We are planning a fairly good size get together and plan on having 4 brews on tap. I have a couple dark beers and a wheat ready to brew, but am looking for suggestions for the Bud Light crowd. You know, the ones at the Jamaica resort that will pick a Miller Light over a Red Stripe because the Red Stripe is "too strong". I expect the usual round of "piss in water" responses, but if anyone has brewed a beer that was a hit with this type of beer drinker, I would welcome the suggestions. Cream ale, blonde. any other ideas? Thanks in advance.
Suggestions for beers to serve non-craft drinkers
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Centennial Blonde
you could go on the lighter side of a Munich Helles if you have enough time.
cluckk
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Go with the Cream Ale for that crowd.
Centennial Blonde
Catawampus
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Can you lager? If so, then the choice seems obvious.
If not, I brew a cream ale that I craft-ify a little more with Kolsch yeast.
Its 80% two-row, 20% Corn. The same crowd you speak of really likes it. The other suggestions are great too. I'll second Centennial Blonde and Biermuncher's Cream of Three Crops.
You might also take a look at Yooper's "Fizzy Yellow Beer." I think she keeps the recipe in her drop down. Lot's of folks like that as well.
If not, I brew a cream ale that I craft-ify a little more with Kolsch yeast.
Its 80% two-row, 20% Corn. The same crowd you speak of really likes it. The other suggestions are great too. I'll second Centennial Blonde and Biermuncher's Cream of Three Crops.
You might also take a look at Yooper's "Fizzy Yellow Beer." I think she keeps the recipe in her drop down. Lot's of folks like that as well.
Natdavis777
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+1 on the cream ale. Im making my buddy one this summer for plowing my drive so many times while I was at work. Though, I was surprised to see a family friend who helped me replace my water heater pound down so many pints of my Maibock the other night.
mrphillips
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I gotta give another vote for the centennial blonde. Nice and light. If they can find something about it they don't like...find new friends. Haha.
IL1kebeer
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American Wheat with Amarillo. Similar to Shock Top but with tons more flavor and a clean yeast. Mine is always a hit with the Blue Moon and Shock Top drinkers.
55% Wheat
45% 2row
20 IBU
Use enough bittering hop to get to 20 IBUs when added to the 5 min addition
1oz Amarillo @5 min
WLP029 (preferred) or WLP001 fermented @65F
55% Wheat
45% 2row
20 IBU
Use enough bittering hop to get to 20 IBUs when added to the 5 min addition
1oz Amarillo @5 min
WLP029 (preferred) or WLP001 fermented @65F
monkeeroot
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I have always had great success when serving Hefeweizen to the craft beer impaired.
This is why I love this site. Thanks for all the great suggestions. I should have mentioned in my original post that I do have the setup to lager, but don't really have the time to do a lager justice before the get together. I have a Belgian White planned for the Blue Moon fans, but am going to look at the other Blue Moon styles recommended. Looks like deciding between the Centennial Blonde and the three crops cream ale.
broadbill
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I'd give them bud light and be done with it. Probably cheaper than what you can brew it for, it will save you time, and it is what they are expecting when they come to your party.
No use busting your hump brewing beer that nobody will like/drink.
I know I'm the contrarian here, but I've been homebrewing long enough to know that the people who are open to new things will most likely try and enjoy your beer...and those who aren't probably wont try and probably won't like it anyway.
No use busting your hump brewing beer that nobody will like/drink.
I know I'm the contrarian here, but I've been homebrewing long enough to know that the people who are open to new things will most likely try and enjoy your beer...and those who aren't probably wont try and probably won't like it anyway.
Grannyknot
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kolsch.
I am very close to a full conversion of 2 craft beer haters with my kolsch.
I am very close to a full conversion of 2 craft beer haters with my kolsch.
JoshuaW
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I had a cream ale that went over well at my wedding. I dried it out a little bit more with some honey, so it was very crisp. Most people had no problem drinking that or cider. One small group smuggled in their own beer, and I was only slightly offended that they refused to even try the beer I had brewed, but as long as everyone is having a good time, who cares? I would NOT waste your money trying to accommodate these people by purchasing beer for them. They can either drink what you bring, or they can bring their own.
stpug
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I serve my MGD drinking uncle Cream Ales and he loves them. I've never done the same Cream Ale recipe twice and they've all turned out to be very easy drinking and crisp. Cream of Three Crops is where I started and it was a definite winner. My current favorite is:
The only thing I would suggest to any cream ale recipe you use would be to balance the pH using some lactic acid, or acid malt. Just enough to ensure your pH stays below 6.0. Also, adjust the pilsner amount for your brewhouse efficiency. You can also switch up the 10 and 5 minute hops to use some that you already have or are more easily obtained. You wouldn't do any disservice swapping those out for Saaz (0.75 oz at 10 and 5 min), or going all strisselspalt would be fine as well.
Edit: I should mention you'd want to ferment cool (60F) with nottingham. If you can't control that low then use US05 at 64-68F. The thing is you can get nottingham to flocculate really well if you crash cool it for 3-5 days after fermentation finishes, and it will leave a bright beer. US05 will likely linger cloudy for a couple weeks. Having a really bright/clear cream ale is a sight to behold.
