amstel clone recipe on site

id like to brew the amstel clone recipe found on the site:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/932093/amstel-clone

however,im interested as to how it came out,before brewing,cant find any feedback on it.
did anyone try it?
Amstel has always been a favorite lager of mine.
Doesn't that come in green bottles? Every one I've had that wasn't from a tap tastes like Kentucky roadkill (skunked, in case anyone misses the cultural reference). I believe I've had it in Holland and it was good, too much time in the supply line to get it here in decent shape. But anyway, it looks pretty much like a standard international lager so your success or failure will be far more a function of your process than the recipe. Unless you have good fermentation temperature control, this one will disappoint you, light lagers are among the most difficult styles to brew well.
 
There's nothing about the recipe that will make it or break it, though there should probably be 20% rice in it if you actually wanted it to be similar to a light beer and have the same character as the export lagers common to most European breweries. If they don't use rice, they use some sort of sugar to keep it light.
The ingredient list won't matter much if you don't pull off a good mash (preferably more complex than the single infusion mentioned) and a clean fermentation.
"Recipes" don't really make beers like this. Your process is what's important.
 
Being from Holland originally:
The exported Amstel (en Heineken and and) is quite different from the original (from the keg and from the brown deposit bottle).
I can't help you with the recipe. Personally I would rather make a different type of beer as Amstel is easily available (even in South Africa again ;) )
 
Being from Holland originally:
The exported Amstel (en Heineken and and) is quite different from the original (from the keg and from the brown deposit bottle).
I can't help you with the recipe. Personally I would rather make a different type of beer as Amstel is easily available (even in South Africa again ;) )
I tend to agree. Here in Colorado, why would I ever try to clone a Coors?
 
Being from Holland originally:
The exported Amstel (en Heineken and and) is quite different from the original (from the keg and from the brown deposit bottle).
I can't help you with the recipe. Personally I would rather make a different type of beer as Amstel is easily available (even in South Africa again ;) )
They really do themselves a disservice by exporting in green bottles. Thought I hated Heineken then I had it out of one of those mini draught kegs you could buy and discovered it's not bad at all when not skunked. I also understand where these guys are coming from because I'd also have little desire to clone a mass produced lager but if that's what's inspiring you right now I say go for it
 
id like to brew the amstel clone recipe found on the site:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/932093/amstel-clone

however,im interested as to how it came out,before brewing,cant find any feedback on it.
did anyone try it?
Amstel has always been a favorite lager of mine.
I've been itching to answer this question but have left it since I was hoping that someone who has actual brewed it would come along...

My 2 cents:
Don't shoot for an Amstel Light "clone" - Shoot for a clean crisp lager. - That is pretty much the recipe you cited anyway. A clean, crisp lager.

@Nosybear and @J A are right - your process is the KEY to this type of recipe. If you plan to use this recipe then I recommend:
1. A stepped mash 122-130 F for 10 minutes, ramp to 145 for 45 minutes, ramp to 160 for 15 minutes. Mash out at 170 (10 minute) and sparge with 170-172.
2. 25 IBUs with a 60 minute addition at 80% and a 0-10 minute addition at 20%.
3. Start with a thicker mash if adding water to raise temps - have a 3:1 or a 3.2:1 Liter to KG ratio if not.

Now, this is probably more complicated than you want it to be... If you choose a single infusion temp it should be 148F or so to achieve a dryer finish (unless you add some simple table sugar as others have mentioned...)


If all you are really trying to achieve is a Light Lager of sorts then I think I can provide a simpler recipe - as can plenty of others here I assume (@Megary, @Nosybear, @J A )
 
id like to brew the amstel clone recipe found on the site:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/932093/amstel-clone

however,im interested as to how it came out,before brewing,cant find any feedback on it.
did anyone try it?
Amstel has always been a favorite lager of mine.
I was going to say, why would you brew a beer that you can buy, but that is kind of what I do...
You will never be able to perfectly replicate a commercial brew, but what you can do is start with something close, then tweak it to make it come out the way you like. Maybe call it SAmstel (South African mstel). This is kind of what I have done, as I try to brew something like a particular beer that I like. When it comes out close, but not exactly the same, I name it and call it my own. I will make adjustments then to make it taste more the way I want it to taste, as opposed to making it taste more like a clone of the beer it was inspired by.
Having said all of that, the bigger piece of advice is to rebrew that original recipe that you brewed and keep brewing it until it tastes the same each time (aka until you have learned to brew).
Cheers, and good luck
 
I guess that the other big question here would be: "How well can you control temps?" - Like around 10-13 C?
 
