I like Natural Light.
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I can agree with rayg on one thing, I don't like American Light Lagers, or most American Lagers (namely BMC) for that matter.
That's where my agreement ends.
To say, though, that homebrewers shouldn't like BMC, or that those who like BMC shouldn't homebrew is off-base. I brew, not only because I like fine beer, and I enjoy my beer, but also because I like the craft. I like formulating recipes, and calculating pitching rates. I like analyzing the taste profile and figuring out how to make a better beer. This has nothing to do with whether or not I like BMC. And, frankly, I'd be very impressed with a homebrewer's capabilities if he/she were able to clone BMC.
As far as American Ale Yeast goes, I think it's a fine yeast. I made a wonderful Dark IIPA with it, one of my finest brews yet. If rayg doesn't like it, that's fine, he doesn't have to.
It's ok to be a beer snob about your own tastes. If you don't want to drink BMC, or brew with American Ale Yeast, that's your perogative. You cross a line, though, when your beer snobbery leads you to telling other people what THEY should be drinking. Stop all the hate, after all, RDWHAHB.
That's where my agreement ends.
To say, though, that homebrewers shouldn't like BMC, or that those who like BMC shouldn't homebrew is off-base. I brew, not only because I like fine beer, and I enjoy my beer, but also because I like the craft. I like formulating recipes, and calculating pitching rates. I like analyzing the taste profile and figuring out how to make a better beer. This has nothing to do with whether or not I like BMC. And, frankly, I'd be very impressed with a homebrewer's capabilities if he/she were able to clone BMC.
As far as American Ale Yeast goes, I think it's a fine yeast. I made a wonderful Dark IIPA with it, one of my finest brews yet. If rayg doesn't like it, that's fine, he doesn't have to.
It's ok to be a beer snob about your own tastes. If you don't want to drink BMC, or brew with American Ale Yeast, that's your perogative. You cross a line, though, when your beer snobbery leads you to telling other people what THEY should be drinking. Stop all the hate, after all, RDWHAHB.
No it's not. I work in Minnesota, and I went to a few Twin's games. When confronted with a lack of decent beer selection, I reluctantly tried this, expecting the worst. It was quite tasty.
Indyking
Well-Known Member
No, thanks!
I do not snob BMC-drinking people, especially those who know the difference between a good craft and a BMC. It's a personal choice and must be respected.
My personal choice of avoiding a BMC relies on the simple fact that a good tasting beer has a lot to offer. I have friends who get BMC because it's the cheapest way to get alcohol or to avoid the caloric burden of craft beers. That is not my case, but again it is all very personal.
Alcohol is just one of the several features of a good beer. Perhaps, an outstanding craft beer is one of the most complex beverages available to date, and I simply enjoy the complexity of the taste and the craftsmanship dedicated to build it.
I must say, I have drunk BMCs in some of the largest beer consumer nations in the world, and the US versions are the worse to my taste.
Aussie BMC is pretty terrible too. Decent micro stuff available in the cities, but the typical tap swag is as bad or worse than U.S. domestic BMC. China is pretty terrible too. Japan, India, and of course Continental Europe all have their own BMC garbage, but it tends to sit with me better than the Aussie/U.S. stuff.
As I said before, I still drink BMC light when the mood and occasion strike (hot out, fishing, or ball game) and don't bat an eye. I've actually taken a liking to Tecate in a can for summer camping/fishing. Technically brewed in Mexico, but very drinkable for a BMC.
AngerManagement
Well-Known Member
I'm partial to PBR myself, plus it makes a great beer for brats or for use as the secret sauce when grilling steaks.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
winstonofbeer
Well-Known Member
2 years ago i was drinking allmost 2 cases of natty light a week...
Finally got tired of drinking it and went to something better and long stort starting making my own.
The thing about natty light and i just had a few the other day...first time in 2 years. It really isnt the best beer in the world....But its not bad. I remember when it was 9.99 24pk..now its like 18.99 30pk. Good thing about natty was it was a good summer beer...Drink it all fricken day and not get hammered.
BMC has a majority of the beer sales in USA, We all know that.... But not everyone is going to give up the bud light, Coors, Natty or PBR..... The only thing that is going to change allot of these people to drinking something that doesnt come out of a can is to be able to make something exactly like that or very close to as long as they can save $$$...I know at least 15 people that would brew tomorrow if i could save them $$$ and make there favorite beer of choice BMC.
I think the thing that has gotten missed here over this topic is one very important thing.
