Recipe Needs Work

[mixmasterfestis]

G'day, im new to this homebrewing thing but am enjoying every minute of it, i recently started experimenting with specialty malts and partial mashes with varied success.

Basically what im trying to do at the moment is to get another one of my mates hooked on homebrewing.

In that spirit ive got him to agree to pitch in for a brew of one of his favorite beers, budweiser (its not personally my favorite but im sure i can manage)

ive been looking around and have worked out the rough outlines of a recipe, thought id show you guys, hopefully get some feedback on where i can improve it:

fermentables:
1.7 kg light malt extract
1 kg pilsner malt (mashed)
1 kg rice (mashed)

hops:
15 g cascade hops 60 min boil
15 g cascade hops 30 min boil
15 g tettnang hops 15 min boil
total IBU's 27.8

boil volume 10 L
batch volume 18 L

calculated OG: 1.053
calculated FG: 1.013
calculated ABV: 5.2 %

my thoughts are that it may be a little too bland, and despite what any of you may feel about the flavour of budweiser, does anyone have any thoughts on how to make it taste a more like budweiser?

 

[roger mellie]

G'day, im new to this homebrewing thing but am enjoying every minute of it, i recently started experimenting with specialty malts and partial mashes with varied success.

Basically what im trying to do at the moment is to get another one of my mates hooked on homebrewing.

In that spirit ive got him to agree to pitch in for a brew of one of his favorite beers, budweiser (its not personally my favorite but im sure i can manage)

ive been looking around and have worked out the rough outlines of a recipe, thought id show you guys, hopefully get some feedback on where i can improve it:

fermentables:
1.7 kg light malt extract
1 kg pilsner malt (mashed)
1 kg rice (mashed)

hops:
15 g cascade hops 60 min boil
15 g cascade hops 30 min boil
15 g tettnang hops 15 min boil
total IBU's 27.8

boil volume 10 L
batch volume 18 L

calculated OG: 1.053
calculated FG: 1.013
calculated ABV: 5.2 %

my thoughts are that it may be a little too bland, and despite what any of you may feel about the flavour of budweiser, does anyone have any thoughts on how to make it taste a more like budweiser?

1. 500 mls of your finest urine sample
2. Leave the hops out
3. Add Some dishwater

Sorry OT I know - but I couldnt help myself - it 'may' be the Marmalade I've been drinking.

RM

 

[mixmasterfestis]

*sigh* yes, im aware that budweiser tastes like watered down horse urine, bear in mind fellas, this is to get another bloke homebrewing, trust me, ill work with him to get him drinking good beer.

or are you calling my recipe horce piss, i dunno, thats why its here, to improve it

 

[marky_mark]

Here's a link to a thread this week that talked about recipes to get non homebrewers hooked on the idea...

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...c=15463&hl=

Might help you out.

Otherwise a good simple pale ale with 90% Pilsner malt, some light crystal and good hops will always make a crowd pleaser, even to the most avid 'bud' drinker.

Good Luck Spreading the Love :beerbang:

Cheers,

Mark

 

[bconnery]

Responding specifically to your recipe, 27IBU with cascade as one of the hops will definitely not be too bland for a bud drinker!

I don't know how you'd planned to go with the rice but you might want to try and contact Ross for info on how he did his american pilsner with rice. I think he used hulls but whatever the case he did a side by side of two brews one with rice and one with corn, either of which could have been used as an example of what a bud beer coudl be, rather than is...

 

[Stuster]

I agree with bconnery. I'd aim for more like the low 20s. Instead of rice, why not use malted wheat. Easier to deal with and it'll give a lighter feel to the beer that might be what your buddy is looking for.

What yeast are you planning on using?

 

[bonj]

I'm pretty sure that the rice in Ross' Classic American Pilsner was boiled rice added to the mash. The rice lacks the enzymes by itself, but the enzymes in the malt are apparently capable of the job.

For corn, you can use flaked maize, grits, or (I believe) creamed corn.

 

[DJR]

Flaked rice is what you need, it's pregelatinised. Otherwise you'll have to cereal mash - just get the flaked.

Cascade has too much flavour for a Bud clone, bitter with something clean (Magnum probably, you'll only need a few grams), no aroma/flavour hops to about 15IBU, ferment cold, lager for at least 2 weeks at 1C. Aim for 1.045 OG

Unfortunately the extract will leave the "extract tang" which will add too much flavour - can you mash a full 4kg of malt&rice instead?

Otherwise i'd chuck in a bit of crystal or munich malt to the partial mash, keep your existing hop schedule, and use an ale yeast instead to make a Blonde Ale - won't be like Bud but will still taste pretty nice.

