Instant Light Beer!

[waggastew]

I am sure someone has already thought of this but a quick forum search turned up nothing.

Recently I setup a keg of soda water, chilled rain water from my tank force carbed at 30PSI, left for a couple of hours, and then hooked up at serving pressure (12PSI). The results have been awesome, very nice on hot days with some lime and ice.

Earlier this evening when I went to pour myself a glass of Aussie Prem Lager (5%) I had to switch over my picnic tap from the soda water keg to the lager (I have not gone down thee route of mounting taps on my chesty). The pour therefore contained a bit of soda water still in the tap line and then the lager.

Result is a lighter version of the lager, still tasty and carbed. Kinda like a shandy but without any of the cloying ugly sweetness. Might give it a burl on some more flavourful beers at some stage.

I realise its kind of like high grav brewing that is common in lagers but gives you the flexibility to have high or low strength on tap at the same time.

 

[Bribie G]

When I arrived in Australia in the mid 1970s my first job was as a cleaner at a pub in Bundaberg. In those dark days only one beer was on tap, depending on whether it was a blue pub (Carlton) or a red pub (XXXX).

To avoid beer suddenly running out during a swill session, a common setup was to "chain" a number of kegs together in the cold room so the beer migrated along the keg chain to the taps, and the end empty keg could be changed over by the yard man at any convenient time.

Rumour had it that a keg of soda water might find its way into the chain on a busy weekend.

 

[waggastew]

I think most of us would appreciate a guardian angel/cellarman/better half/bartender that started watering down the drinks after the 6th one............

 

[Bribie G]

The landlord also had a private plane and drove a merc. No flies on him. And no weights and measures inspectors on him either, wink nudge

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I made a lechtesweizen by adding 150-200ml of boiled water to the champagne bottles as I bottled my Hefe last year. Very nice, refreshing light hef. Didn't really steal the flavours at all.

 

[wombil]

Once upon a time when I and mates just put a tin of stuff plus a kilo of sugar into hot water,waited a week or so then bottled and drank beer which we thought was pretty good,(The less it cost the better it tasted),one of the crowd liked light beer.
He just used the tin of stuff plus hot water and skipped the sugar.Presto LIGHT BEER,reckoned it was ok too.Never tried it myself.
He went down to the pub and got pissed then ran into the cops on the secret back way home.(Maybe they were lost too),so didn"t matter if he put the sugar in or not sometimes.
Just a little story to brighten up your night.

 

[waggastew]

When I arrived in Australia in the mid 1970s my first job was as a cleaner at a pub in Bundaberg. In those dark days only one beer was on tap, depending on whether it was a blue pub (Carlton) or a red pub (XXXX).

To avoid beer suddenly running out during a swill session, a common setup was to "chain" a number of kegs together in the cold room so the beer migrated along the keg chain to the taps, and the end empty keg could be changed over by the yard man at any convenient time.

Rumour had it that a keg of soda water might find its way into the chain on a busy weekend.

Hey Bribie,

What was the Carlton in QLD sold as? Being a boy who grew up on the border of NSW/VIC most taps were Carlton Draught/VB/Tooheys.

 

[bradsbrew]

^^ Carlton draught, aka white death and carlton pilsener.

Would be my guess

 

[waggastew]

^^ Carlton draught, aka white death and carlton pilsener.

Would be my guess

White death, love it!

 

[Bribie G]

Carlton in QLD was the old Bulimba draught .. it was very pale indeed, I'd say just pale malt, hence the "white death" and was quite bitter compared to XXXX. They brought out a heritage brew of Bulimba in cans a few years ago, just about spot on.

Note the corporate thing where they "segued" the drinking population from Bulimba to Carlton in the mid 70s.

 

[Neanderthal]

I worked in a pub towards the end of the 80's.
It had 20 taps or so or swan draught and swan gold.
Just before opening time I would pull all the taps off and the bucket would be tipped into a keg by the door inside the cool room..
On friday night that keg would be the last in a bank of 8.

 

[manticle]

Wouldn't have tasted any worse than usual.

 

[Grott]

I think most of us would appreciate a guardian angel/cellarman/better half/bartender that started watering down the drinks after the 6th one............

Sorry not me when your paying full price

 

[Blind Dog]

This month's BYO 'Tips from the pros' is on higher gravity lager brewing and one of the pro brewer's suggests using boiled, cooled and then carbonated water to make a lighter lager, presumably as well as the higher alcohol lager