Can someone have a look at this recipe?

[Rusty Chch]

Hey,

I'm trying to make an easy drinking lawnmower style beer at the moment. Am restricted to ales because I don't have any place to lager. I was thinking of going for something like (for 19l):

3.5kg base malt
700g vienna or munich
mash fairly low (probably 65ish)

German hops to bitter and aroma:
hallertauer 5% 20g for 60mins
tett 4.5g 15g for 15 minutes

Ferment with something fairly neutral (possibly US-05)

I know it's fairly unimaginative but I'm just after something pretty easy drinking and uncomplicated

Comments?

[jt]

Tasty.
My NZ quaffing lager / draught is pale and then anywhere from 10 to 20% Munich
Sometimes add 100gm carahell, have used 10% wheat too

Still using W2112 and it's fermenting 16C in the garage. Not exactly the perfect lager but it's more larger-like than an ale yeast.
Reckon I should get another one in next month before the temp gets a bit too warm.

I've been using NZ Hallatau, but it' sall a question of taste

[James P]

JT does the carahell help with head retention? (I think I read it somewhere...)

[jt]

Probably not - just a touch of sweetness for that genuine NZ Draught taste !

Head retention may have been carapils ?
Who needs carapils or wheat in a grain beer for head anyway ?

[JoKing]

It fits into the 6B Blonde Ale Category... if you use Vienna, and your efficiency is around 75%:

ABV of 5.0%
bitterness of 16.26ibu (Randy Mosher calculation)
colour of 12.6EBC
1.048SG and 1.010FG.

Sounds like a very summery beer to me... I might have to brew one myself!

[James P]

Hmm, good receipe to steal! :)

[Stu McKinlay]

Yep, looks nice and summery alright. And subtle. If anything I'd want the OG to be down a little from what Joking has suggested, as that is currently sitting around 5%. I reckon 4.5% would be more lawnmower-ish.

[jt]

Up the volume and drop the gravity down to 4% I reckon, make it a good quaff-a-few beer.

Try 1.040 and keep the hops in the 16 - 20 IBU range. It should have a reasonable amount of character

[Rusty Chch]

thanks everyone.

Now if only Paul would answer his phone at Wigram, I'd be set!

[jt]

So what'll you go with ?

[Rusty Chch]

Your recommendation. I'll keep the grain ratio the same and pull it back to 4ish percent. I'll dial the hops back to keep it in the 16ish IBUs

Regarding Vienna and Munich, is there much difference in the maltiness they give. I'm after something with a biscuity flavour.

[JoKing]

You'd need to up the 60min hop addition a little if you are adding to the volume of wort. A small amount of amber malt will give you a biscuity flovor (say 100gms) - Munich will sweeten youur brew, Vienna will give you slightly more malt flavour than standard pale malt.

[Rusty Chch]

By small amount of amber malt do you mean 5% of the grain bill or more?

I might dial the Munich back a small bit too.