Help, wedding brew advice!

[nstowe81]

My sister is getting married!

She wants me to make 25 gallons of beer (22oz bombers) for her wedding favors. She and her girlfriend are a house divided. The fiancé likes ipa's, and my sister likes less hoppy beers. (She's not apposed to hops).

This would be considered a wedding gift. My sister is willing to buy the bottles and the labels. I would design the recipe and brew it as a wedding gift.

Limitations: I brew on a grainfather, crush my own grains, ferment in 6 gallon buckets, I can control the fermentation temp of one batch at a time.

Thoughts: since this is for the masses, doing a simple citrusy pale (almost smash) might cover the most bases.

I've been brewing for almost 5 years but never had to turn and burn this fast nor be this consistent on a bottled beer... My initial thoughts are to do a hoppy wheat or pale ale that is pretty damn simple and reproducible. I brew in my basement so the fermentation conditions would be pretty consistent without the temp control. (Mid-upper 60's).

I already told her IPA's are out due to the expense. So, hoppy wheat/pale ale is the general direction.

Do you have any advice, tried-and-true recipe suggestions, or words of encouragement or deterrent?[/QUOTE]

 

[Sadu]

Typed out a big reply which got lost. Rrrrrr.
Anyway, short version is to start brewing 6+ months out with beers that age well like lagers and porters. Then at 2-3 months do blonde and pale ales. Then at the last minute brew IPAs and hefeweizens. Break it into small chunks and give the guests some variety.

 

[JackiePaper]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were hoping to do multiple batches of the same ale right? Not different recipes?

Personally, I would do something 'yeast-forward' (but still semi-familiar to a non beer-nerd audience) like a saison or a double. Your temperature control for this project sounds like it could be a little more of an issue than usual and a belgian yeast will be more forgiving in producing the desirable characteristics you want with less risk of throwing off-flavors. Plus, who doesn't like a great bottle of dry champagne-like saison to celebrate!?

I was thinking it might be best to mix all of the beer before bottling so each bottle is exactly the same, but getting a 25 gallon bottling bucket wouldn't be feasible for me and it might not be for you either.

 

[jtratcliff]

Biermuncher's Cream of three crops and/or Yooper's Haus Ale... Co3C is a fizzy yellow beer that is a hit with the BMC crowd and also has enough character to please someone who likes other than BMC... YHA, is a slightly hoppy APA with enough malt back bone to not feel like a hop bomb, ie, hop flavor but not IPA levels of bitterness...

Both do well either fairly young or with a few months in the bottle.

Fairly simple, straightforward recipes, and do well with slight variations in grain bill, yeast selection, and/or hopping schedule...

You won't please everyone, but this will come close...

If you add a hefe, a wit, or an American wheat, you'll probably please 80-90% of the beer drinkers.

 

[catdaddy66]

Biermuncher's Cream of three crops and/or Yooper's Haus Ale... Co3C is a fizzy yellow beer that is a hit with the BMC crowd and also has enough character to please someone who likes other than BMC... YHA, is a slightly hoppy APA with enough malt back bone to not feel like a hop bomb, ie, hop flavor but not IPA levels of bitterness...

Both do well either fairly young or with a few months in the bottle.

Fairly simple, straightforward recipes, and do well with slight variations in grain bill, yeast selection, and/or hopping schedule...

You won't please everyone, but this will come close...

If you add a hefe, a wit, or an American wheat, you'll probably please 80-90% of the beer drinkers.

These would be my two choices also. Can't go wrong with the two most brewed (probably) recipes on this board.

 

[Antzrhere]

I did the exact thing for a friends wedding (well we both did for the guests) in July of this year...we made approx. 500-600pints over several styles including, German beers, IPAs, strong English old ale, Irish stouts, lager, Wheat beers etc.