 

[Tseay]

The following is the BJCP specs for standard american lagers which include Budweiser. As others have noted
your IBU target is too high. You could even lift the amount of flaked rice and still meet the spec. Despite all the bruhaha, matching a style takes skill. Instead of telling your friend it is Budwieser clone (it will always be different) avoid the comparison and describe the beer in terms of it's class and he will be happy. would be good to cold condition this beer for a couple of weeks if you have the facilities.


1B. Standard American Lager
Aroma: Little to no malt aroma, although it can be grainy, sweet or corn-like if present. Hop aroma may range from none to a light, spicy or floral hop presence. Low levels of yeast character (green apples, DMS, or fruitiness) are optional but acceptable. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Very pale straw to medium yellow color. White, frothy head seldom persists. Very clear.

Flavor: Crisp and dry flavor with some low levels of sweetness. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low to medium-low level. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is relatively close to even. High levels of carbonation may provide a slight acidity or dry "sting." No diacetyl. No fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Light body from use of a high percentage of adjuncts such as rice or corn. Very highly carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue.

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Comments: Strong flavors are a fault. An international style including the standard mass-market lager from most countries.
Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts.

Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.040 - 1.050 1.004 - 1.010 8 - 15 2 - 4 4.2 - 5.1%

Commercial Examples: Miller High Life, Budweiser, Kirin Lager, Molson Golden, Corona Extra, Foster's Lager

 

[Steve Lacey]

FWIW, I personally think it is a mistake to try and get mates, or anybody really, hooked on one of your hobbies. Share it with them by all means, but don't expect them to love what you love. Expose them to the beer and talk about what you get out of the hobby (or sport, interests, etc) and if it strikes a chord with them and they show an interest, then go the next step of showing them how to get started. But don't go too far out of your way to try and "hook" them. Each to their own, you know. And if they are not interested and you proselytize, you will quickly become a boor in their eyes.

In the case of this particular friend, if his favourite beer is Budweiser, I don't see much potential for him developing the motivation towards wanting to homebrew. In other words, brew for yourself and if your mates like it and want to get in on the act, great, if not, no worries.

And as for your recipe, I'd use Norther Brewer hops to 17 to 20 IBU and you HAVE to use a lager yeast and appropriate fermentation methods if you hope to make a light American lager.

 

[jayse]

I agree there Steve, very well put. I wouldn't bother going to any effort at all trying to get people into your own hobbies, sure introduce them too things but don't waste time trying to flog a dead horse. They will either have a passion for it or not, if they are seriuosly interested they will take it on themselves without any need for being pushed into it.
If you end up trying to hard your hobby could even end up being the butt of jokes at gatherings

Somewhat of a analogy>>
I have a mate that is endless in trying to tell me how good the band greenday are, now I didn't really have any real opinion on them either way all though they're not my thing but after him trying endlessly to tell me how good they are they have became somewhat of a source of jokes.

Whats the difference between a greenday CD and a onion?

No one ever cried when they chopped up a greenday CD.



Sorry proberbly just ranting now.
Jayse

PS good luck with the american lager, bud really isn't that bad of a beer, proberbly is as close to water as beer can get but it certainly doesn't taste bad, in fact it doesn't really taste much at all.

 

[mixmasterfestis]

I get what you blokes are saying, its not that im trying to force homebrewing onto him, he has a passing interest in it and hell, another brew buddy couldnt hurt.

Ill be honest but, its more from a moolah point of view that we're trying to get him hooked, more peaple cuts costs down a little bit and that brings... profit, i left out the technical details of course but yea.

im basing this recipe loosely around the recipe from palmers how to brew, where they quote tettnanger hops as the main bittering agent (although it also says that they are typically aroma hops) given that my local homebrew shop is pretty average ive had to make a substitytion for tettnang hops, i dunno if they are the same thing, can anyone comment if this is an adequate substitution or not?

also i like the idea of using wheat malt, i think that could make it quite tasty, but i would probably have some rice in it aswell, seeing as that is a major component in budweiser. so i figure instead of a kilo of rice maybe half and half rice and wheat malt.

im also thinking of cutting the cascade out entirely in favor of a all tettnang hop schedule, itll bring the IBU's down to 20 by my calculations which is probably closer to the bill.

problem with using all grain is that i dont have a mashtun, i was gonna do a mini mash in a pot using a meat thermometer to keep it all at the right temperature, high tech i know, but it will have to do untill i can get a mashtun.

also, greenday is shit, your right to not listen to that garbage

 

[Jazman]

also i recon cluster be a good hop to use in a yank swill