Crown Lager/VB Extract Recipe

[MitchellScott]

Yes yes I know... Cats piss.

Not for me, for the old man. When my current brew finishes the FV will be free for a few weeks so thought I might make my old man a brew and he loves the shit 

Does anyone have any extract recipes that will land me somewhere similar to a Crowny or VB?

Don't really need the comments about how shit it is or why someone would brew it so if your going to please just move on :).


Thanks guys

Edited May 7, 2019 by MitchellScott

[karlos_1984]

I reckon there's another brand of extract home brew which I've seen at a LHBS which has several different cans which claim to be very similar to some well known Aussie main stream draught beers. I reckon they'd be worth a look for what you're trying to achieve. Don't wanna advertise a competitor but if I had to guess the name I reckon it stated with an M. 

[MitchellScott]

7 hours ago, karlos_1984 said:

I reckon there's another brand of extract home brew which I've seen at a LHBS which has several different cans which claim to be very similar to some well known Aussie main stream draught beers. I reckon they'd be worth a look for what you're trying to achieve. Don't wanna advertise a competitor but if I had to guess the name I reckon it stated with an M. 

Thanks mate, will have a squizz when I'm at the LHBS next. 

Cheers. 

[Hairy]

I have never made one but a lot of people on other forums recommend using the Danish Lager yeast and fermenting it a little warmer, around 13 degrees.

[Shamus O'Sean]

One of my early brews was a Coopers Lager with the Australian Bitter Kit Converter No. 42 by a company whos initials are MJ using a Saflager S-23 yeast.  Brewed it in the garage in May. Still bitter and watery.  So pretty close really.

[beerdeluxe]

stuff everyones' criticism of VB/Crown, i love brewing ales and drinking craft beer, but i also love a cold VB and a crown lager with the family. can't i have both? 

i also love fine dining and maccas  

[Koo wee brew]

@beerdeluxe +1

I enjoy a Carlton Draught. Never had a badly brewed one, taste is always consistent. 

As for an Aussie draught recipe, Try the fresh draught recipe and sub POR hops in for the cascade. It will get you there. 

Cheers,

Dave. 

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

12 hours ago, Hairy said:

I have never made one but a lot of people on other forums recommend using the Danish Lager yeast and fermenting it a little warmer, around 13 degrees.

Yep. Danish later yeast at 13-15. Must use some cane sugar as well. Though I believe you can't get it anymore. Been discontinued.

[Hairy]

Just now, Greeny1525229549 said:

Yep. Danish later yeast at 13-15. Must use some cane sugar as well. Though I believe you can't get it anymore. Been discontinued.

Nah mate, you can still get cane sugar at the supermarket.

[MitchellScott]

More on this guys, this will be my next brew as its Dad's birthday in November so will give it a good 2 odd months to lager before then.

I've got my hands on some POR hops and am going to make it extract style, so will do a 10L boil and bitter it myself with the hops.

Is there any grains that I could steep say 200g of that would suit this style of brew? I often use Crystal in my ales however I know they aren't the best for Lagers.

I may try and get my hands on some Cane Sugar too as they all seem to use a bit of that.

Mitch.

[ben 10]

2 hours ago, MitchellScott said:

I may try and get my hands on some Cane Sugar

Not hard at all...... Coles n Woolies sell it.

 

Some carapils may be good for the crystal. 

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

2 hours ago, MitchellScott said:

More on this guys, this will be my next brew as its Dad's birthday in November so will give it a good 2 odd months to lager before then.

I've got my hands on some POR hops and am going to make it extract style, so will do a 10L boil and bitter it myself with the hops.

Is there any grains that I could steep say 200g of that would suit this style of brew? I often use Crystal in my ales however I know they aren't the best for Lagers.

I may try and get my hands on some Cane Sugar too as they all seem to use a bit of that.

Mitch.

This is a reschs clone but they are all pretty similar to be honest. Key is danish lager yeast and a 12c ferment start with a ramp up to 18c at the end to finish. 

If you want to use crystal keep it low. Like 50gm in my opinion

[MitchellScott]

1 hour ago, Greeny1525229549 said:

This is a reschs clone but they are all pretty similar to be honest. Key is danish lager yeast and a 12c ferment start with a ramp up to 18c at the end to finish. 

If you want to use crystal keep it low. Like 50gm in my opinion

 Cheers mate. 

Never heard of Danish lager yeast! Don't even know if my LHBS would sell it lol. Was thinking of using something like W34-70.

Mitch.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

1 hour ago, MitchellScott said:

 Cheers mate. 

Never heard of Danish lager yeast! Don't even know if my LHBS would sell it lol. Was thinking of using something like W34-70.

Mitch.

Im not sure if they sell it anymore actually. I think it went seasonal release only. W34/70 or S-189 if your after dry yeast

[Otto Von Blotto]

I made a XXXX Bitter clone a few years ago that turned out almost exactly like the real thing. Personally I think it's easier with all grain because extract doesn't usually ferment out enough to get the watery body these beers have. I made two batches of it, the second one with the Danish lager yeast and proper base malt was closer. From memory the FG was something like 1.004, and that was with 12% raw cane sugar and a 63 degree mash. 

