Radler

[Doc]

I'm looking to brew a Radler.
I love my Saisons which I'm making spiceier especially the next one with Grains of Paradise, but am looking for another easy drinking summer beer.
A mate dropped off a Monteiths Radler earlier in the week and I had it this afternoon while watching the kiwi attack rip through the Australian upper order.

From a website with history of the Radler

In the mountains of Germany and Austria, the bicyclists (Radler in German) need a good refreshment, and a little additional nutritious fortification after a long climb up a mountain road in the blazing, humid weather, but they also need the soberness and strength to return home, down the long, steep hills. From these excursions has developed the concept of a beer and lemon-lime (actually Zitronenlimonade in German) mixture in Germany and Austria, the Radler and the Russ, basically the same as the Shandy in England. The Radler is a normal Munich "Helles" or a pilsner-style beer such as Zipfer mixed with 1/2 lemon-lime soda, and the Russ is a mixture of 1/2 Weizenbier, such as Edelwei Hefetrb, and 1/2 lemon-lime soda, - refreshing, relaxing, and enjoyable. Various names have emerged for this mix from the various breweries such as Alsterwasser, Russ'n, Weizenradler, Kristall Radler, etc. The name Alsterwasser was used in place of Radler because earlier, the Alster river in northern Germany was considered a source of cleaner water, and even though the beer was not brewed from this river water, the lightness, and clarity served to distinguish this light, clear beer mixture.

From the Monteiths website

Monteiths Radler is a refreshing fruity lager beer. Radler, originates from Bavaria. It was first created in the early 1920s by the owner of a Austrian Gasthaus, Franz Xaver Kugler. In search of an invigorating brew, he developed an easy drinking lager bier with a citrus twist flavoured with lemon and lime. The perfect treat for the many cyclists (Radler in German) and mountain hikers who visited his alpine guesthouse.

Monteiths Radler Bier faithfully recreates the experience, its a lager beer, brewed to full strength at 5% alcohol by volume as you are used to from Monteiths. The beer is brewed with a small amount of natural lemon juice, giving it its refreshing zesty citrus finish.

Monteiths Radler Bier has a level of residual sweetness to complement the added lemon juice. This combination provides balance and a degree of complexity to the flavour mix. Radler is only lightly hopped to ensure the bitterness character does not dominate the flavour.

After a hard days work (or a hike on the mountains), the refreshing citrus taste of Monteiths will go well with asparagus rolls or a nice light spring salad. Or, you could match it the German way, with spicy sausages, cheeses and fresh bread.

and

Monteiths Radler has an original gravity (OG) of 1049, alcohol content of 5 % and a final gravity of 1010+. Radler is only lightly bittered but this along with the citrus tang from a small amount of added natural lemon juice provides the beer with a finish that is clean, crisp, slightly drying yet totally refreshing.

So like Monteiths I'll be brewing a full strength one also.

Finally my question. Has anyone else brewed a Radler ?
The easy option would be to just add some lemon/lime juice, but we aren't looking for the easy option are we
My mate at DB (who owns Monteiths) in NZ said that when he talked to the brewmaster they added the citrus/botanicals after primary fermentation, so that definitely sounds the go.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

Walk into a bierkellar in Germany and ask for a Radler you get a shandy.
I have never heard of it being anything else, intriguing.

 

[GMK]

This is only a suggestion - from making my lemonade - zest the lemon and lime - add to the secondary.
Cut away the white pith and slice the fruit into halves - small or thirds large - and add the fruit to the secondary as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[Goat]

I had a Montieth's Radler Friday night - sandwiched between a Emerson's Pilsner and a Fiddlers Elbow, so it probably wasn't the best company to drink it in... ( I drank it because SWMBO refused to drink any more of it).

Anyway, it tasted exactly like a shandy to me. So I think I'll sit on the side of the hill and WATCH the montain bikers ride instead

 

[jaytee]

Seems like I had a Monteiths week

Radler - memories of Sainsburys Lager & lime cans from 20 years ago. If I was half way up an alp and my lederhosen were chaffing I'd appreciate it more.
Would be good to do as an occaisonal summer number, went down well with the girls too

Summer - that's the shandy, 6 pack gone before I could recognise it as beer

Golden - best lager of the three

Any update on your Radler Doc ?