Everyone here likes beer, Alltho.... Not everyone will enjoy the same Style of beer.
How is BMC any different? Its beer... May not be the beer you like...But its beer.
Yes, Its not a IPA, Its not dark, Its not full of a ton of aroma....Its a plain light beer.
And why not try to figure out a recipe for those kinds of beer?...might be a easy way to slowly get a person like me who loved the beer to try something new and want to save $$$ and try out new things...and most importantly, Make my beer the way i want my beer to taste.o
just my .02 cents
BTW, If anyone is willing to have a serious take on natty clone recipe...It would be nice.
Finally got tired of drinking it and went to something better and long stort starting making my own.
The thing about natty light and i just had a few the other day...first time in 2 years. It really isnt the best beer in the world....But its not bad. I remember when it was 9.99 24pk..now its like 18.99 30pk. Good thing about natty was it was a good summer beer...Drink it all fricken day and not get hammered.
BMC has a majority of the beer sales in USA, We all know that.... But not everyone is going to give up the bud light, Coors, Natty or PBR..... The only thing that is going to change allot of these people to drinking something that doesnt come out of a can is to be able to make something exactly like that or very close to as long as they can save $$$...I know at least 15 people that would brew tomorrow if i could save them $$$ and make there favorite beer of choice BMC.
I think the thing that has gotten missed here over this topic is one very important thing.
Everyone here likes beer, Alltho.... Not everyone will enjoy the same Style of beer.
How is BMC any different? Its beer... May not be the beer you like...But its beer.
Yes, Its not a IPA, Its not dark, Its not full of a ton of aroma....Its a plain light beer.
And why not try to figure out a recipe for those kinds of beer?...might be a easy way to slowly get a person like me who loved the beer to try something new and want to save $$$ and try out new things...and most importantly, Make my beer the way i want my beer to taste.o
just my .02 cents
BTW, If anyone is willing to have a serious take on natty clone recipe...It would be nice.
I have. Do I get a prize?
Cry as you might, BMC is real lager. Even Miller Lite, which uses artificial beer flavoring in their beer, is a real lager.
What's your beef with carbonation? Seriously, wtf? Who cares? It's not like anyone here is saying PBR should be the ideal to which all beer makers should aspire. It's f*cking PBR for christ's sake. It's just a beer to drink after your friends leave it in your fridge from a party you had. If you're too good for that then you really don't appreciate beer. You may appreciate good beer, but you don't appreciate all beer, and that is made evident by a lot of your misinformed and obviously-inexperienced comments.
Any homebrewer trying to duplicate a BMC light american lager with american ale yeast is at least as inexperienced and clueless about brewing and beer as you appear to be. Mainly: WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO BREW A LAGER WITH AN ALE YEAST?
Again, nobody thinks McDonalds or Taco Bell is the ultimate in taste and quality. It's fast, cheap, and easy. I wouldn't go to Taco Bell for dinner with my parents, but it definitely has a legitimate place on the highway when you have to bang out 12 hours of driving. Same thing is true for BMC (though not on the highway, just in regards to convenience). I'm just saying BMC has a legitimate place on the shelves.
Yeast is not designed to create or destroy the body of the beer you brew. As a brewer you should know this. Your mash profile and grain bill determines all that. Believe it or not, you can make some truly heavy-bodied beers with american ale yeast if you mash at a high enough temperature and/or use appropriate quantities of crystal/roasted malts.
American ale yeast simply doesn't produce a lot of other flavors. It is quite good to use for many styles of beer, especially if you want to showcase hoppy or malty profiles. If you are consistently sacrificing body with american ale yeasts, you are just not mashing properly or your grain bill needs more unfermentables. If you were a knowledgeable brewer you would understand this.
This is probably by far the most ignorant (an longest) sentences I have ever read by a home brewer on this forum as pertaining to brewing beer.
I love Taco Bell... Went there for my birthday lunch!
The chicken enchilada grilled stuffed burrito was admittedly pretty damn good.
Indyking
Well-Known Member
I never did and likely never will try to clone a Natty but I believe, and the books say the same, that cloning light BMCs are pretty difficult. Companies have optimized their industrial set-ups to produce them in large scale, which is difficult to reproduce manually in our homes. Besides, I think BMCs get a lot of adjuncts, or whatever they are called, such as corn syrup (USA) or sugar cane syrup (Brazil) as a cheap source of fermentable sugars, hence the lack of aroma and somewhat odd sweetness that most of them have.
