Hey, this is actually possible. Believe it or not I accidentally recreated VB like beer in my last brew. Since October I have been doing a partial mashed brew with Galaxy Malt, Pride of Ringwood, a tin of Coopers Lager and a kilo of dex. The last can of Coopers from the LHBS must have been a bit out of date because instead of the light coloured refreshing beer I have been making I got a real 'twang' and the beer was noticeably darker and I thought 'my God I've approximated VB here"
If you can't run to a mini mash I would suggest:
Coopers Lager
500g Light dried malt extract
1kg dextrose
Boil 20g Pride of Ringwood pellets in 500ml water plus 100 g LDME and the steepings from 30 g crystal malt for half an hour and strain into fermenter.
Use a clean fermenting yeast like US-05
Should get you somewhere close. I bet that Coopers is bittered with POR isohop as it's cheapest, and this together with the extra POR you are putting in should echo that VB twang.
At around 5.2 ABV it will get them pissed quicker so they won't mind what they are drinking anyway :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:
I don't drink VB but some of my die hard mates do...
I've found this one to be OK:
1 can Coopers Lager extract
1KG BE no 1 (maltodextrin and dextrose)
Make to 20l with any clean Fermentis yeast (if using dried) (saflager or US05) Ferment around 18C (US05) or 15C (Saflager)
Clear with Gelatine and chill it down to let it settle out for 7 days after primary has finished.
Main thing is keep everything clean as there is no flavour profile for anything to hide behind.
It needs to be really clear.
For some reason the Lager and BE1 give a really tight head which emulates the commercial brews.
Personally I'd forget the hops this adds far too much flavour - something that VB drinkers wont like !!
For goodness sake don't use anything that has any flavour - this will confuse.
If you can bottle in VB stubbies (labels on of course) and crack off the top (in front of them) - then sleeve then in a stubbie holder, all the better.
(standard disclaimer re bottle bombs - lease make sure ferment has finished !!! )
The VB bottle has that feel that VB drinkers seem comfortable with. Once you've fed them one or two from the VB bottles. Then introduce them to your "homebrew" - and pour it in a glass - see how many of them pick any difference - most will because they all of a sudden get aroma (which you don't get much from drinking straight from the stubbie) Then you can tell them both beers are the same and neither are VB...