New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association

Brewing => Technique => Topic started by: Kyle on February 18, 2013, 10:27:44 AM

Title: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 18, 2013, 10:27:44 AM
So, my light summer ale was extremely popular last year, and I'll be making more in the future, but it was still too crafty for some of the people that come over. Basically I'm looking to come up with a lite beer that will be as inoffensive as possible. It also has to be inoffensive to me, so adjuncts such as corn or rice can't be in the mix.

Below is my starting point; looking for suggestions. Also, for adjusting the water profile to make it nice and crisp what would you do? I don't want this to be bitter, just light overall, with a crisp finish. I'm thinking of adding one teaspoon of gypsum to each of mash and sparge waters.


Mash at 149F
Boil 13gallons, ferment 11.5 gallons, yield 10.5 gallons into kegs.

14# Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt
1# Vienna Malt; Weyermann
1# Toasted flaked barley

0.5 oz Centennial (Pellets, 10.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
0.5 oz Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 15 min.
0.5 oz Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 1 min
Yeast: Fermentis US-05
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 18, 2013, 10:36:15 AM
While a lager would be good for future consideration, I am looking for this recipe to be an ale so I can have a quick turnaround time on it.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Chris Craig on February 18, 2013, 10:48:16 AM
One of your main objectives should be a low final gravity.  That's where a lot of the "crisp" character comes from.  I think using 10% adjunct would not have much of an impact on the flavour of the beer, so I'd use rice or sugar.  Also, BMC drinkers aren't really used to the citrus, so something like hallertau might work better than cascade.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 18, 2013, 10:54:23 AM
thanks CC, yeah, basically I want just enough hop to balance, and that's it. I was thinking about dropping the late addition hops entirely. Fuggle might work too for flavour, and drop the aroma hop.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: DandyMason on February 18, 2013, 11:09:26 AM
Im planning a few lawnmower beers too, so ill be paying attention to this thread.

I just did a cream ale that should satisfy a lot of my BMC friends.

A nice long, low mash I would think would help with that FG too.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: JohnQ on February 18, 2013, 12:22:41 PM
Get better Friends. Problem solved.
JQ
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 18, 2013, 12:51:52 PM
well, yeah... people can grow. For about 5 years this was my beer of choice:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/molson-bohemian/29732/ (http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/molson-bohemian/29732/)

It didn't even make double digits on ratebeer.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Richard on February 18, 2013, 12:58:29 PM
Saaz rather than cascade; sub some base for sugar. Voila.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: fakr on February 18, 2013, 05:06:56 PM
Hey Kyle,

the light summer ale recipe I posted was a huge hit with BMCers.  In fact, an older fella at work, who was a coors light only guy ended up buying dispensing equipment and made this beer with me over and over last summer.

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1569&hilit=light+summer+ale (http://nbcba.org/forum/index.php?topic=1569.0&hilit=light+summer+ale)

The recipes is for 12GAL so there really isn't much for hops in it, but I did use 4 different kinds, and I dried it out a little further with the corn.

Certain friends thought it tasted like a cross between stella and heineken.  I could taste what they meant, but it was a little more flavorful.

fermented at 16C, dropped to 0C for 1 week, then keg and carbonate.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 19, 2013, 09:49:50 AM
that does sound good. I suppose I can use a bit of flaked corn. Does any one have a split bag of it they want to sell / trade?
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: chrismccull on February 19, 2013, 10:10:23 AM
How much do you need?  I think I have 2/10th of it.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 19, 2013, 11:02:53 AM
1/10th would be good
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: chrismccull on February 19, 2013, 11:15:40 AM
Okay, I'll check to see what I have.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Richard on February 19, 2013, 01:45:17 PM
I have a shitload of corn; flaked rice too.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: fakr on February 19, 2013, 01:50:11 PM
shitload of corn... :lol:  

pun intended!
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Kyle on February 19, 2013, 02:21:49 PM
ewww.

yeah, I'll porbably be seeing Richard soon, so Ill get the corn from him I suppose. Thanks guys.
Title: Re: help me tweak a lawnmower beer recipe
Post by: Richard on February 19, 2013, 05:04:46 PM
ha. *slowclap* :facepalm: