My Beerbuds Are Changing

[tangent]

I've got a lot to thank Coopers for.
If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have tried weird cloudy beers that were only popular with elastic-sided-boot wearing Uni students at the time. I also started with their homebrew stout cans.
As with probably all of the regular posters on this site, as your beer quest continues, you notice more and taste more. All of a sudden some beers that you'd knocked down hundreds of litres of in the past, just seem too damn aweful to drink.
It's not that their brewing is dodgy, just that they're generally not tailoring their beers to my desired flavour profiles.
One beer that I can't stand anymore is Coronas. I thought my initial Corona copy was terrible, then I tasted the original again and I was right, and it was pretty damn close.

My brewing dilemma is that my older brother wants some beer. "Sure!" I say. We're pretty close and have got each other out of the poop occasionally, so I'd be stoked to make him something he likes. "What do you want?"
"A keg of Coronas." :excl:
:blink:
:huh:
The only thing that Coronas have left going for them is the boutique bottle and the wedge of Lime (rest of the world) or Lemon (tightarse SA), so a keg is basically going to make things easier but also leave me with a beer I don't want to brew.

What do you brew for your beer-ignorant friends and family?
It's going to have to be a lager and I'd prefer AG.
Massive lashings of hops will probably scare them away, but I want to be able to drink it as well.

 

[T.D.]

Yeah, I feel your pain! I have the same problem. I have brewed the odd "coopers-esq" beer to give to visitors and the like. The only problem with that is every now and then you get somebody who actually is expecting a serious microbrew-style hoppy ale and they end up saying "yeah, its nice, but its pretty basic". You just can't win!

I would just brew a fairly simple lager - even go 100% pilsner malt. Brew to ~4.5%alc/vol and around 27 IBUs. Chuck in about 1g/L of saaz or hallertau at 5mins and that'll do it I reckon. As far as my tastes are concerned, that would be a happy compromise between a Corona style beer and something that is more interesting to a seasoned home brewer. It would be a great summer quencher too.

 

[RichLum]

I just make what I'm interested in drinking (mostly hoppy pale ale, amber, choc porter and a belgian).

I try to broaden my friends horizons when they come around.
If they don't like any of them they can bring their own tooheys new or vb or whatever.

No point in making somethingyo don't want to drink yourself....

There's only so much you can do for some people....

Rich

 

[RobW]

I find pale ales go over pretty well. Coopers or Sierra Nevada style clones seem popular as long as you don't go overboard with the hops. Big dark ales are a different story, although people seem more inclined to at least try porters and bitters than in the past.

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Try and poach Roaches CAP recipe from him. I thought it was really good.

C&B
TDA

 

[colinw]

My "keep the plebs happy" beer is an Aussie lager in the style of Boag's. It all started out when my brew-buddy Adrian said "Hey, let's do another batch today, do you think we can come up with a recipe thats a bit like Boag's Premium so my dad will drink it when he visits?".

We futzed around with the recipator for a bit (couldn't be bothered with ProMash), cracked the grain, mashed it, threw in a couple of sachets of Saflager, and the damned thing came out a bit like Boag's Strongarm (only tastier). But the best thing is, all the non-hombrew types who have tried it will drink it. You know the ones - if you give them an APA they go "what is that funny smell??". If you give them a stout they go "is that like, you know, guinness???" and "I don't like dark beers". If you ask them what they really want they say "Crownies".

 

[junior06]

OK we can be open minded about things... and brew different styles for different people. But if your mates are narrow minded and only drink the overly marketed stuff crownies, vb(same thing) new and extra dry's well let them go out and fork out $40/slab and enjoy our own homebrew, i'm only new to brewing but slowly enjoying my beers that i brew... and for my mates who laughed at me when i began... well they can go to the pub and fork out there hard earned for a decent night out!
but if they appreciate a good brew well, why not go out of your way and maybe brew something different and maybe we might pick one or two more brewers!

