Recipe for a thirst quencher beer for summer?

[BrewerinBR]

I am looking for an all grain recipe for a summer beer, one to drink in the evening of warm summer day after working in the hop and grain garden all day.
Any suggestions?

Thanks
George

 

[Golddiggie]

A cream ale comes to mind... Plenty of those, as well as blonde ales in the recipe section... Look in the light hybrid beer section...

I'll be bottling up my honey cream ale within the next 1-2 weeks (been on the yeast for a month now)...

You could also opt for a nice pale ale...

 

[bruin_ale]

I'll toss in belgian wit - but the previous suggestions are also on my list of refreshers. I just brewed a cream ale specifically for that reason as well.

 

[Golddiggie]

I should probably also mention that I have a blonde ale on my list of things to brew next... If it's not the next thing I brew, it will be the one after that. I want to have it ready for drinking before June, which means I'll need to brew it in April.

There are plenty of modest ABV brews that qualify as good thirst quenchers. Of course, you can always make something really good, easy drinking, but still have a good kick to it... There's a brew pub chain (very small chain) in Maine that has a pub pale ale that kicks ass. Their comment on it is "two is not enough, three is too many"... Of course, we're talking about pint glasses here.

 

[Grantman1]

I'm gonna be putting together a honey APA within the next month so it's ready by spring.

 

[jtkratzer]

I find Kölsch and each of the beers I've made using WLP400 have been awesome for thirst quenchers.

 

[mrduna01]

BMs centennial blonde has gotten rave reviews. I'm in the middle of mashing the grains for it as we speak. Just do a search and it will pop right up. Really cheap to make too. I paid 17 a batch but I'm going to be reusing yeast on the next one do it should be down to 15 or so.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Nothing like a Berliner Weisse in the summer. Awe-some! Crisp, tart, highly carbonated, low in alcohol. If you are going to make one, brew it ASAP, or it won't be ready in time for this year. To speed up the process, I recommend adding a healthy dose of acidulated malt to the mash, extending the mash by a few hours (but not so long as to allow enterobacter and other nasties to turn your mash into a vomit-flavored hazardous waste site), and pitching a lacto culture once the wort has chilled to about 100 degrees, followed by a neutral European ale strain 2-3 days later. That way, the tartness will develop more quickly.

 

[Yooper]

I like cream ales for summer, and will be making one very soon. My recipe is easy, and in the recipe "pull down" under my avatar. Another good one is Biermuncer's "Cream of Three Crops"- even my MGD loving dad and brother kicked a keg of that last summer.

 

[Flywheel]

Kolsch
Cream Ale

 

[Snotpoodle]

Oh, thats an easy one.

Brew a Belgian Wit...nothing comes close.

 

[jlachesk]

Nothing like a Berliner Weisse in the summer. Awe-some! Crisp, tart, highly carbonated, low in alcohol. If you are going to make one, brew it ASAP, or it won't be ready in time for this year. To speed up the process, I recommend adding a healthy dose of acidulated malt to the mash, extending the mash by a few hours (but not so long as to allow enterobacter and other nasties to turn your mash into a vomit-flavored hazardous waste site), and pitching a pedio culture once the wort has chilled to about 100 degrees, followed by a neutral European ale strain 2-3 days later. That way, the tartness will develop more quickly.

Couldn't agree more. My first thought for "summer beer" is a Berliner Weisse (this may be influenced by DFH's Festina Peche). I've always found it to be highly refreshing - tartness and low ABV make it very enjoyable on a hot day.

Like ArcaneXor said though, the lead time is a bit high (and is more involved than a typical Cream/APA. You'll be well rewarded for the effort/patience though!

Unfortunately, timing isn't going to work on a BW for me this year, so I'll be opting to go with a Wit/Kolsch for the summer.

 

[heckels]

Brewing an american wheat next weekend with all centennial hops. Should be rather refreshing. A little tart with a good dose of citrus.

 

[maskednegator]

Nothing like a Berliner Weisse in the summer. Awe-some! Crisp, tart, highly carbonated, low in alcohol. If you are going to make one, brew it ASAP, or it won't be ready in time for this year. To speed up the process, I recommend adding a healthy dose of acidulated malt to the mash, extending the mash by a few hours (but not so long as to allow enterobacter and other nasties to turn your mash into a vomit-flavored hazardous waste site), and pitching a pedio culture once the wort has chilled to about 100 degrees, followed by a neutral European ale strain 2-3 days later. That way, the tartness will develop more quickly.

Do not, under any circumstances, use pedio without brett. Pedio produces diacetyl, which brett will metabolize. Also, berliners are traditionally made with lacto, not pedio.
The other way you can do it is to sour it using the quick sour method outlined on the fabulous Mad Fermentationist blog. Go ahead and google for his experiences. What I did with my 60/40 wheat malt/pils was sour mash a starter for 3 days at 100 F, using 1L of 1.035 wort and a handful of crushed grain. On brew day, I pulled off 3.5 gallons of second runnings and added the sour starter to it, covering the vessel with saran wrap. The first runnings and remaining second runnings were boiled as normal (1/2 oz hallertauer at 60) then dumped onto a cake of brett L (just pitch a yeast of your choosing here, neutral ale yeast would be great for a traditional berliner). 3 days later, I boiled/chilled the soured portion and added to the other half. One week later, it's brightly acidic, got some great brett esters and has attenuated down almost 85%. I anticipate that I'll be drinking this in early May.

 

[Jaysus]

Patersbier!

 

[ArcaneXor]

Do not, under any circumstances, use pedio without brett. Pedio produces diacetyl, which brett will metabolize. Also, berliners are traditionally made with lacto, not pedio.
The other way you can do it is to sour it using the quick sour method outlined on the fabulous Mad Fermentationist blog. Go ahead and google for his experiences. What I did with my 60/40 wheat malt/pils was sour mash a starter for 3 days at 100 F, using 1L of 1.035 wort and a handful of crushed grain. On brew day, I pulled off 3.5 gallons of second runnings and added the sour starter to it, covering the vessel with saran wrap. The first runnings and remaining second runnings were boiled as normal (1/2 oz hallertauer at 60) then dumped onto a cake of brett L (just pitch a yeast of your choosing here, neutral ale yeast would be great for a traditional berliner). 3 days later, I boiled/chilled the soured portion and added to the other half. One week later, it's brightly acidic, got some great brett esters and has attenuated down almost 85%. I anticipate that I'll be drinking this in early May.

I mean lacto, not pedio. That'd be insane!

 

[BrewerinBR]

Well I can't decide .. Cream Ale or and American Pale Ale so I am going to do both. The Cream Ale in two weeks and the American Pale Ale in 3.
Thanks for all the hints and helps.... and tips and pointers ....
Today I brewed a Vienna Lager batch # 5) using a two step decoction mash. All went well and it is in the fermenter now. The 1st batch I bottled has been finished drank the last one while looking for summer recipes, a brown ale. Going to make more of those again later ... still tying styles... and having fun.
Thanks
George

 

[Golddiggie]

You pick out/formulate the recipes yet??

I'm working on a blonde ale that will be brewed soon... It's going to be a bit of a bit of a dirty blonde, not a bleach blonde/bimbo... :rockin: