
My brew started at 1.040 and fermented for 1.5 weeks before concluding at 1.008. Too high for the style. So a new krauson was started from the primary yeast (1.5L) and while at high krauson was added to the original beer. The beer (total of 5 gal at this time) then fermented down to 1.002, a much more reasonable FG. Presently the ABV is 5%. My hop choice was Hallertau, which i think was unfortunate. Saaz would have been better, at least for my tastes. But, really, it is difficult to tell which hop was used.
The beer is now lagering for a couple weeks at 32*f. My Bud Miller Coors Friends will suck this stuff up. No taste, 5%. They will love it.

 

[Braufessor]

I keep meaning to - but never get around to it. I brew a lot of Helles and Dortmunder - but have never brewed an american light lager in the 17 years I have brewed. I really enjoy brewing light lagers - it is a challenge, and they are really quite nice to have on hand. Interesting that you took that many gravity points off by adding a secondary batch of yeast. Have to keep that trick in mind for future brews.

 

[sudbuster]

I keep meaning to - but never get around to it. I brew a lot of Helles and Dortmunder - but have never brewed an american light lager in the 17 years I have brewed. I really enjoy brewing light lagers - it is a challenge, and they are really quite nice to have on hand. Interesting that you took that many gravity points off by adding a secondary batch of yeast. Have to keep that trick in mind for future brews.

Being 74 yr old, I understand what it means to get tired and floc out. Let the young'uns take over.

 

[FarmerTed]

The funny thing about that category imo is that the #1 example is Bitburger Light and the #2 example is Sam Adams Light. I don't think I've ever had Bitburger Light before, but I'd assume it's all malt, and in the bjcp description for 1A it says the ingredients should be "Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts." Sam Adams says that their light beer has "Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60." It also has an SRM of 11. Maybe you could score well with a Bitburger Light clone, but I've got to think that if you brewed a Sam Adams Light clone, it would be dinged for being way out of style. Just throwing things into Beersmith, to hit 4.4% ABV and 11 SRM, I'd need 8 lbs of 2-row and 1.5 lbs of Crystal 60. That seems crazy for a light beer.

Anyway, it seems to me that Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Light should be the top examples, based on the style description.

 

[sudbuster]

The funny thing about that category imo is that the #1 example is Bitburger Light and the #2 example is Sam Adams Light. I don't think I've ever had Bitburger Light before, but I'd assume it's all malt, and in the bjcp description for 1A it says the ingredients should be "Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts." Sam Adams says that their light beer has "Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60." It also has an SRM of 11. Maybe you could score well with a Bitburger Light clone, but I've got to think that if you brewed a Sam Adams Light clone, it would be dinged for being way out of style. Just throwing things into Beersmith, to hit 4.4% ABV and 11 SRM, I'd need 8 lbs of 2-row and 1.5 lbs of Crystal 60. That seems crazy for a light beer.

Anyway, it seems to me that Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Light should be the top examples, based on the style description.

Yes, absolutely. I'm kind of sick of the so called "craft brewers" intererjecting their ideas into what BMC is.