Code:
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 3.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 82%
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs Pilsner (Avangard) (1.7 SRM) Grain 4 75.0 %
1 lbs 12.0 oz Corn - Yellow, Flaked (Briess) (1.3 SRM) Grain 5 21.9 %
4.0 oz Amber (Crisp) (27.5 SRM) Grain 6 3.1 %
0.400 oz Cluster [7.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 10.4 IBUs
0.500 oz Santiam [5.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 3.3 IBUs
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 mins) Fining 10 -
0.700 oz Strisslespalt [4.10 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 2.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 12.80 qt of water at 162.1 F 150.0 F 80 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 175.0 F waterThe only thing I would suggest to any cream ale recipe you use would be to balance the pH using some lactic acid, or acid malt. Just enough to ensure your pH stays below 6.0. Also, adjust the pilsner amount for your brewhouse efficiency. You can also switch up the 10 and 5 minute hops to use some that you already have or are more easily obtained. You wouldn't do any disservice swapping those out for Saaz (0.75 oz at 10 and 5 min), or going all strisselspalt would be fine as well.
Edit: I should mention you'd want to ferment cool (60F) with nottingham. If you can't control that low then use US05 at 64-68F. The thing is you can get nottingham to flocculate really well if you crash cool it for 3-5 days after fermentation finishes, and it will leave a bright beer. US05 will likely linger cloudy for a couple weeks. Having a really bright/clear cream ale is a sight to behold.
DaNewf
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Another vote for BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde Ale.
Thank you all for the thoughts and suggestions. I have one more question. If you were hosting a get together and knew you had hardcore Bud Light drinkers, how many would try to brew something they would like and how many would, as Broadbill suggests, just buy some Bud Light?
stpug
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At the minimal cost incurred in a cream ale, I would definitely brew something I think they might like. It just gives me another excuse to brew something
I would not buy bud light for them, but I wouldn't stop them from bringing or drinking it.
I would brew a blonde or cream ale for that instance. If they don't like it they can go thirsty, but I haven't run into someone yet who didn't enjoy Centennial Blonde. Also had good results with Cream of Three Crops and Yooper's Fizzy Yellow Beer.
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aggiejason
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I always "break them in" with BM's Cream of Three Crops. I have had some say they thought I just poured some kinda store bought beer in the keg. It does have that "store bought yet craft in nature" quality
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I try to keep a lager, wheat, or cream ale on tap for guests that want to try my homebrew. But also keep a case of Bud Light in the cold room for my hillbilly in-laws that refuse to try anything else. It's no big deal to me, and they don't notice if I hand them a year old dusty bottle.
smalliewader
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My wife's family is a bunch of Coors light drinking pussies. They can't handle anything else. Most of them do really like the infamous Cream of 3 crops that's in the recipe database. The ones that don't are the ones that refuse to even try anything other than CL.
I want to say a few people made a go at an exte act version on the AG tread but I'm not 100% on that. You might want to just do a quick sweep of some of the earlier pages.
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I make a blonde that BMC drinkers like and is my favorite of my homebrews. I boil two vanilla beans at 15 minutes and that adds a good character without overwhelming the lighter beer.
Sent from here, because that's where I am.
Sent from here, because that's where I am.
Yeah, I've been looking, no luck yet... lol
stpug
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You could try something like below and it will get you "in the ballpark". The problem, IMO, will be a missing corniness from the flaked corn, but it would still be a very light drinkable cream ale.
If I were brewing this, I would add 1 lb pilsen LME and the rice and corn syrup at the beginning of boil. I would save the other 4 lbs of LME for a flameout addition. The key will be getting the freshest pilsen extract you can. The fresher it is the more of the grainy malt pilsen character it will have; the better it will attenuate; and the lighter the final color of the beer will be.
Also, ensure you don't have highly alkaline water otherwise you could end up with a much darker brew than expected. You may be able to add some small amount of lactic acid to your brew water to help ensure it's at least on the right side of the pH scale. A better option would be to use RO water from grocery store and treat yourself to ensure you're at a proper level (soft water with sufficient acidity should work nice).
Be warned, it's likely to come out tasting like a bud
Code:
Recipe: Cream Ale ala 3 Crops - Extract
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.040 SG
Estimated Color: 3.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 16.9 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs LME Pilsen Light (2.3 SRM) Extract 1 83.3 %
8.0 oz Rice Extract Syrup (7.0 SRM) Extract 2 8.3 %
8.0 oz Corn Syrup - Brewers (1.0 SRM) Sugar 3 8.3 %
0.500 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 6.8 IBUs
0.500 oz Willamette [5.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 10.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 6 -If I were brewing this, I would add 1 lb pilsen LME and the rice and corn syrup at the beginning of boil. I would save the other 4 lbs of LME for a flameout addition. The key will be getting the freshest pilsen extract you can. The fresher it is the more of the grainy malt pilsen character it will have; the better it will attenuate; and the lighter the final color of the beer will be.
Also, ensure you don't have highly alkaline water otherwise you could end up with a much darker brew than expected. You may be able to add some small amount of lactic acid to your brew water to help ensure it's at least on the right side of the pH scale. A better option would be to use RO water from grocery store and treat yourself to ensure you're at a proper level (soft water with sufficient acidity should work nice).
Be warned, it's likely to come out tasting like a bud
stpug
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Yeah, I think I would look for a character malt to add a little character to the beer, but it would need to be one that doesn't require mashing otherwise you run the risk of haziness. There seems to be some discrepancy on the requirement of mashing some heavily toasted malts like: biscuit, special roast, victory, amber, etc. If one of those can be used in steeping then I would use a small amount (4 oz for special roast or amber; 6 oz for biscuit or victory). A small 4-6 oz addition of a character malt like this gives just enough variation to bring it out of the bud camp, IMO. I would personally not go with crystal. I've had a cream ale with some amount of crystal and found it very off-putting (my buddies brew and I don't know how much crystal).
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