Recipe request

[Iceman6409]

Hey everyone. I truly hate to ask this but I am looking for a very basic recipe. Some of my ******* friends just will not try home brewed beer so I am deciding to try and make a clone of something light and bland that they are used to in the corporate beer world. Maybe something like a Blue Light, Coors light, Pabst, Cream Ale, etc. All grain recipes please. O know there are a ton of recipes on here but I never see any tasting feedback. No offense at all meant to anyone there, just trying to get some of my friends started in the right direction. Again something very simple would be good to try. Thank you all in advance.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Hey everyone. I truly hate to ask this but I am looking for a very basic recipe. Some of my ******* friends just will not try home brewed beer so I am deciding to try and make a clone of something light and bland that they are used to in the corporate beer world. Maybe something like a Blue Light, Coors light, Pabst, Cream Ale, etc. All grain recipes please. O know there are a ton of recipes on here but I never see any tasting feedback. No offense at all meant to anyone there, just trying to get some of my friends started in the right direction. Again something very simple would be good to try. Thank you all in advance.

Hey neighbor! Ever consider trying a SMaSH? I did one with Munton's DME and Nugget hops we grew in the garden. It tasted, in my opinion like what you are looking for. That is what I made for a party full of Labatt Blue fiends and they all loved it.

I'll keep an eye out for a more specific recipe but that is the route I would consider.

 

[Iceman6409]

Hey neighbor. I am open to any all grain recipe. However I have never designed my own recipe and have a small concept on how to do it but not really that much overall. Until I get there I am just looking to borrow a recipe

 

[IslandLizard]

I'd say your effort is futile. Do not fall in the trap of brewing a light lager. It is frickin' difficult to brew something that tasteless, and they still won't drink it over what comes in a their familiar labeled bottle. It will be too much flavor, too malty, too hoppy, too bitter, too dark, too ... you name it. They know what they like, and so do you (we).

I was in a local Taphouse a few days ago, 33 craft beers on tap that many patrons enjoyed. Yet there were more than a few drinking bottles of BMC swill. And more than one bottle per.

 

[kh54s10]

I would just brew any good pale ale recipe. Don't tell them what it is, just serve it. I would bet they love it. Then break out something richer, like an amber or brown ale. etc.

I brewed this and it is light and great. http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/speckled-heifer-all-grain-kit.html

Click the information tab for the recipe and instructions.

 

[YeastMode]

BierMuncher's Centennial Blond Ale.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

425 pages of people can't be wrong.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Also make sure to check out and play with brewersfriend.com, you can put in some ingredients that look familiar to you and it will show you what style it matches the most and some stats. It is a great program to play with.

 

[edroberts]

Brewing a light lager or light ale is much more difficult than it seems. Flaws are amplified much more than in a bigger beer. In reality, it's not a bad idea to brew a small beer to amplify where your process may lack. From a brewing standpoint, the ability for BMC to maintain as much consistency in their product is pretty amazing.

None the less, so long as you are willing to drink it... I certainly wouldn't tell you not to brew it. A cream ale or a Kolsch are not bad styles for a small beer.

 

[dkevinb]

Another recommendation for a blonde ale. They're generally simple and inoffensive. BierMuncher's Centennial is probably top dog around here. IslandLizard makes a good point, though. Most people buy beer with their eyes. One option is to save some Bud Light bottles with the labels intact and bottle a blonde ale in them to see if your friends can even tell the difference.

Here's what I brewed Sunday:

OG = 1.045
ABV = 4.3%
IBU = 21
SRM = 4

Recipe – 5 gal

Fermentables
8 lb 2-row
½ lb Crystal 15L
½ lb Vienna
½ lb Carapils

Hops
1 oz Willamette 4.5% 60 min
½ oz East Kent Goldings 5.0% 20 min

Yeast
1 pkt Safale US-05

 

[JF_HBrews]

Another recommendation for a blonde ale.

this ^^^, simple pale, cream ale, Kolsch or a wit (plenty of Blue Moon like clones in the recipe section) are all on the lighter side and good options. Make something you will like also as your friends may not drink it no matter how great it is.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

1 part anything on tap, 75 parts water.

