Goin Rogue - Help me formulate a new recipe

[jdlev]

I'm looking to make a light ale. Light body, light color, easy drinking summer brew, low hop, low malt character, but not a hefe (already got 10g of that! :cross.

I want to try to create something with a good balance - not overly hopped, not overly malty (like most of my brews have been recently). Maybe I'm thinking along the lines of a cream ale - but I've never done one of those, so I don't know what to add?

I guess breaking it down by categories would help formulate a recipe easier
Type: Session Ale (I want something you can drink 10 of at a sitting and still want more.
Color: Light Golden/Yellow, Crystal Clear
Aroma: Subtle, Crisp, Not Fruity/Lemony Like A Hefe, Clean
Taste: Light, Refreshing, Ideal Summer Brew, Crisp
Body: Light, Not water like, but no way thick, light head retention

I think the recipe will have to include some corn and/or rice. I assume that rice would give it a cleaner, lighter taste (kinda like saki). I'm not sure what the corn would add?

I'll probably do a 5 gallon batch, so I was thinking something like this:

6 lbs 2 Row
6 lbs Rice
1 lb Rice Husks (to help with the clarity)
Hop Options: Cluster, Columbus, Hallertauer NB, Liberty, Mt. Hood, Saaz
Not sure what specialty malts to use...thinking maybe victory? Any suggestions?


Looking forward to brewing my first original recipe with you guys help!

 

[PantherCity]

I brewed a blond on the 4th of July and it is good and crystal clear. I used used half and half 2-row and Maris Otter for the base and a pound of Victory mashed low (148F? can't remember). I hopped with 1oz liberty @ 60min and 1oz liberty at 15min for about 20 IBU. I had the hops left over from a kit I had ordered during AHS 20th anniversary promotion. What better use for them than a 4th of July liberty blond ale. I used some WLP001 slurry I had on hand. It turned out really nice and I spent almost nothing on it. At first is had a bit of grainy tartness but it has mellowed out and is now super tasty and as clear as beer can get. If I made it again I would be tempted to put in 1/2 Lb of honey malt or c-20. As it is it is super dry and light. Great color too, nice light yellow straw. My buddy poured one and said "It looks like a Budweiser, but it tastes way better"

You can make a really light dry ale with all malt. I don't know how i would feel about half my grist being rice then adding Victory.
I suggest doing and all malt 2-row sMasHs with the liberty or Mt. Hood. mash low and it will dry out. If you want it to clear use WLP007 and ferment around 63-64F. It will be clean but attenuate well and Flock clear in no time.
Hope that helped

 

[Mongrel]

You can make a really light dry ale with all malt. I don't know how i would feel about half my grist being rice then adding Victory.
I suggest doing and all malt 2-row sMasHs with the liberty or Mt. Hood. mash low and it will dry out. If you want it to clear use WLP007 and ferment around 63-64F. It will be clean but attenuate well and Flock clear in no time.
Hope that helped

Yeah, SMaSH is a great way to go. Just finished off a batch that was just NW Pale malt and Willamette hops mashed at 149 and hopped to 40 IBUs, +2 oz. dry hop. Might have to do another one soon. Mt Hood sounds good, or maybe Crystal.

 

[Laikacosmonaut]

Going Rogue.

Be careful of your wording!!

 

[SarahMatt]

I brewed a Summer Solstice "almost"-clone that was delicious! Perfect for summer drinking. My boyfriend's (HWMO) brother was in town & we wanted to brew with him so we edited the clone to match what we had on hand. It was grain to glass in about 3 weeks (it's our 5th batch & we're still learning patience).
We're still holding on to the last bit in the keg.
Good luck!
Sarah.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

You could do a Kolsch style but with a German Ale yeast. It would be very good. My local brewpub makes their Kolsch that way.

M_C

 

[MattCinatl]

1 lb Rice Husks (to help with the clarity)

How do rice hulls affect the clarity of the finished product?

 

[Mongrel]

How do rice hulls affect the clarity of the finished product?

If you can't get the wort to flow out of the mash tun, you're going to end up with serious clarity problems

 

[MattCinatl]

If you can't get the wort to flow out of the mash tun, you're going to end up with serious clarity problems

I was thinking that if you can't lauter your wort, then your glass is going to be empty, and thus clear, which for me is the real problem.

 

[jdlev]

going rogue.

be careful of your wording!!

bwhahahahaha!!! :d

 

[jdlev]

Yeah, SMaSH is a great way to go. Just finished off a batch that was just NW Pale malt and Willamette hops mashed at 149 and hopped to 40 IBUs, +2 oz. dry hop. Might have to do another one soon. Mt Hood sounds good, or maybe Crystal.

SMaSH'n would certainly be an option. I decided not to brew today since I didn't have a starter. Probably brew next weekend tho