Few questions about my brew

[stewie24]

Hey all. I've started brewing roughly 2 weeks ago and have 3 batches currently fermenting / bottling. This past friday evening I went to a local homebrew shop. A friend of mine likes drinking Budweiser, so he suggested getting the following to brew:
Muntons American Style Light
Bag of Rice syrup solids
Bag of Maltodexterine

Now in less than 24 hours the beer has been fermenting for a week and its still bubbling like crazy. Had it not been bubbling I had planned on racking it to another carboy for a week, adding clarifying agents, taking a hydrometer reading, and tasting a sample to see what its like (out of the liquid in the hydrometer tube of course).

My question is this: Is this everything I need to make it taste like a beer? I mean I would have thought I should have gotten a pound or 1/2 pound of grain to cook at 155 degrees for half an hour, but I wasn't sure. I plan on going back to the store tomorrow to pick up my 4th carboy and was planning on getting some more hopped malt extracts.
So
1) Do i need grain?
2) if i'm trying another different kind of extract (such as nut brown ale) do I still get the maltodexterine and the rice syrup solids?
3) Is there anything else I should get to add to the extract that might make the beer taste better? (assuming i'll go with the nut brown ale)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bensiff]

Brewing a bud clone is about as hard as it gets...there is nothing there to hide any flaws. It sounds like the best thing for you would be to get some reading in to better understand brewing. A great place to start is with Palmer's How to Brew which he provides an old version free online.

 

[stewie24]

Thanks for the reply. I've gotten some kits from Midwest supplies (those are the ones fermenting right now), and a book came with my fermenters. I don't really care if the "bud taste alike" really tastes like bud, as if it tastes decent for a beer, I'll drink it. I just wondered if you need or should add grains to the muntons hopped malt or not. Along with the other questions. haha

 

[Boleslaus]

Not to discourage you at all, but before you keep on spending money on carboys, you should let these beers ferment and age properly. Then you can taste and see if your process is solid.

 

[Chris1272]

I'm trying very hard not to sound like a beer snob when I say this but, the purpose of steeping specialty grains is to add color and flavor. Two things Budweiser has virtually none of. As for the maltodextrine, It is added to enhance the body and mouth feel of a beer, you want to add it to make an otherwise thinner beer taste more full bodied. It is not for every beer use it where you see fit. Ok the rice syrup... Here's the deal, Bud/miller/Coors use it in their beer because it ferments clean and is cheaper than barley it is appropriate to add to an american lager. Adding rice syrup is something I would never do in my brewing, although I would never brew a M/B/C style of beer.

 

[PhelanKA7]

Brew a Kolsch style ale and blow your friend's mind. It likely has all the characteristics he enjoys about Budweiser but should be reconizable as a superior beer to him thus bringing another into the fold. You are the brewer. With great power comes great responsibility.