The beer that went first was the IPA, by a long shot. It suits being served cold which the average person actually wants. If your doing one style do an IPA and make it a tad sweeter than it should be as the average non-beer drinker person taste buds prefers a sweeter beer. Case in point the Old English Ale went second which was 7-8% and quite syrupy (compared to the others)

 

[mattdee1]

You’re never going to please everybody, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t even consider an IPA or APA unless I had solid info that a large proportion of the “audience” was into hoppy beers. Even then, I’d be wary, because the flavor is too polarizing. The simple fact of the matter is, when it comes to people who aren’t “curious” about beer and have never really delved into hoppy styles, many of them are going to think an IPA tastes like gym socks no matter how well executed it is.

The very appearance of dark beers is intimidating to many, and will be likely to generate a preconception of “I will not like this” before they even try it.

I’ll go rogue here and suggest kolsch as a nice choice when broad appeal is needed. Beer fans will appreciate that it’s not just a corn-pop AAL swill, and everybody else will find it very approachable. If you can manage it, factor in several weeks of lagering time to get it to clear right up (or, maybe put a small note on the label encouraging the recipient to store the bottle in their fridge for X number of weeks before drinking).

Anecdotally, I’ve had great success generating “lowest common denominator” appeal with kolsch.

 

[nstowe81]

Wow, thanks guys! Lots to consider here. I never thought of a Hefeweizen or Kolsch. Glad I put this out there.

 

[jekeane]

Are you kegging then bottling or bottle conditioning?

A light American wheat beer is a decent choice for a bottle conditioning and giving away. I'm a huge fan of a well done Scottish light or ordinary bitter for things like this because they can have mass appeal and at 3.5 - 4% they don't break the bank.

 

[Morrey]

Yeah, I thought thru this for a wedding in which I supplied two kegs for the rehearsal party. There are a select few non-brewers who know one beer style from another, but for the most part, wedding goers just want a beer that is fun to knock down while the groomsmen are flirting with the brides maids and listening to loud music. Think if you were a chef and were tasked with cooking a certain dish....would you blow the habanero hot pepper thru the roof just because one guy said he is pepper lover? You'd probably keep your dish more on the conservative and less spicy side to appeal to the masses.

Based on the suggestions above, a Kolsch is really about as neutral to drink and easy to make as it gets. I think this Kolsch is just craft based enough to get the "wow you made this factor" plus hits the middle of the road you are looking for. I'm not looking for what I'd personally like to drink, more I'd be looking for what is safe. Just my .02 but it worked for me for a wedding party.

 

[nstowe81]

They are going to be bottle conditioned.

I posted this in two places. Another person recommended a saison so I'm leaning toward a wheat and a simple sasion smash right now.

 

[nstowe81]

Good point Morrey.

 

[jamorgan3777]

Can't recommend BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde enough. That is my "house beer" and the BMC crowd continually raves about it as well as some of the more adventurous palates. That and a simple cascade pale ale or other American Pale Ale would satisfy the hop crowd.

 

[RedlegEd]

Can't recommend BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde enough. That is my "house beer" and the BMC crowd continually raves about it as well as some of the more adventurous palates.

+1 ^^^ this. Simple and fast from grain to glass. A really great, easy drinking beer. Ed

 

[Yooper]

They are going to be bottle conditioned.

I posted this in two places. Another person recommended a saison so I'm leaning toward a wheat and a simple sasion smash right now.

I'd go with something totally different. For example, I dislike both wheats/hefeweizens and saisons. Too much yeast character in the hefeweizens and saisons, and I hate wheat beers in general. I'd not want either one of those, but I love almost all other beer styles. I'm not picky in general, but I'd turn down both of those.

You could go with one of those. Then for the other beer, something generally well liked by both beer snobs and non-craft beer lovers like kolsch, cream ale, or an American amber.

 

[mongoose33]

Just in case you haven't checked this:

My daughter is getting married in April. I wanted to do some beer for the reception. I have a vanilla porter she and her fiance like a lot, so I thought it could be fun to have it at the reception.

Well. The hotel where we're having the reception won't allow it. Even though the reception has an open beer/wine/soda bar, and you'd think they'd be happy to get some of that beer for free, I can't have any beer that isn't bought through the distributor.

i live in Wisconsin, but the reception is across the river in Dubuque IA. Different laws there, apparently. It is what it is.