 

[tangent]

interesting
my brother drinks tooheys new and i've seen him down a Coopers about 3 times in his life under duress or heat stress

I think the Boags path might be the right one...
do you have an AG recipe to go with that post Colin?

RichLum - I've scared a few plebs with Belgian Wits before

 

[Jazman]

i say bugger em i brew for me not them if they dont like then can can bring there own or drink the other crap( girlie drinks) or drink coffee or go with out in the end they will drink it

 

[colinw]

OK we can be open minded about things... and brew different styles for different people. But if your mates are narrow minded and only drink the overly marketed stuff crownies, vb(same thing) new and extra dry's well let them go out and fork out $40/slab and enjoy our own homebrew, i'm only new to brewing but slowly enjoying my beers that i brew... and for my mates who laughed at me when i began... well they can go to the pub and fork out there hard earned for a decent night out!
but if they appreciate a good brew well, why not go out of your way and maybe brew something different and maybe we might pick one or two more brewers!

[post="90776"][/post]​

That was my opinion originally, but I've found that I can produce session beers which are interesting enough to keep homebrewing types happy, go down well after the mowing, but don't scare off guests who you want to offer a beer to. And best of all after a few glasses of good homebrew it seems to open up new neural pathways and break down the resistance .... like my brother in law who used to bring Tooheys Gold and now happily drinks homebrew and regularly turns up with stuff like LCPA.

interesting
my brother drinks tooheys new and i've seen him down a Coopers about 3 times in his life under duress or heat stress

I think the Boags path might be the right one...
do you have an AG recipe to go with that post Colin?

RichLum - I've scared a few plebs with Belgian Wits before

[post="90780"][/post]​

3rd iteration of the recipe.

Bogas III (Aussie Piss Lager)
About 40-42 litres at my normal mash efficiency.

4.5kg Export Pilsner Malt
4.2kg Traditional Ale Malt
100g CaraPils
200g Crystal 140EBC

Infusion Mash, 90 minutes at 67 degrees C.
Sparge 46-48 litres.

Boil: 90 minutes

400g invert syrup or dextrose in kettle.
40g Pride of Ringwood (10%AA) pellets @ 60 minutes
14g Saaz (3.7%AA) pellets @ 15 minutes

1 irish moss tablet @ 20 minutes
1 tsp yeast nutrient @ 10 minutes

OG = 1.050, Colour = 5 SRM, Bitterness = 28 IBUs
Generally about 5% ABV

Any good lager yeast, or a neutral ale yeast for a pseudo-lager. I use 2 sachets S-23 fermented at 12C for good results. I think Wyeast 2042 would give a result
closer to real Boags.

cheers,
Colin

 

[tangent]

Thanks Colin
well named brew!

 

[colinw]

Credit for the name goes to my brewing mate Adrian. You lurking here Adrian?

Nice thing about this recipe is it gives a lager with a bit of hops character (like Boag's), but which wouldn't be suprising if someone handed you a schooner of it in a pub. It comes out a bit like Strongarm, but with some of that fresh grainy character which Carlton Draught has when its served well.

 

[BRAD T]

I usually brew what I want to drink and try to educate my mates with different brews, after a couple of sessions of trying different styles several of them are now considering brewing their own, they say I have spoiled their enjoyment of megaswill and have no option but brewing unless they want to pay premium prices for "boutique" beers. The more brewers the better I say.

Cheers
BradT

 

[shwab]

I reckon by using a low hopping scheme keeping it a bit lower then usual (about 4%), fermenting cool and then filtering reaonably hard to make sure it's sparkling you can usually come out with something that will go down very nicely at a barbie and won't turn your mates off.
Sure I love esters, massive amounts of pov and goldings and the odd bit of yeast doesn't bother me. But no one likes to have nasty things said about their hombrew about how undrinkable it is. And let's face it that is the overwhelming stereotypical opinion of hombrew.
But there is a place for a fresh clean ale, and is something that commercial beer can't attain, always coming out stale and with overpowering stench of vomit.
Make it clean for a change and be proud of it

 

[warrenlw63]

I think some people may surprise. you.

