Best intro beer for people that drink bud light

Nosybear said:
That's a good way to turn a Bud Light drinker into a Coors Light drinker. Give them something not too far away from what they know, but more flavorful. The bready malt of a Helles or Koelsch, the light esters of a Blonde, something not too overwhelming. That's how I converted a friend from Bud Select, not by handing him my incredibly complex, flavorful Saison, but by handing him a blonde ale.
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I suppose it wasn't that funny.

All joking aside, couldn't agree with you more. Give them something that they are familiar with, just amped up a bit.
 
Blonde, Kolsch, Helles all work. I wouldn't really try anything else until you've hooked them with one of those. A Fest beer could possibly work...
After the hook you can try something like a wit beer or american wheat (maybe even eventually a hefe).

The blonde ale I brewed just for practice and consistency became a huge hit with anyone who regularly drinks lite domestics... There response was actually funny to watch! They'd be super hesitant to try my homebrew as they expected something "dark" or "hoppy" or "weird".... They'd take first hesitant gulp and eyebrows would raise and a smile would spread across their face!

Funny thing is - I never had much intention of drinking or enjoying the blonde ale - I just wanted to make something I couldn't hide much behind - and now, I keep it on tap and tend to miss it when it is gone! lol
So smooth and easy to drink yet I don't end up feeling like I've been sucking on a penny like I do when I drink a domestic lite beer.
 
Blackmuse said:
Blonde, Kolsch, Helles all work. I wouldn't really try anything else until you've hooked them with one of those. A Fest beer could possibly work...
After the hook you can try something like a wit beer or american wheat (maybe even eventually a hefe).

The blonde ale I brewed just for practice and consistency became a huge hit with anyone who regularly drinks lite domestics... There response was actually funny to watch! They'd be super hesitant to try my homebrew as they expected something "dark" or "hoppy" or "weird".... They'd take first hesitant gulp and eyebrows would raise and a smile would spread across their face!

Funny thing is - I never had much intention of drinking or enjoying the blonde ale - I just wanted to make something I couldn't hide much behind - and now, I keep it on tap and tend to miss it when it is gone! lol
So smooth and easy to drink yet I don't end up feeling like I've been sucking on a penny like I do when I drink a domestic lite beer.
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Would you be willing to share the blonde recipe?

I'm looking for something light with the summer upon us. Normally I do RIS, Barley Wine, BDSA, and Tripel. None of those are really great "Summer" beers when it is 100 degrees outside and I'm running the smoker all day.
 
Here's the recipe:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/690549/lawnmower-blonde

Note: I adjust my water to a "balanced" profile. You don't have to worry about adjusting yours unless it is super hard.

Also, the dark wheat can be subbed for white wheat (or you can simply add 8 oz of carapils and up the pils or vienna by half a pound).

- The honey, I feel though, is a must! It dries the beer out a touch and gives that "lite" dryness that Lite beer drinkers like.
Add the honey late in the boil
While not necessary, you mind find it helpful to: separately heat some water (to about 180 or so) on your stove (about 16 oz) and mix in a pound of wild flower honey - this will make it easy to add to your boil without worrying about stirring and "scorching".

CHEERS!
 
Blackmuse said:
Here's the recipe:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/690549/lawnmower-blonde

Note: I adjust my water to a "balanced" profile. You don't have to worry about adjusting yours unless it is super hard.

Also, the dark wheat can be subbed for white wheat (or you can simply add 8 oz of carapils and up the pils or vienna by half a pound).

- The honey, I feel though, is a must! It dries the beer out a touch and gives that "lite" dryness that Lite beer drinkers like.
Add the honey late in the boil
While not necessary, you mind find it helpful to: separately heat some water (to about 180 or so) on your stove (about 16 oz) and mix in a pound of wild flower honey - this will make it easy to add to your boil without worrying about stirring and "scorching".