I'll have a look for the recipe later on my break, all you'd have to do is swap the cluster hop additions for POR.

[MitchellScott]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

I made a XXXX Bitter clone a few years ago that turned out almost exactly like the real thing. Personally I think it's easier with all grain because extract doesn't usually ferment out enough to get the watery body these beers have. I made two batches of it, the second one with the Danish lager yeast and proper base malt was closer. From memory the FG was something like 1.004, and that was with 12% raw cane sugar and a 63 degree mash. 

I'll have a look for the recipe later on my break, all you'd have to do is swap the cluster hop additions for POR.

Cheers Kelsey. 

Was thinking I could use some Dry Enzyme but I have never used it before and at the same time don't want to to be too dry. 

Mitch. 

[Marty_G]

15 hours ago, MitchellScott said:

I may try and get my hands on some Cane Sugar too as they all seem to use a bit of that.

pretty much all sugars sold in Australia are cane sugars from sugar cane. You know the stuff  grows like a weed in Northern NSW and right up the Qld coast   .... In Europe most sugars come from sugar beet not sugar cane ...  probably that is why the distinction ... 

[MitchellScott]

This is sorta where I'm sitting at the moment.

Not real sure what bitterness is in VB, so if anyone could let me know if I'm on the right track that would be great :).

[Otto Von Blotto]

It wouldn't have any late additions and definitely no flameout hops. From tasting it I'm surprised there are any hops in it at all to be honest but it would be a single 60 minute boil addition. I'd guess the IBU would be somewhere between 10 and 20. I'd leave out the Carapils, it will give it too much body. If you're able to source it, pilsner extract would probably suit better.

This was the recipe I used for my Fourex clone, the pale malt was actually the Export pilsner I think. Sugar was raw sugar. It had marginally more flavor than the real thing but not by much.

3.500 kg	Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC)	Grain	3	86.1 %	2.28 L
0.050 kg	Acidulated (Weyermann) (4.5 EBC)	Grain	4	1.2 %	0.03 L
0.015 kg	Black Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1300.2 EBC)	Grain	5	0.4 %	0.01 L
25.00 g	Cluster [7.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min	Hop	6	17.7 IBUs	-
20.00 g	Cluster [7.40 %] - Boil 10.0 min	Hop	7	5.3 IBUs	-
0.500 kg	Cane Sugar [Boil] [Boil for 10 min](0.0 EBC)	Sugar	8	12.3 %	0.32 L
1.0 pkg	Danish Lager (Wyeast Labs #2042) [124.21 ml]	Yeast	9	-

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Id go mid 20s for the IBU. VB is less bitter than reschs but not by much. As kelsey said the hop addition is really only a normal 60 min boil. 

The yeast is your biggest problem as danish lager has been discontinued i believe. 

If your in western sydney i could help you out on the danish lager if you are up for building a starter?

[MitchellScott]

Cheers guys, will re-adjust the hop schedule and remove the grains.

Cheers for the offer Greeny, I'm located near Wollongong so about 1.5 hours South of Sydney.

I'm guessing I'll just have to go for something like W34-70 and hope for the best, unless there is something else that would work better?

Mitch.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

1 minute ago, MitchellScott said:

Cheers guys, will re-adjust the hop schedule and remove the grains.

Cheers for the offer Greeny, I'm located near Wollongong so about 1.5 hours South of Sydney.

I'm guessing I'll just have to go for something like W34-70 and hope for the best, unless there is something else that would work better?

Mitch.

From my experience on dry lager yeasts id go S189 or W34/70 with a slight leaning to s189

[Shamus O'Sean]

One of my earlier brews was a packaged Vic Bitter Clone.  It had Coopers Lager and 1kg of Australian Bitter kit converter.  I do not know what was in the converter, but it was mostly white in colour.  Does that mean plenty of dextrose and sugar?

The yeast was Saflager S-23

OG 1.039; FG 1.009; ABV 4.3% in the bottle

It did not turn out as bitter as VB, but the taste was not far off.  Brewed it in the garage in winter. Bottle conditioned inside so not much lagering as such.

[PeterC1525230181]

I had assumed that the 'Thomas Coopers Golden Crown Lager' extract can was so labelled to strongly hint that it makes something close to Crown Lager without actually saying so. If that is correct, wouldn't that be the easiest route to addressing the original question?

[Otto Von Blotto]

13 hours ago, PeterC1525230181 said:

I had assumed that the 'Thomas Coopers Golden Crown Lager' extract can was so labelled to strongly hint that it makes something close to Crown Lager without actually saying so. If that is correct, wouldn't that be the easiest route to addressing the original question?

I think it's meant to approximate an old Coopers beer of the same name rather than crown lager (which is really just VB in a fancier bottle)