My old man is a lifelong VB drinker. As he got older he switched to basically light. Sterling, Cascade Premium Light etc.

These days he will drink anything I serve him. Asks what type the beer is and really enjoys it. :beerbang: People just need to give the beer the benefit of the doubt without the upfront bigotry. <_<

Dark beers are a funny beast with the non-HB masses. First thing they say upon tasting is "It's Strong". "I'd better not have another one because I'll get too drunk". Even if it's an identicial ABV to your lighter equivalents.

People truly drink with their eyes. h34r:

Warren -

 

[tangent]

shwab, you've summed it up - I'm trying to get people past the "Homebrew" stigma! I don't even like the phrase. I prefer "Craftbrew" but it's a bit wanky.
Dodgy overcarbonated K&K sugar brews have certainly tarnished the reputation of brewing at home.

too true warren

On a slightly different note:
I rang an old Editor of mine because I remembered he was a AG brewer but has given up brewing (so what happened to all his gear?)
I rang him about 3 months too late. He tried to sell his gear, didn't get a nibble, so gave it all away! Damn it!

 

[shmick]

A few people I know won't drink black beer:

1. Black Old (my fav) is only drunk by old alco's at the RSL = bad image
2. First and last Stout ever tried was a Guiness = so bad they couldn't finnish it.

I suppose Guiness is a bit of a slap in the face to the unexpecting megaswill/lollywater drinker - maybe it should come with a warning for whimps.

I wonder if the 'image is everything' brigade realise we all laugh at them behind their backs for drinking Crownies etc and being victims of advertising
Ignorance is bliss as they say.


Last holidays away (Tuncurry c'van park) I was sitting outside one evening quietly savouring a Duvel when a guy from a few vans down brings up 2 Crownies for me - he couldn't stand to watch me drinking such bad beer :lol:

You can fill in my responses but the conversation went something like:

'Here, get these into ya mate. Must be better than whatever crap you're drinkin there.
Look they can't even get the bottle the right shape. How could you drink out of that!?
Only girls drink out of glasses anyway - oh except at the club but that's the law.
Belgian? What would they know about beer?
Was it on special? A give away? People buy anything on special - tip it out mate.
These will fix you up - the real deal.'

The guy wouldn't even take the second Duvel in exchange.
His loss - I didn't push the point.

I did down one of the Crownies just to be sociable - it was free afterall :chug:

 

[Airgead]

Last holidays away (Tuncurry c'van park) I was sitting outside one evening quietly savouring a Duvel when a guy from a few vans down brings up 2 Crownies for me - he couldn't stand to watch me drinking such bad beer :lol:

[post="90946"][/post]​

Similar (but less plesant) thing happened to me. Camping in a caravan park and woke up to find a bunch of #&#!)$^ kids had slashed our flyscreen tent and nicked our esky. Found it later that day stashed under a van a few hundred meters away. They had nicked the two bottles of coopers I had in there but left all my homebrew behind.

Peasants.

Cheers
Dave

 

[tangent]

Ha, I LOVE watching tossers wave their Crownie around like it's a freakin Porsche

A status symbol that boasts : "I don't even like the taste of beer and I'm stupid enough to pay extra just to be seen drinking one!" Classic.

I was buying a few cans of Guinness in the bottlo when a weird occer labourer walked in and grabbed a few longnecks of Worst End Dirt, then had the gall to say "Some good Aussie beers you got there mate!"
"I wish I could say the same about yours mate." was my aeroplane reply.
(he probably lashes out on a carton of Crownies for Xmas)

 

[colinw]

I ordered a Guinness at one of the less salubrious pubs around here and promptly got abused by a VB drinking yobbo. F**k off paddy, get one of these if you want a real beer. If I'd ordered a Crownie I'd have probably ended up getting bashed.

I can't stand Crown Lager. 100% image, and tastes just like all the other Carlton beers.

At least Corona has a cool bottle. I use these for the few stubbies of my brew that I actually bother bottling, taking care to avoid light strike.