CHEERS!
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I normally add the simple sugars (Cane, Honey, etc.) at flame out. Do you think that it would matter that much if I did that?
 
AGbrewer said:
I normally add the simple sugars (Cane, Honey, etc.) at flame out. Do you think that it would matter that much if I did that?
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That's the second best time in the process to add them and if you're getting the results you want, keep doing it.
 
Nosybear said:
That's the second best time in the process to add them and if you're getting the results you want, keep doing it.
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Out of curiosity, why is it the second best? What are the options in order of best to worst and why?
 
Best: At high krauesen. The reason, yeast love simple sugars. You give them a lot of simple sugars before fermentation starts, they may get lazy and fail to metabolize all of the maltose. And by the way, sucrose, table sugar, is their favorite.
Second best: At or shortly before flameout. This allows you to get the best utilization from your hops.
Worst: Before the boil. Decreases hop utilization. And after the yeast are winding down. May adversely affect attenuation.
I generally make a syrup of my sugars, boil it for a few minutes, let it cool then add to the fermentor at high krauesen. This is all sugars, whether table sugar, candi syrup or molasses. Extra goodness: You keep any volatile flavors that way. Fruit, often I'll pasteurize it by heating it to 170 degrees for ten minutes, cool and add at high krauesen.

By high krauesen, I mean two to three days into fermentation.
 
Nosybear said:
Best: At high krauesen. The reason, yeast love simple sugars. You give them a lot of simple sugars before fermentation starts, they may get lazy and fail to metabolize all of the maltose. And by the way, sucrose, table sugar, is their favorite.
Second best: At or shortly before flameout. This allows you to get the best utilization from your hops.
Worst: Before the boil. Decreases hop utilization. And after the yeast are winding down. May adversely affect attenuation.
I generally make a syrup of my sugars, boil it for a few minutes, let it cool then add to the fermentor at high krauesen. This is all sugars, whether table sugar, candi syrup or molasses. Extra goodness: You keep any volatile flavors that way. Fruit, often I'll pasteurize it by heating it to 170 degrees for ten minutes, cool and add at high krauesen.

By high krauesen, I mean two to three days into fermentation.
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I've done this at least once before. Didn't have the ability to do an A / B comparison, so don't really know if it helped any. Having said that, the beer was pretty good, so maybe it did help.
 
Flame out is fine! I usually do it with 12-15 minutes left - just before adding my immersion chiller (just so I don't have to worry about it being in the way).

I've never done it at high krausen like Nosybear but the explanation makes perfect sense!
 
My next door neighbor won't drink anything but Coors Light. If he helps me out with something I'll get him a 30 pack. When he comes over he knows to bring his own. I told him several years ago that I brew beer and don't have room in the fridge for Coors Light.
 
The obvious choice would be the light hybrids (Cream ale, Blonde, Kolsch and American Wheat).
I'd also suggest some of the English lights as well. A Mild or a Best Bitter would be a good choice.
Cheers,
Brian
 
I'm still in the "just buy some bud light to keep on hand for them when they come over" camp.
Or, get creative, pour a case into a keg and serve it to them.
The investment of time, energy, and $$$$, just isn't worth it.
 
Craigerrr said:
I'm still in the "just buy some bud light to keep on hand for them when they come over" camp.
Or, get creative, pour a case into a keg and serve it to them.
The investment of time, energy, and $$$$, just isn't worth it.
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Second that. No need to waste time and resources on making five gallons badly of what Coors makes by the trainload well. I can get away with it - I like a good Helles or German Pils so well I'd brew it but to consciously try to brew a Coors Light, boggles my mind anyway.
 
The Sad Truth.jpeg
 
I think it commendably you want to brew something for your new neighbours, but agree it would be a colossal waste to try making something just for them and then no one ends up drinking it. In my experience people either love or hate IPA’s, so I would carry on and brew something you enjoy. If your neighbours like it great, if they prefer to stick to their Bud Light, then I guess that’s a win, win :)
 
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