This should be what they're looking for.

 

[norcalhomebrewer]

I'd just make new friends...or brew the centennial blonde.

 

[fantomlord]

or cream of three crops

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

 

[ericbw]

One thing I noticed makes a difference is 3 hop additions at 60/30/0. It rounds out the flavor, which is what most normal beer drinkers expect.

So much craft beer is unbalanced, like hop heavy pales, or really malty ambers, or roasted grains in stout or porter.

People who drink "beer" probably want something with less flavor overall, crisp/dry finish, and balanced or rounded flavor.

Blonde is a good choice, and cream ale is even better. Or both, to show the difference. And you can choose interesting hops for aroma.

 

[fantomlord]

One thing I noticed makes a difference is 3 hop additions at 60/30/0. It rounds out the flavor, which is what most normal beer drinkers expect.

So much craft beer is unbalanced, like hop heavy pales, or really malty ambers, or roasted grains in stout or porter.

People who drink "beer" probably want something with less flavor overall, crisp/dry finish, and balanced or rounded flavor.

Blonde is a good choice, and cream ale is even better. Or both, to show the difference. And you can choose interesting hops for aroma.

then you can tell your friends that your homebrew is "triple hopped" :cross:

 

[wtaylor3]

or cream of three crops

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

+1 my dad is a big light beer drinker bud, bud light, or Coors light for 40 or so years and he loves co3c...I have trouble brewing my stuff and still keeping his keg full, however he keeps buying me fermenters so I guess its ok

 

[ericbw]

then you can tell your friends that your homebrew is "triple hopped" :cross:

That's exactly right.

 

[unviewtiful]

Another vote for Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde. I've only brewed it once so far, but I had several BMC drinkers saying how much they like it. And I didn't mind it myself, it's a tasty beer.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

If you don't have the means to control fermentation temperatures below room temp, then I put another vote in for a blonde ale. If you do have the means, then I'd recommend a Kölsch or Helles. There are lots of great recipes on this site for both. I've got a tried and true recipe for Kölsch under my recipe pull-down, also.

 

[GonZolaB]

Yoopers Fizzy Yellow Beer is a great option as well

 

[Wolfbayte]

Yoopers Fizzy Yellow Beer is a great option as well

+1 That would be my recommendation.

Recipe here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/fizzy-yellow-beer-120939/

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

dkevinb: I like your recipe for a simple light ale. Maybe I will try something like that. Have you actually made it before?
I have actually been taking an opposite tack based on your "buying beer with their eyes" idea. I've been putting a couple of ounces of black patent into lighter ales so people can get used to the color of bigger beers.

 

[NTexBrewer]

If you have the ability to ferment a Lager here is my Light Lager recipe that keeps my Father-in-Law Happy. He only drinks Bud or my Lighthouse Lager. He is never interesting in trying many of my other beers. I have brewed this recipe 4 times and had good results each time, including a party with multiple people trying and liking it.

Lighthouse Lager
OG 1.046
FG 1.009
ABV 4.8%
SRM 2.8
IBU 17
5.5 Gallons

3lbs 6-Row
4lbs 2-Row
1lb Flaked Corn
1lb Dextrose (Corn Sugar) Late Addition

0.95 oz Liberty Hops, 60 Minutes

Mash at 153.
Boil 60 minutes

Yeast: 2 Packs rehydrated 34/70 Lager Yeast

I use RO water with Gypsum added.

I chill to 60, Aerate with Pump and Airstone for 20minutes and ferment at 55. Do a Diacetyl rest at 60 when fermentation slows. I then bottle the beer and after it has carbonated (usually 3 weeks) I lager the bottled beer for 4 weeks or so.

Here is the link to the recipe on Brewer's Friend.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/106685/lighthouse-lager-all-grain

I BIAB so you if you look at the link you see my water volumes may look funny plus I dunk sparge.

 

[GonZolaB]

Cz