Who remembers Zima and how do I go about making it?

[the_bird]

Who else is up for making this a challenge?

I'll throw down, and define one rule; 50% malt (including wheat, etc.) Flavor it, backsweeten, whatever you think is appropriate. Target Zima if you want, or whatever "malternative" your SWMBO likes to drink to excess.

We'll take a crack at making something drinkable, and do a swap in a couple months.

 

[Revvy]

I'm going to disagree with your semantic interpretation. My impression of these kinds of beverages - and I can't tell you specifically where this arose from - was that the "malt" component of it was very small.

Actually, here's a thread with some info...

Thanks for the link....

Uh...you mean you read other forums besides ours???? You're like the uber hbt'er

 

[Revvy]

I'll throw down, and define one rule; 50% malt (including wheat, etc.) Flavor it, backsweeten, whatever you think is appropriate.
We'll take a crack at making something drinkable, and do a swap in a couple months.

So are you considering rice a malt or an adjunct? I think 50% malt is what I was trying to say earlier.

I volunteer to be a non brewing, impartial taste tester....(I have a cast iron stomach)

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I think if we do this challenge, we should all agree on a scorecard that could be filled out by our SWMBOs. They review the swap entrants and rate them. After all, who here is really going to be drinking the stuff

 

[the_bird]

Rice is an adjunct.

50% of the recipe must be malted barley, wheat, or oats.

 

[Klainmeister]

Gah!!! If I was back in the States I'd be so down for this challenge! It's hilarious guys, and oddly challenging. I started reading this thread a few hours ago and as I'm walking around all i am thinking about is adjuncts, flavorings and temps....got my wheels-a-turning.

 

[olllllo]

I consider this whole thing to be a complete failure unless I see a Bacon Zima attempt.

 

[c.n.budz]

I consider this whole thing to be a complete failure unless I see a Bacon Zima attempt.

Zacon? Bima?

 

[the_bird]

Don't tempt me - I'll brew a rauchzima!

Actually, that sounds like something you'd have to get a Rx for...

 

[Revvy]

I now hate this thread.....I suddenly am tempted to try one of them there Zima's...(I'll have to go into a different liquor store...If I go in to my usual place they'll revoke my real beer buying privaleges, and relegate me to the MBC beer cooler.)

I remember trying them when they first came out and the only thing cool about them was the groove on the bottles...I noticed they don't even make "Plain" Zima anymore and they replaced the original bottle with wine cooler type ones...

MUST RESIST THE URGE....

 

[Donasay]

Malternative...I like it! It's even better than "spork."

Speaking of challenges, didn't a bunch of hbt'ers decide they were going to attempt to brew a Bud clone? I wonder if it ever happened.

Revvy, I have brewed a bud clone, it came out well. I have also done miller lite and it came out tasting like miller light. I can lager fairly consistently at this point and to prove it I can point at my kegerator which at this point holds a pilsner urquel clone. As of right now I can proudly say that lagering is a skill in my arsenal.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

Donasay, after reading this whole thread, I think you have created a monster. Hell even I would like to try it, but I don't do AG yet so it would definitely be an effort in futility.

Like I said before, I wish, and the rest of you folk the best of luck.

Prost!

 

[Revvy]

Revvy, I have brewed a bud clone, it came out well. I have also done miller lite and it came out tasting like miller light. I can lager fairly consistently at this point and to prove it I can point at my kegerator which at this point holds a pilsner urquel clone. As of right now I can proudly say that lagering is a skill in my arsenal.

I'm impressed!!!

 

[Moonshae]

If sake can be fermented to clear from rice, I would think it's possible to make a malt beverage the same way...try adding the (steamed, thus sanitized) rice in stages, like in sake, rather than all the grain at once. Maybe finish with a sake yeast to clear the rest up if necessary? Follow with some citrus flavoring, and carb.

 

[mr x]

I don't do AG yet so it would definitely be an effort in futility.

Why would you say that? This is one project that is taylor made for extract brewers.

 

[Revvy]

Why would you say that? This is one project that is taylor made for extract brewers.

Yeah i was thinking that using the lightest DME (extra light pilsen perhaps?) would be the best way to go.....

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

Why would you say that? This is one project that is taylor made for extract brewers.

Well I was thinking more of the rice. I have never used rice before and from what I have read, if memory serves me right and I could be dead wrong, doesn't rice have to be mashed?

 

[mr x]

You can buy rice syrup/extract that will work fine. I'd say you may even get away with a fair bit of corn sugar. Depending on what you expect to accomplish.

 

[Donasay]

I have been doing some research, on malternatives and it appears that the government defines malt beverages as such:

Malt beverage. A beverage made by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction, or combination of both, in potable brewing water, of malted barley with hops, or their parts, or their products, and with or without other malted cereals, and with or without the addition of unmalted or prepared cereals, other carbohydrates or products prepared therefrom, and with or without the addition of carbon dioxide, and with or without other wholesome products suitable for human food consumption. Standards applying to the use of processing methods and flavors in malt beverage production appear in §7.11.

