What to brew for the general public?

[the_bird]

Apfelwein would be an easy alternative for the non beer-drinkers in the crowd. Nice and refreshing for a summer party, too. I'm actually a little shocked Ed hasn't chimed in yet to make that suggestion

 

[BierMuncher]

We had an impromptu party here a few weeks back when one of my daughters came back from college for the weekend. I had a fresh keg of my "Blue Balls Belgian Wit" which is essentially a clone of Blue Moon.

It was polished off in about 1 1/2 hours. I've just done a double (10 gallon) batch and expect it to be gone very quickly.

The recipe link above also give an extract version if your interested.

Easy, quick beer. Very refreshing and "bright" for the summer time. It's also a bit lighter in alcohol so it's perfect as a social brew. It also looks like a "general public" beer.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

By request, I'm doing an American Hefe for one of my BMC-sworn friends. He said the only micros he enjoys are usually Hefes. I'm going to use a good, fruity yeast (WLP 300/320), but I'll keep the temp down to avoid any strong esters.

 

[Whelk]

I'd say kolsch, bitter, brown ale. Alternately, I'd consider a belgian wit, porter/stout, or maybe an English Pale Ale--I'd say not an American, because they're usually hoppier. Try to tell people that just because a beer is dark (porter/stout), that doesn't mean it'll be filling or heavy or 7% ABV. But yeah, kolsch, bitter, BA sounds like they'd cover your bases. Plus, I love them.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

We had an impromptu party here a few weeks back when one of my daughters came back from college for the weekend. I had a fresh keg of my "Blue Balls Belgian Wit" which is essentially a clone of Blue Moon.

You need to take out the extra http// in your link. It ain't currently working.

http://http//www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978

Should read https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978

 

[the_bird]

You need to take out the extra http// in your link. It ain't currently working.

http://http//www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978
 
Should read [URL="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978"]https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978[/URL]

Fixed......

 

[CBBaron]

Thanks for all the responses.
It seems the most popular response is Pale Ale or Wheat beer. Of the wheats Belgian Wits are the most popular.

I'm not a fan of wheat beers and even less of a fan of flavored beers but I'm willing to give anything a try. I'll pick up a six of BlueMoon and see how my wife and I like it. If she likes it I know alot of women will drink it and probably a few BMC drinkers.
I'm also going to brew the 1822 Porter in my signature soon so I will take some bottles of this for some real beer. The Mild and Wit will be in Party Pigs for easy of use.
So the menu looks like:
Dark Mild - sweet, roasty, low bitterness
Wit - spicy, light
Porter - stronger, roasty

The reason for leaning towards the Wit is I think my wife will like it and I'd like to earn some positive points from her about my brewing. My preference would be for a Bitter or DunkelWeisen but I doubt my wife would like them and I'm guessing they would be less well received.
Craig

Craig

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

No kolsch?

 

[DeathBrewer]

lol, the man has made his decision! pleasing the wife sounds like a good idea.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

The one thing that I've found is that even people who don't "like beer" will enjoy a lightly bittered, dry-hopped beer. There's something about tasting the hops without the extreme bitterness of say, an IPA that seems to make non-craft beer drinkers more at ease... ok, that's my 2 cents... next...

 

[CBBaron]

No kolsch?

My understanding is kolsch requires cold conditioning. I don't have those capabilities.
How different is a kolsch from a blonde?

Until I start the brew I can't say my mind is made up, so I'm still open for suggestions. Most everyone here has lots more experience than I do with brewing so I value your opinion.
Craig

 

[KopyKat]

I have brewed the recipe in Charlie Papazian's second edition book, Amaizing Ale, for company picnics and other company functions and I have found no one that didn't like it. This is a real BMC crowd. We just had a company picnic last weekend and they were all over it.
It is simple, easy and I like it as well.

1# Flaked Maize
8# Pale Malt
1# Cara-Pils
1 oz Cascade (60 min)
1 oz Fuggles (60 min)
.5 oz Hallertauer (2 min)
.5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
US 05 Yeast

I used a fairly soft water profile. OG 1.043 and FG 1.010 ABV 4.3%

I have brewed this three times, always for the BMC crowd and it is always gone fast.

 

[BierMuncher]

Fixed......

Thanks Bird...

DOH ! ! ! !

 

[Desert_Sky]

personally I wouldnt make a kolsch for the public, unless it was some sort of tasting event. If we are talking a party of sorts, Id rather brew a nice blonde instead. Kolsch's take way to long to condition. You can have a blonde ale ready in half the time it would take to ferment and cold condition a kolsch. So I'd rather keep the kolsch for myself, guess Im just stingy like that.

 

[King of the Swill]

Belgian Wit is a great choice! Have some oranges and/or lemons around as well. Blue Moon is very popular right now and would be a huge hit.

 

[joshpooh]

I'd say english style pale ale or American wheat. Those are my 2 recipes that go over best with people who don't like "good beer". One I brew that goes over really well with BMC drinkers and homebrew/craft drinkers still enjoy though not as well as other homebrews because you obviously can't have the best of both worlds is a variation of "Whitey's gone Fishin Pale Ale" from Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. All I changed was the hops. I call it Cowher's concoction because it was for my friends to drink during the Steeler games last year. Here is the recipe or at least close b/c I'm at work and can't read my notes. This sounds to simple to be good, but it really isn't bad.

6 lbs light LME
1 oz fuggles
1 oz goldings

60 minute boil 1 oz fuggles immediately. One half ounce goldings at 30 min, .25 oz at 45 min (15 remaining). .25 goldings at flameout.


The American wheat is an AG recipe that I'm not sure if I have the exact recipe in my memory, but I will post what I think it is. I call this one Greentown Playground after a park close to where I grew up obviously b/c wheats are good for summer. I took a bunch of this to a poker game with a friend's new family (he's about to get married) they all loved it and I dont' think any of them drink the types of beer we like.

Grain Bill
6lbs malted wheat
6lbs 2 row pale
step mash 130 for 30 min 140 for 30 min 150 for 30 min.

hops/other
2.5 oz Hallertau
2 grams paradice seeds
zest of 1 average size lemon

60 minute boil
1.5 oz Hallertau immediately
.5 oz Hallertau at 30 min
.5 oz Hallertau. all the lemon zest and Paradice seeds at 45 min (15 remaining)

Some like to drink it with a lemon in it, but I think its better without.

 

[FlyingHorse]

I'm brewing a blond ale this weekend , with a couple pounds of rye in it. I'm thinking I might name it "Friends and Family Ale". It's not specifically for them (it'll be my lawnmower beer, basically) but it's the one I think a lot of them might like. I think anything dark tends to scare some of the BMC crowd a little; also figured the rye would add a crispness that they might like. In addition, I'm going to use WLP060 yeast which (if you believe the advertising) gives a more lager-like taste.

Just kegged a wit tonight, which some of them might like; and I have an ordinary bitter boiling right now that might work too. I know I'll like them all, which is the part that really matters!