A good summer brew

What are your guys thoughts on a good summer brew? This will be my second batch, my first is less than two weeks from bottling and I want to start my second on brew day. The first is a nut brown ale. Looking for ideas....

That's guys

A simple American Pale Ale is a great summer quencher. Since it's your second brew consider a SMaSH--single malt and single hop beer--in order to get familiar with the ingredients and see how good something so simple can be. I'm almost done with a keg of an APA that I made from nothing but 2 row and Cascade Hops.

Here's a picture:


BTW, that is my wife's face behind the glass--not some really funky infection.

All depends on your taste but I agree with the APA suggestion. I'll be kegging an APA this weekend, and have an IPA kit that I'll begin brewing soon. For right now, I'm only running a two keg system, but I anticipate having either and IPA or IIPA in one of them at all times throughout the summer.

cluckk said:

A simple American Pale Ale is a great summer quencher. Since it's your second brew consider a SMaSH--single malt and single hop beer--in order to get familiar with the ingredients and see how good something so simple can be. I'm almost done with a keg of an APA that I made from nothing but 2 row and Cascade Hops.

Here's a picture:
View attachment 116224

BTW, that is my wife's face behind the glass--not some really funky infection.

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not a funky infection. LOL did she punch you in the arm after that comment??

Look in the recipe database and find a witbier recipe, awesome summer beer!

I just brewed to Low Gravity ones... An English Summer Ale and using that concept and Cascade an American Summer Ale... (25 gallons total)

It is hop in Virginia in the summer and I wanted a "thirst quencher" that can be consumed all summer long.

I plan to keg 10 of each and with the left over mix those two together for the 5th keg.

Then I am going to do a Fat Tire Clone and a Red Tail Clone... so I have something else to drink....

Then there is the HEFE and the other 5 beers I have already poured the grain out for...

If all goes weel by the end of May I will have brewd about 110 gallons... which should be enough to get me through Summer

I just discovered the Left Hand Good JuJu Ginger(Some ginger Ale recipes) and found that to be a wonderful warm weather beer. I also like a good dunkleweizen or ESB/APA in the summer.

There are many examples of both in the recipe section EdWorts Haus Pale Ale is a favorite on this board. I can edit in the recipe for the Dunkleweizen I made last summer but it was largely based on EdWorts Bavarian Hefeweizen which I've also made and enjoyed. I added some munich and crystal malts to up the sweetness and get the color right.

It really does depend on taste, because I do not think of an APA (or any pale ale) as a good thirst quencher for summer. Personally, I think of beers like a Blonde Ale or a Kolsch as good easy-drinking summertime ales. I recently made a blonde ale that was sessionable (4.2% ABV) and reminded me of New Belgium's Blue Paddle. Very drinkable, and I intend to make lots of it for the summer.

i will be making in 2 weeks a lovely Blond Honey Basil Ale, MMmm very light and refreshing.

There must be something wrong with me because I like a dark stout in summer. I also like Irish reds, pale ales, Belgian wits, etc.

RM-MN said:

There must be something wrong with me because I like a dark stout in summer. I also like Irish reds, pale ales, Belgian wits, etc.

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Well I like a good dry stout and an Irish Red just about anytime. But, if I am going to be sitting outside in the hot sun, I tend to prefer lighter colored beers.

cluckk said:

A simple American Pale Ale is a great summer quencher. Since it's your second brew consider a SMaSH--single malt and single hop beer--in order to get familiar with the ingredients and see how good something so simple can be. I'm almost done with a keg of an APA that I made from nothing but 2 row and Cascade Hops.

BTW, that is my wife's face behind the glass--not some really funky infection.

Click to expand...

Same with me. I'm doing my first SMaSH this weekend with 2 row/Cascade/Notty. I figure it'll be nice and light and citrusy for the summer.

I like American Wheats in the summer. I have an awesome Oberon clone recipe that is on constant rotation during the summer.

I also made an attempt at cloning Great Lakes Holy Moses which is a Belgian wit. It wasn't spot on Holy Moses, but I think I actually like mine better? It is also damn fine with a wedge of lemon squeezed in it and will also be a nice thirst quencher on a hot summer day.

I also had a blonde ale recipe that I made into an Apricot Blonde and a basic American wheat recipe that I turned into a Strawberry Wheat and both are very refreshing summer beers!

MMJfan said:

I like American Wheats in the summer. I have an awesome Oberon clone recipe that is on constant rotation during the summer.

I also made an attempt at cloning Great Lakes Holy Moses which is a Belgian wit. It wasn't spot on Holy Moses, but I think I actually like mine better? It is also damn fine with a wedge of lemon squeezed in it and will also be a nice thirst quencher on a hot summer day.

I also had a blonde ale recipe that I made into an Apricot Blonde and a basic American wheat recipe that I turned into a Strawberry Wheat and both are very refreshing summer beers!

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Now those sound like delicious summer refreshment!

It's not fancy but I love brewing a cream ale for Summer.

Brew what you like. Lots of good suggestions already.

I'll throw another one out there. I love a good Saison in the summer. I brew a lot of them ahead of time so I have a good supply for the summer.

beergolf said:

Brew what you like. Lots of good suggestions already.

I'll throw another one out there. I love a good Saison in the summer. I brew a lot of them ahead of time so I have a good supply for the summer.

