Bud light brew

[wogdog]

Hi everyone first post to the site/app very informative I might add..
My question is I'm after a bud light clone after visiting the states few times the missus likes this beer tho it's hard to buy here well in my area anyways an was thinking an trying to make my own an put it on tap for her next to my own mixes tho I can't seem to find much in months of trying to work out what to use etc if anyone knows what's involved how complicated etc if it's worth it would be great to hear
Thanks everyone..

 

[manticle]

Difficult to replicate really but first - ag, partial mash, extract or kit?

 

[wogdog]

Ummm more kit I guess..? I haven't done mash reading alot tho don't really understand it just yet sorry I not even sure what type of beer a bud light is lager pilsner etc I no we drank a fair bit while in Vegas lol tho now I like to try it at home for her so she can drink it also
Thanks for the help

 

[wogdog]

Oh alot of the terms like a.g etc I dnt no what it stands for been bottling for long time now to kegs more I read seems so much I dnt no...

 

[manticle]

AG is all grain - same thing as full mash.

Bud lite can be summarised as a very pale lager, brewed with a light body and intended to have minimum flavour or faults.

You could try the palest kit you can find, around 250g of light malt extract and 750g of dextrose. Splash out and buy some whitelabs or wyeast american lager yeast and ferment between 10 and 12 degrees. This will be difficult if you don't have temp controlled fridge but if you do it in winter, in a water bath with ice bricks, you might manage it depending on where you live.

Probably about as close as you will get with a kit.

 

[wogdog]

Oh now ag makes sense thankyou... Yeh I do have a temp controlled setup for fermenting was told when I was first starting out that's it's all about temp control so I started wit that set up than another now for the kegs... Yeh it was a lighter tasting beer think thats y she liked it an also its a clearer beer an i dnt mind experimenting making new things apart from the trusty ones that work Thanks for that advice will write that down an see what I can get at my local.. Hope he has what I'm after it's hard to ask an say as u can't buy it so many people dnt no the Flavour
Thanks again fingers crossed.

 

[wogdog]

Might be a stupid question but "palest kit" do u mean like a brand of can of a pale ale..? Eg coppers black rock etc..?

 

[going down a hill]

Coopers blond or their mexican kit will be the lightest coloured beers they have.

 

[manticle]

Something like coopers cerveza.

I mean pale coloured.

 

[manticle]

Where's your local?

 

[wogdog]

Newcastle thanks everyone for helping on this just hard to get advice on it if no they haven't tasted it an bottle shops don't sell it import it.

 

[manticle]

There's a couple of good brew shops in newcastle area that should have what you need and some good advice. Try Mark's Home Brew and there's another place nearby that is supposedly very decent.

Make sure wherever you go has their yeast and hops kept in the fridge at the very least. Not all homebrew shops know what they are talking about (although some are excellent).

 

[wogdog]

So change from the yeast that is supplied with the can than yeah..? I have used fresh hops an put them in socks an packet hops etc too but I shall ask an see where that leads me.. Very interesting knowing that it's kept in fridges..! That's new to me was never told that before.. I will be calling in in about 10 days or so when the current batches are kegged to do the next lot thanku very helpful.

 

[manticle]

Yes. Can yeast is kept on top of the can (so unrefrigerated) and is way too little for a good, healthy fermentation, especially for a lager that usually requires twice the amount of yeast as an ale.

Might seem ridiculous but it can be the difference between a good beer and an average-dreadful beer.

 

[wogdog]

Ok well that's something I didn't know I do the racking process etc to make it the best I can but the yeast thing I didn't know about maybe a few extra bucks on different yeast sounds like a plan.. What am I expecting to pay for those yeasts u mentioned to try for the bud light..? If they have it that is.

 

[manticle]

Prices vary depending on where you get it. Wyeast retails for anywhere between 8 and 11ish from places I regularly use. Whitelabs I'm not sure but probably similar.

There are ways of re-using yeast and splitting and growing the one pack to get more out of it but I don't want to overcomplicate things for now. If you're not super tight or counting every penny, I'd just recommend buying two packs for now and looking into re-use later. Yes it seems expensive but it's still way cheaper than commercial beer.

You could alternatively buy a dried lager yeast like saflager - won't be quite the same but you can make a good clean lager with it and it's about half the price (so still 2 packs).

 

[wogdog]

Yeh dnt wanna get to complicated i only just learnt what ag meant I dnt mind spending if it works an tastes great... So I will need 2 packets to make the 23 litres say..? Of the ale I'm trying to create. Yeh growing yeast now will really confuse me tho prob something I will try now u mentioned it that's another new thing I dnt no. Geeez can really go over board with this hobby.

 

[wynnum1]

You need to use rice malt if doing an extract did a coopers Mexican with the Chinese maltose 500g and 700 g dextrose with the kit yeast and it had little flavor Briess Brown Rice Syrup may be alternative.

 

[wogdog]

You need to use rice malt if doing an extract did a coopers Mexican with the Chinese maltose 500g and 700 g dextrose with the kit yeast and it had little flavor Briess Brown Rice Syrup may be alternative.

Were u trying to make bud light type wit what u have mentioned..? So kit yeast I'm guessing now is not the go spend but more an change..? Throw the kit one in the bin

 

[wynnum1]

Kit yeast will give you no flavor if using the coopers Mexican .Mixture of ale and lager yeast so why waste money on a yeast that will alter the flavor.