(7) Any statement, design, device, or representation that tends to create a false or misleading impression that the malt beverage contains distilled spirits or is a distilled spirits product. This paragraph does not prohibit the following on malt beverage labels:

(i) A truthful and accurate statement of alcohol content, in conformity with §7.71;

(ii) The use of a brand name of a distilled spirits product as a malt beverage brand name, provided that the overall label does not present a misleading impression about the identity of the product; or

(iii) The use of a cocktail name as a brand name or fanciful name of a malt beverage, provided that the overall label does not present a misleading impression about the identity of the product.

So it appears that it is illegal to put distilled spirits in a "Malt Beverage" and that all of those smirinoff drinks are made with malts and cerials not back filling with some vodka and flavorings. Interesting to note that they consider a malt beverage anything made with cerials, so I guess the overall ratios don't matter. Anyway the website for this is here.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/tex...5;view=text;node=27:1.0.1.1.5;idno=27;cc=ecfr

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

You can buy rice syrup/extract that will work fine. I'd say you may even get away with a fair bit of corn sugar. Depending on what you expect to accomplish.

And thats why I love HBT, you learn something new with just about every post. Thanks! We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. I am off to think about this...

 

[mr x]

So it appears that it is illegal to put distilled spirits in a "Malt Beverage" and that all of those smirinoff drinks are made with malts and cerials not back filling with some vodka and flavorings.

Probably not true for the majority of these beverages. Back flavoring is how they get the distilled alcohol in the drink - the flavorings contain a high level of alcohol. From what I understand, little alcohol is derived from the malt fermentation. This works on two levels for the brewer - beverage classification and malt cost.

 

[truckerzero]

make the japanese beer sake and add the desired flavoring i think that would give you what your looking for
it is all rice clear malt bevrage and there are recipies for it out there

 

[M@!]

 

[mlanoue]

Wow, I read this whole thing, and that's how it ends? Did anybody actually make the stuff?

 

[CBBaron]

Thread resurrection, but at a timely point. There was just recently a thread stating that Coors announced they were going to stop production of Zima.

So who attempted this?
Was anyone successful?

I am curious about any successful processes, however I will NOT attempt to replicate them under any circumstances. To my mind the whole concept of the malt beverage is just wrong. Premixed cocktails make much more sense.

Craig

 

[Winer]

I know this thread has been going for a long time but nobody really answered the question. Zima is Clear malt liquor. It is beer brewed using a very light malt and adding NO hops. I have used a product called Maltose which is clear malt extract and should be available at any home brewing supply store. I get my from RJSpagnols and it is available on-line from them.

I have made this several times and it has always turned out wonderfully.

Now to answer the other question "WHY?"

A Zima like product is a girl's drink no question. But it is better than an cooler or cider for one obvious reason. it has the same ph level as beer. Ciders and coolers are too acidic and cause heartburn if drank in quantity. What good is a drunk feamle if she is sick. A person would have no ill effect by drinking a dozen Zima anymore than drinking a dozen beer.

There are people out there that do not like the taste of hops. This is proved by the huge popularity of most American beers.

I have also flavoured my Zima like products with Wildberry, Blackberry, orange, kiwi, mango and a various of other flavours. Most make me wanna gag but most of the women I know love them. We have nicknamed my product "Barbie Beer". Plain and simple it is beer made without hops and brewed for women.

thanx

Winer aka Christopher
Copper Kettle Wine & Beer
Aldergrove, British Columbia

 

[SumnerH]

A Zima like product is a girl's drink no question. But it is better than an cooler or cider for one obvious reason. it has the same ph level as beer. Ciders and coolers are too acidic and cause heartburn if drank in quantity.

This isn't true. The stomach normally has a pH of 1-2; even a highly acidic wine is only about a 3, which is still significantly less acidic than the stomach's norm.

Heartburn is caused when stomach acid rises from the stomach into the esophagus; that acid is always strong enough to cause unpleasantness. Alcohol contributes to heartburn by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter and allowing stomach acid out of the stomach; the drink's acidity is largely irrelevant (which is why beer does in fact cause heartburn in people who are so predisposed).

 

[Mulder25]

3.2 oz. mccormick vodka Place into container
In measuring cup:
1/2 tbps lime concentrate (i used reallime brand)
3/4 tbps lemon concentrate (i used great value brand)
Add unflavored seltzer water to make 8 oz. (i used the walmart brand, but ingredients "carbonated water" do brands really matter at this point?)
Pour the mixture into the container and mix it up. It doesnt look like zima - the lime and lemon make it foggy. but to the best of my recollection, 4 years later, this is in the ball-park.
I know this isnt what the original poster was looking for at all, but i was searching google for a mixed drink to replicate Zima, and this thread was one of the top posts, failing to find any information, i expirimented and found this recipe, so for people searching what i did, you should find what you are looking for.
P.S. sorry for any bad grammar, or redundancy, i have had 2 of the final product, plus all of the failures trying to get there - were partial servings, but there were like 8 of them, so im not in the condition to write a gramatically correct post.

 

[Mulder25]

Wow, I read this whole thing, and that's how it ends? Did anybody actually make the stuff?

I stopped after page four. at this point in the future, zima has been discontinued for four years... with a quality alternative having yet to appear, i feel this thread deserves some attention. I think i made something close to it out of premade products...

 

[Glossolalia]

I think this might help you. For whatever reasons, Zima is still on the market here in Japan. They sell it at the local grocery store. The comparisons to sake in this thread are not at all warranted.