Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Hi all, Now I don't mind saying that my favourite mainstream beer is Becks. (Bet I've upset someone out there) Does anyone know a good recipe for something pretty close? As an extract brew if possible with any infusion pack grains, hops etc needed. Am I right in saying that Saaz is the main hop? Would love to have this in my arsenal as my session beer. cheers jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 by the way, i tried this recipe below, which I got from ThebrewShop website. But to be honest it came out 3% ABV and pretty average tasting, nothing like a Becks. - Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsener 1.7kg Beer Concentrate - #20 Malt Plus Brewing Sugar (1kg) - 12g of Saaz Finishing Hops (Standard Method) - 12g of Saaz Finishing Hops (Dry Method) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Hi Jay what finally won you over - the green bottle or the skunk aroma? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Jason, what yeast did you use in your recipe and at what temp did you ferment it? You could try: 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Pilsener kit 1kg dry Pilsener malt (or light dry malt) 300g Dextrose 250g Carapils Hallertau or Saaz hops to finish Lager yeast - S23 or W34/70 Ferment around 12 degrees Then bottle in green bottles and leave sitting in the sun for a few months to get the nice skunky aroma John mentioned [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 I used the kit yeast. And without looking at my notes, I would've fermented around between 18-20, as I do all brews now. I can remember that I fermented for 2 weeks. Then cold crashed for 3 days. I was expecting good things, but it came out light on the alcohol, no body at all, tiny bit cidery and quite crap really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 I take it you guys think becks is a bit crap? Oh come on it's a good beer. Not the best in the world but a solid tasty drop. what exactly is skunk aroma by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I was expecting good things, but it came out light on the alcohol, no body at all, tiny bit cidery and quite crap really. Sounds like you nailed it spot on then hey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 [lol] I think generally most mass produced beers like that are considered crap by people who have been brewing their own for a while. Anyway, you would be best to use a lager yeast and ferment it around 12 degrees, it's really the only way to get a true lager. Hairy's recipe looks nice, whether it would taste like Becks, who knows but it would still make a nice brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Thanks guys. I will no longer pollute this blog with such beer unpleasantries. ;) I'll be pretty happy when I can create a lager as good as a Becks. Only been brewing since jan. My fruit salad Ale was pretty special. Got another one conditioning away that i have high hopes for... the suspense is killing me... cheers Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 My favourite lager at the moment is Spaten M\xfcnchen. I believe it's a Munich helles style. I found it at the Bavarian Bier Cafe along with a few others like Hofbrau, Paulaner, Lowenbrau. These I find are nicer than Becks, but as always, everyone has their tastes. [cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Becks isn't my favourite beer but I would still drink it if offered to me. We are just having a bit of a laugh, Jason. We may come across as beer snobs but we aren't really (well, maybe just a little). It is your perogative to brew and drink what you want and we will try to help regardless of our opinion on that commercial beer. Brewing and drinking what you like is what home brewing is all about. PS: you will never make a lager clone with ale yeast fermented at 20 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 I know you're all having a laugh... I expect a lot of banter... be quite a dull blog otherwise... Any tips on how to make Carlton Cold clone anyone? heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Piss in a bottle, cap it, leave it sit in the sun for a week. [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Piss in a bottle' date=' cap it, leave it sit in the sun for a week. [lol'] He asked how to make a Carlton Cold clone, not improve it [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 You forgot to get a tramp to stir it first with his c*ck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Sorry, my bad. [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Ok, right i'm ready to give this a crack tonight. 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Pilsener kit 1kg light dry malt 300g Dextrose 250g Carapils Hallertau hops 15g@20 mins 15g@ 0 mins Lager yeast - S23 Ferment around 12 degrees 21L Anyone see any issues with this? and I've read somewhere about conditioning in near freezing temps. Is this necessary? I can't really manage that to be honest without chucking all of the food out of the fridge and living on biscuits for a month, would 18-22 degrees be ok? cheers all j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 The only problem is the yeast may not survive at that temperature, or at best won't work as well. Lager yeast works best at below 15c, if you went up to 20 or higher you may not get what you're looking for. Obviously you can't get a true Lager if you brew it at 18 - 24c, but if you can't keep your temps down to below 15c I wouldn't even try making a true Lager. The taste and effect will still be tolerable if you make it with an Ale yeast, but don't expect a Lager yeast to work best at Ale temps and vice versa. You can't make a yeast do what you want it to do, you have to work with what it's capabilities are and compromise from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 +1 to what Beeblebrox said. Just make a beer suited to your temps....which sounds like you are more suited to make ales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 S-23 is a true lager yeast and the temp is perfect. The recipe looks good Jason. Lagering at cold temperature is preferred but it will still be a nice drop if you don't. I have brewed the pilsener and bottle conditioned at room temp and it was great. Would it have been better if I lagered at 1 degree? Possibly, but it was nice nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 +1 to what Beeblebrox said. Just make a beer suited to your temps....which sounds like you are more suited to make ales. I think Jason can brew at 12 degrees but doesn't want to condition/lager it at cold temps. Thats how I read it anyway [unsure] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Well we've just tripped over to a new page so it is too hard for me to go back and re-read.....so I'll recast my vote. If you can only manage temps around 18-20C make an ale but If your temps are in the 12C range make a lager. Have I covered my bases [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I'll play this. My guesses are: 1. He has a fridge for brewing but doesn't want to monopolise the fridge post fermentation with lagering. 2. He will use ice bricks etc to ferment the lager and couldn't be stuffed doing that for lagering or couldn't get the temps down to near zero. 3. Other reason(s) not covered by me (and the most likely explanation). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 heh. Some thread skimming is apparent here... Ok Hairy is correct in that my fermenting temp will be sweet at around 12 degrees. (I made an insulated box out of pieced together foam broccoli box things. Put a computer fan in it and a thermostat, with frozen bottles. Works a treat and cost me about $20 all up. Anyway I digress.... Yeh it was the conditioning part I was unsure about. I can really only stash my bottles in a dark cupboard at the mercy of sydney weather, which will likely range 15-23 at this time of year.... so erm.... think it should be ok? ta j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Hairy is correct Winner[bandit] so erm.... think it should be ok? Yep. It should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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