Cheap beer to make...long period to drink

[DKershner]

Hey HBT,

In my search for the perfect "backup" beer, I come to you guys. The idea behind this beer would be to just have it on hand just in case one of kegs kicks faster than we predicted, or just to fill holes in the brew schedule if we make a bunch of long aging beers. This beer would need the following attributes to be considered perfect, but I am not sure it exists so lets just get as close as we can.

- Cheap to make (2-row would be good of course, lower on the hop scale)
- Easy to make (No triple decoctions please)
- Has a long life cycle (tastes good or near peak flavor for a long period of time, perhaps even more than a year)

That's it! I am open to lagers or even sour beers, but I just wonder what style of beer fits these criteria the most.

Thanks!

Proposed Style: Sort of a brown porter, but with American ingredients, and cheap!

Backup Brown Porter
Brown Porter


Type: All Grain
Date: 9/29/2010
Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Brewer: Derek Kershner
Boil Size: 11.51 gal Asst Brewer: Matt Kirchoff
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: 10gal Batch Slampbrewery
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 82.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
20.00 lb Pale PNW Malt (2 Row) US (3.0 SRM) Grain 93.02 %
0.50 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 2.33 %
0.50 lb Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 2.33 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2.33 %
2.00 oz Magnum [10.00 %] (60 min) Hops 28.8 IBU
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (10 min) Hops 2.6 IBU
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.064 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.26 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.00 %
Bitterness: 31.4 IBU Calories: 279 cal/pint
Est Color: 21.9 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 21.50 lb
Sparge Water: 4.09 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Medium Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Saccharification Add 40.00 qt of water at 162.6 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F



Mash Notes: Temperature mash for use when mashing in a brew pot over a heat source such as the stove. Use heat to maintain desired temperature during the mash.
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Kegged (Forced CO2) Volumes of CO2: 2.0
Pressure/Weight: 6.0 PSI Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 38.0 F Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F

Notes

A pipeline filler beer for when the line runs dry.

 

[brewingkitty]

a RIS from northern brewer is tasty at about 2 months and gets better all the way out to 8ish (the longest i had the last of 10 gallons)

 

[brewdogskip]

Since I started buying ingredients in bulk, I have been doing "quick" brews to fill the pipeline. Usually a SMASH to experiment with hop additions. Just an idea.

Your requirements...
-SMASH's are cheap, 11#'s 2 row and 2 ounces of hops. Done.
-Easy to make, only measuring one grain and one hop variety. Done.
-Other than some hop degradation over time, it will still be good beer for a while. Done.


Get to brewin'!

 

[DKershner]

Since I started buying ingredients in bulk, I have been doing "quick" brews to fill the pipeline. Usually a SMASH to experiment with hop additions. Just an idea.

Your requirements...
-SMASH's are cheap, 11#'s 2 row and 2 ounces of hops. Done.
-Easy to make, only measuring one grain and one hop variety. Done.
-Other than some hop degradation over time, it will still be good beer for a while. Done.


Get to brewin'!

A smash is a fine idea for the cheap and easy part, but I am looking for something that the flavor will stick around with. That part is the challenge, I can come up with lots and cheap and easy recipes.

 

[DKershner]

a RIS from northern brewer is tasty at about 2 months and gets better all the way out to 8ish (the longest i had the last of 10 gallons)

The coffee tasting beers are an interesting choice. I actually hadn't thought of the roasty guys, they never seem to be cheap or easy to me, but I guess they really are.

 

[nealf]

Question, can you store this beer at lager temps?

 

[motobrewer]

a case of high life.

 

[yodalegomaster]

I would think a "blond ale" (your choice of yeasts) with a fairly high OG would fit your description very well.

 

[DKershner]

Question, can you store this beer at lager temps?

I can, but would prefer not to if possible. It would take up room in one of the vessels that I am trying to keep it free of.

Preferably, I would like to store this in my wine cellar, ~60F.

 

[elkdog]

Mild or English Brown Ale. Easy to make, small grain bills, good quickly, and not a hop-based flavor profile so they age decently as well. A Scottish 70/-, give or take 10/- would be great also.

 

[DKershner]

Mild or English Brown Ale. Easy to make, small grain bills, good quickly, and not a hop-based flavor profile so they age decently as well.

This is what I was thinking too, but Maris Otter would be cost prohibitive (at least for the perfect beer). I use 3L 2-row, which might make a somewhat decent replacement.

Thoughts?

 

[bniesen]

+1 on the High Life

 

[DKershner]

+1 on the High Life

I am not going camping, or else I would agree.