My suggestion is to make sure you can do this before you invest a lot of time/money into a beer they may or may not allow you to serve.

As for me, I have a sort of a workaround. We're getting a suite just down the hall from the ballroom (the Al Capone suite, as it happens). I can have anything I want in there, so it'll be homebrew headquarters for close friends and family. I'll probably bottle up what I want to bring just so it's easier to deal with than kegs, CO2 and so on.

Anyway, good luck, and I wish I could do something at my daughter's nuptials.

ETA: I didn't realize you'd posted this in two places. I'd sworn I'd responded to this once before. Turns out, I had!

 

[nstowe81]

Mongoose, Lol! To answer your question. The wedding is at a brewery. We would give them away as people leave in the evening. The brewery is totally cool, as long as we aren't serving it when their bar is open.

 

[nstowe81]

When Yooper speaks, you listen! Is it odd to say, I'm honored you commented?!

You have many good recipes up here, don't you have a simple cream ale you brew?

 

[nstowe81]

Jamorgan - I'll look up the recipe!

 

[nstowe81]

I appreciate the input from everyone.

 

[btbnl]

For bonus wedding symbolism, how about giving everyone a pair of 12oz bottles that are both fine alone but also mix well ... something like a black and tan. Then you can even do labels that associate one with each of the brides, and they become a keepsake beyond the beer.

 

[pigroaster]

I would do a Munich Helles Octoberfest type beer. I can send you the recipe if you wish. Light and refreshing.

 

[lawrenjl]

25 gallons (5 batches) to please most people:
Helles (made with 34/70, and can be bottled in 2 weeks; I posted a recipe for this)
Vienna ale (Vienna lager, but made with 05)
Blond or cream (BierMuncher's)
Kolsch (edworts)
APA (Edworts)

This selection would provide a variety and appeal to most people.

Best of luck,

Joe

 

[jtratcliff]

Can't recommend BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde enough. That is my "house beer" and the BMC crowd continually raves about it as well as some of the more adventurous palates. That and a simple cascade pale ale or other American Pale Ale would satisfy the hop crowd.

I 2nd that! I forgot about Centennial Blonde... So I would retract my recommendation of Cream of 3 Crops (although still a fine choice for a BMC crowd) in favor of Centennial Blonde... Added bonus that you don't have to explain what a Cream Ale is

And Yooper's Haus Ale is a simple, balanced, Cascade-based APA...

 

[Sadu]

Added bonus that you don't have to explain what a Cream Ale is

Funny you should mention that. I routinely keep a blonde ale and a cream ale in my fridge for giving out to friends since they fit that bill so well. The cream ale is the better of the two in my opinion but it does need to be explained every time.

 

[beernutz]

I vote for a cream ale, particularly a vanilla cream ale if you can get the vanilla flavor right. My other go-to is a spiced holiday ale which many tasters who don't typically care for beer really like.

If you're brewing 25 gallons of beer that is 145 22oz bombers which is a big wedding. Just pointing out the obvious.

 

[Antzrhere]

Good ideas above. Along with all the styles we also did a Kolsch and Munich Dunkel. Thing to consider is if you have more than one beer and they ask what beers you have they will always go for a style they recognize so thats why IPAs went quick and Munich Dunkels didn't. Key is: make a good all round beer then give it a simple, fun, self explanatory name so people recognise what its all about

 

[TheBeerGuy]

Well I did a recipe for my Sister-in-Laws wedding a couple years ago. He liked IPAs and she was a much lighter, less hoppy beer drinker. I ended up making a Bourbon soaked vanilla cream ale (Wedding Cream Ale) that I made 15 gallons of. It appealed to most and all liked it at the reception. I also have made it every year since for their anniversary in a 5 gallon batch just for them. I even went and took their wedding invitation and made custom labels for all the bottles so everyone had a bottle to keep. Now I just reuse the bottles they have left and refill every year. It was a winner there and has been ever since!