 

[Doc]

I haven't brewed it yet.
Need to do a little more research.
I did get some info from my mate at DB and he said they cheat with the Monteiths Radler and just add the lime/lemon at bottling.
Need to find out how the Austrians do it, but I may just brew a light weizen and add a little Schewepes Lime Cordial when pouring the beer.

Doc

 

[Mr Bond]

I haven't brewed it yet.
Need to do a little more research.
I did get some info from my mate at DB and he said they cheat with the Monteiths Radler and just add the lime/lemon at bottling.
Need to find out how the Austrians do it, but I may just brew a light weizen and add a little Schewepes Lime Cordial when pouring the beer.

Doc

[post="42793"][/post]​

So here we are one year on Doc.Did it ever happen,what were the results.

Only reason I'm asking as I'm sippin on a weizen that has a splash of lime juice in it.Reason being this beer fell victim to the heatwave we had in Adelaide a couple o weeks ago and seems to have developed a rubbery/muddy taint(autolysis me thinks).It was fine up until then but now I'm left with 12 stubbies of tainted beer. forgot it was tucked away in the shed during h/wave :angry:

The lime adds a nice refreshing zing and masks the taint nicely .Call me a tight arse ,but there is no way i was gonna toss a brew without trying something first.

 

[Doc]

It fell off the radar Brauluver.
Did a few experimental beers last year but the Radler didn't make it.
Had a couple of Monteiths Radlers during the last couple of weeks in NZ, and whilst they were nice, they haven't really inspired me to make one.
I'll add it to my sig, and see if I get re-inspired.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Mr Bond]

Doc,
I see you have a kolsch on deck. It may be worth giving it a go with that in the glass.I'm using one of those generic brand lime squeeze(juice) thingos 250 ml.
about a teaspoon in a nonic seems good.

The weizen was a 60% pils 40% wheat grist and is pale and subtle,not the best combo for masking any off flavas.

The follow up brew was a 50/50 split of base malts Munich and wheat with a little caramunich and a smidge of choc,and seems to be much fuller and nicer(ala schnieder).The 3rd which got bottled yesterday was a blend of pils/ wheat/ munich and carapils. I'll give it a week in bottle and try it out. Thats what I love about hefes, they taste better young and require less conditioning time.

 

[Doc]

I know the little lime juice things you are referring to. We always have a lemon one in the fridge. Unfortunately we don't have a lime one ATM.
Actually I think it would go well with the HefeRyeizenBock I'm trying to drain ATM. Would be great to dilute it a little too.
Will pickup some lime tomorrow and give it a go.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Doc]

My HefeRyezien with Schweppes Lime Cordial is a great Radler. Very close to the Monteiths Radler (except I'm sure I can have more than two) and mine is 7%+ Pretty much an inverse Radler :lol:

Beers,
Doc

 

[Mr Bond]

works a treat don't it

I tried a weizen the other day witha dash of the kids apple/blackcurrant juice in it.
Sensational tart twist. :chug: hadda have 3 .

 

[big d]

recipe please?

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

I would'nt be doing too much cycling after a 7% shandy.

:blink:

 

[crow]

Doc / Brauluver,

For what its worth:
A "Radler" is a 50/50 mix of standard lager beer (typicaly helles) and lemonade.
A "Russ'" (short for Russ'en, English Russian) is a 50/50 mix of wheatbeer and lemonade
A "Neger" (or "******") is a 50/50 mix of wheatbeer and cola

As to why, on a hot day you can enjoy 1 litre instead of 500ml, 2 litres instead of 1 litre, or.... you get my drift; and its still refreshing.

Just one tip; if your trying to recreate the european flavour you might find that the lemonade here is sweeter and less cirtusy than in europe.

 

[Kai]

Wheat and cola, that sounds... interesting.