As for a clone...we run into the same lagering temps conundrum.

 

[elkdog]

This is what I was thinking too, but Maris Otter would be cost prohibitive (at least for the perfect beer). I use 3L 2-row, which might make a somewhat decent replacement.

Thoughts?

I'd give it a try. Seems like you should still get a little of that biscuity flavor in there.

 

[DKershner]

I'd give it a try. Seems like you should still get a little of that biscuity flavor in there.

Maybe ill toss some biscuit in. The 3L 2row is more caramel than MO is.

 

[elkdog]

Maybe ill toss some biscuit in. The 3L 2row is more caramel than MO is.

More of a caramel note is hardly bad in those beers, and a couple ounces of biscuit would hit the spot. Sounds like it wouldn't be "English" but it would certainly be "good," perhaps even "delicious."

 

[carrotmalt]

I was surprised to see mild mentioned as something that ages well. I don't know much about them, but in the Mild Mannered Ale thread it says they are to be consumed while young and that they go down hill pretty quickly.

 

[DKershner]

I was surprised to see mild mentioned as something that ages well. I don't know much about them, but in the Mild Mannered Ale thread it says they are to be consumed while young and that they go down hill pretty quickly.

You are right, but I think that is mostly talking about the very low ABV. As a style, mild should age better than an equivalent ABV hop-centric beer.

As for a recipe, I posted a hypothesis in the OP.

 

[hal2814]

My beer with the best shelf-life is my Dark pseudo-lager. It seems to keep a decent flavor up to a year after brewing and is a simple recipe. Here's my 5 gallon batch:

8 lbs Pilsner
.5 lb dehusked carafa III
.75 oz US Saaz (5.8% AA) 60 mins
.25 oz US Saaz 15 mins
.25 oz US Saaz 5 mins

Ferment with Wyeast 2112 (Steam) at room temp and lager for 4 weeks. Then you can just store it in a keg at room temp until it's ready to roll. It comes in at about 5% ABV which i think helps its shelf-life and taste-wise is somewhere between a Beck's Dark and a Warsteiner Dunkel.

 

[DKershner]

My beer with the best shelf-life is my Dark pseudo-lager. It seems to keep a decent flavor up to a year after brewing and is a simple recipe. Here's my 5 gallon batch:

8 lbs Pilsner
.5 lb dehusked carafa III
.75 oz US Saaz (5.8% AA) 60 mins
.25 oz US Saaz 15 mins
.25 oz US Saaz 5 mins

Ferment with Wyeast 2112 (Steam) at room temp and lager for 4 weeks. Then you can just store it in a keg at room temp until it's ready to roll. It comes in at about 5% ABV which i think helps its shelf-life and taste-wise is somewhere between a Beck's Dark and a Warsteiner Dunkel.

That is a pretty interesting idea. My steam beer actually held up pretty well over time too.

 

[rockfish42]

Porters or stouts are great aging beers, maybe up the IBUs a little initially.

 

[DKershner]

Porters or stouts are great aging beers, maybe up the IBUs a little initially.

Took your advice and doubled the bittering hop.

 

[weirdboy]

How about a mild?

EDIT: doh! Missed the other posts.

I think you could make a mild with 2-row. At least, I would be interested in trying it out.

 

[elkdog]

Just came back and saw the recipe. Looks like a nice smooth porter-ish ale. Using the carafa should help it be smooth sooner.

 

[Bob]

Why not a lager? It'll hold up well over time, and you don't have to dedicate too long in the fermenter. Try a Classic American Pilsner like my 1950s Brooklyn Lager. You don't have to lager it for months, it's fairly easy to brew, and it's got plenty of character.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[lumpher]

i'd think a northern english brown would be close to what you're looking for. make it cheaper by using s-04 dry yeast (a whitbread substitute, a favorite of mine) instead of liquid yeast. fast-acting, great attenuation, and tastes good

 

[Ichthy]

I'll go with everyone else suggesting a brown ale or mild. I have an 8 mo old mild that is still great. Very cheap and easy.

 

[Ølbart]

An aged mild is really a contradiction in terms.

 

[bullinachinashop]

An American amber ale would be perfect. 2 row, a handful of some specialties and lightly hopped with American hops.:rockin:

That reminds me.... I should brew a backup beer for the holidays.

Bull

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I'll toss out the smoke suggestion. IMO, smoke beers are good early and good old, and go through an interesting maturation. Plus you can make it small so it could be cheap...