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+1 great to brew in hot weather too as the high temps allow me to free up space in ferm chamber for less forgiving styles. Usually let them free rise in closet upstairs.

For me I like to brew a peach blone ale which matter of fact im brewing my next session.

Nothing beats a German Koelsch in the summer... I have 10 gallons in the keg, and will brew another 10 gallons tomorrow to put on the yeast cake!!

Just bottled another batch of watermelon wheat. 7 cups of watermelon juice and added one dram of lorann watermelon at bottling.

I second the kolsch. Add some honey malt (like 4 oz) and you'll get a good result.

I did a SMaSH, 2 row and Willamette, but pureed a small watermelon and added that to the fermenter when I pitched the yeast.

Came out incredibly well.

houndsbreath said:

I second the kolsch. Add some honey malt (like 4 oz) and you'll get a good result.

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Humm... not necessarily "to style," but I do like what honey malt does to the nose. I was actually thinking of adding 0.5 to 1.0 lbs of raw honey towards the end of the boil, increasing the fermentables in order to try and dry out the Kolsch just a bit more.

What is your experience with honey malt? What is it doing for you that you like?

One of the best, IMO, is the Brewer's Best Summer Ale--available at BIY Homebrew supply http://www.biyhomebrewsupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_19&products_id=17 Nice, light, refreshing, citrusy, and easy to make. Can't beat that!

I have made a simple raspberry ale and a strawberry wheat when the local fruits are in season. My favorite, though is a coconut stout.

I have a great Simple Saison that I really like - 10lbs of Belgian Pils / 1lb of Belgian Candi Syrup and Some Kent & Styrian Goldings makes for a great light colored summer saison. Ferment with some Belgian Saison II or similar yeast for a nice summer brew.

Home brewed Old Yeller & Flat Tire a pint of each during a game of washers, in-fact Im brewing a 10 gal batch of Flat Tire today, strike water is heating now.

Cheers

I like gruit in summer. All the herbs to make it are great in the spring: I've got yarrow and mugwort and mint going bat**** in the garden right now. It's refreshingly bitter, light in texture, and it tastes much more complicated than it is. Perfect for beersnobbing in the sun.

I like all beers except those that call themselves "light" because they are basicily devoid of taste. Here in Green County Wisconsin (Pop., 36,842, 2010) we are Blessed with two Craft Breweries. My favorite beers are dark, Bock, and IPA's, but there are so many choices...........................

I just kegged an Maris Otter/Centennial SMaSH and a Chinook IPA. Both are 1.060 or just below and last night brewed a Ruthless Rye semi clone (my changes). I try to keep the porters, stouts and higher ABV beers to a minimum in the summer but sometimes crave them and then I will fix that crave with a trip to the store for a craft beer or two.

For summer I've got a Blue Moon clone bubbling away at the moment, but with these ideas I might plan another brew - maybe an APA or the like. Ya know, just in case...

I am really enjoying this one in hot weather:
http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/drbuzzs-pepper-lime-pale-ale
APA's are awesome but I've also got a hefeweizen, a cream ale, and an apricot wheat on the brew schedule. All light but tasty.

Hi,

What he said.
That is, Johnnyhamer.
This appears to be fairly easy to make, and easy to drink. Folks are making it by the 10-gallon batch! According to the thread, it's also a way to keep BMC drinkers from rioting when offered "homebrew". It will be my next batch, for sure.


-gnarlyhopper

gnarlyhopper said:

Hi,

What he said.
That is, Johnnyhamer.
This appears to be fairly easy to make, and easy to drink. Folks are making it by the 10-gallon batch! According to the thread, it's also a way to keep BMC drinkers from rioting when offered "homebrew". It will be my next batch, for sure.

-gnarlyhopper

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You absolutely can't go wrong with the Centennial Blonde. If you prefer a fruit beer go watermelon wheat or add strawberries to the centennial.

peterjcondon said:

I like all beers except those that call themselves "light" because they are basicily devoid of taste. Here in Green County Wisconsin (Pop., 36,842, 2010) we are Blessed with two Craft Breweries. My favorite beers are dark, Bock, and IPA's, but there are so many choices...........................

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Since you live right by New Glarus can you go and ask them to start selling in MN..Pretty please...I miss it

For me, i like a good Pale ale. I just brewed up this recipe, and it is EXCELLENT!:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/cascades-orange-pale-ale-84558/

Another great drink for the summer is Skeeter Pee. Glass full of ice, some Skeeter Pee, and a lime wedge can really quench a thirst! Just be prepared to take a nap on the porch after you consume a few!

Schlitz, Busch NA, or Odouls is good

I like to do a California Common with a selection of "fruity" American hops (typically Cascade and Amarillo) rather than the more traditional Northern Brewer. I ferment it at lager temperatures with a German weihenstephen yeast like Saflager w34/70 and ensure that it is a striking ruby colour (12-14 SRM). Both ale and lager drinkers love it. I think Sam Adams is doing something similar and calling it India Pale Lager. I'm also a fan of Schwarzbier which is like a lager stout for those die-hard stout drinkers - its very quaffable all year round.

American Wheat - it's simple , fast , and easy to play around with . You can mess with different hops and/or fruits .