My 2 cents.

If you want to learn how to brew and get very good at it, brew light lagers. They are very difficult to master, but once you do, you will find other styles easier to master, brewing English/American ales becomes brainless. Just because you can buy it doesn’t always mean you shouldn’t brew it. I brew American Lagers a lot, I could go out and buy it, but the home brewed version is better than Bud. I hate the apple flavor in Bud, so I use a German yeast to eliminate it. It’s one of my favorite beers I make.

I would get rid of the carapils ( it doesn’t belong) and go straight up pilsner malt. International lagers like Amstel should have more flavor then their American counterparts. No rice. Maybe even European pils to get the flavor up. Dry, crisp and mildly malty, just shy of a Helles. 34/70 yeast is a good call. Mash at 145-146F for 90 minutes to get a dryer beer.

Good luck!
 
International lagers like Amstel should have more flavor then their American counterparts. No rice.
Many if not most European International Lagers, not to mention Japanese versions of the style, use rice or corn or sugars of some sort. That's why they're "international"...they're going to be exported (mainly?) to America and Americans love a beer that's light and crisp while maintaining a malty flavor. Amstel would definitely fit that description. All pilsner malt will brew a great beer but rice or corn will not detract in any way.
 
Many if not most European International Lagers, not to mention Japanese versions of the style, use rice or corn or sugars of some sort. That's why they're "international"...they're going to be exported (mainly?) to America and Americans love a beer that's light and crisp while maintaining a malty flavor. Amstel would definitely fit that description. All pilsner malt will brew a great beer but rice or corn will not detract in any way.
The recipe I was going to recommend is a pils/corn mix and it does make a nice light lager (with a slight malty sweetness).
 
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All Pilsner makes it pretty much a German Helles or Pilsner, depending on the hopping level. Helles is not a bad option either.
 
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Many if not most European International Lagers, not to mention Japanese versions of the style, use rice or corn or sugars of some sort. That's why they're "international"...they're going to be exported (mainly?) to America and Americans love a beer that's light and crisp while maintaining a malty flavor. Amstel would definitely fit that description. All pilsner malt will brew a great beer but rice or corn will not detract in any way.
I guess it would depend on the base malt. American pilsner malt is already light in flavor. Michelob (the original version) was an all malt lager and is an example of the style, I would not use rice in that case. If on the other hand you used a Continental malt, you may want to use some rice or corn to lighten it up a bit. Generally international lagers have more flavor than a American lagers. Stella Artois, Amstel, Becks, etc were all first marketed in Europe and then exported to the US.

But at some point, it just hair splitting. Brew it and enjoy it.
 
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But at some point, it just hair splitting. Brew it and enjoy it.
Yup! With lagers, I've found that if you get it right and brew a decent one, you've successfully "cloned" several commercial versions by default. :)
 
I tried looking for an Amstel clone recipe on a Dutch website, but no luck sofar....
Plenty Duvel, Palm, Westmalle, Delirium, Bock etc, but no Heineken, Amstel etc
 
I’m with highvoltage and blackmuse. I have been brewing something very close to this recipe for years but with a step mash. In my opinion, 5% CaraPils/DM has a place here (head retention). I make all styles but I’ve learned as much or more from this one. As with cooking, I don’t just brew what I like, I brew to share. And if you can brew something that tastes like a quality European light lager (among other things in your recipe list) you should be proud.
 
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I’m with highvoltage and blackmuse. I have been brewing something very close to this recipe for years but with a step mash. In my opinion, 5% CaraPils/DM has a place here (head retention). I make all styles but I’ve learned as much or more from this one. As with cooking, I don’t just brew what I like, I brew to share. And if you can brew something that tastes like a quality European light lager (among other things in your recipe list) you should be proud.
Agreed, nothing is harder to brew well than a light Lager.
 
I’m with highvoltage and blackmuse. I have been brewing something very close to this recipe for years but with a step mash. In my opinion, 5% CaraPils/DM has a place here (head retention). I make all styles but I’ve learned as much or more from this one. As with cooking, I don’t just brew what I like, I brew to share. And if you can brew something that tastes like a quality European light lager (among other things in your recipe list) you should be proud.
BOOM! Very well said!
 

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