Any good summer session beer recipes?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Bsak1985, Jul 24, 2013.

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  1. Bsak1985

    Bsak1985 Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2012 Louisiana

    Going to be brewing, all grain, this week and was looking for something good for the summer heat. What ya got?
     
  2. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    Pick any number of American APAs with a small dry hop addition and you'll have it made. I'd add a pound of Munich malt and makes sure there's some crystal 40 or 60 in there. 1.045-1.050 OG and 35+ IUBs. use US 05 and you're golden.

    More specifically, what kinds of ingredients do you have on hand, or is there a trip to a LHBS coming?
     
  3. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Only summery thing I've made all summer is Elderberry Wheat beer (again). It's a very fine beer, pretty low on ABV (maybe not quite true "session" tho), and if I've brewed it four times now. That's saying a lot, because I don't brew the same thing twice most of the time. The purple color, ever so slight tart-sourness, and wheat body make for an interesting brew. I've gotten rave reviews on every batch so far (although to be fair, it's only a few people that I share my homebrew with, so n is small, but greater than one).
     
  4. utahbeerdude

    utahbeerdude Maven (1,374) May 2, 2006 Utah

    In a similar vein to this:
    85% American 2-row (sub some wheat or rye if you're feeling it)
    7.5% Crystal 40
    7.5% Carapils
    Cascade all the way [bittering to 40 IBUs, 1 oz flavor, 1 oz aroma (old school) or FWH to 50 IBUs, 1 oz FO, 1 oz hop stand (new school)]
    OG = 1.042
    FG ~ 1.010
    Chico yeast

    Simple, easy, tasty.
     
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  5. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    Cream Ale (No corn this year. I'm still calling it a Cream Ale. You got a problem with that?)
    10 gallon batch, 90 minute boil
    14 lbs German Pilsner mashed 60 mins @150F
    2 lbs table sugar (added to kettle - doesn't matter when)
    1 oz Willamette FWH
    2 oz Willamette 10 mins
    2 packets US-05

    OG: 1.051
    FG: 1.004
    IBU: 19.2
    ABV: 5.5%
    148.7 kcal/12oz

    Force carbed to 2.7 vols CO2 (12psi@35F)
    Serve at 35F
    Dry, crisp, Pilsner-ey, and thirst quenching as all getup!
     
  6. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah


    I brewed one a few weeks back. I'll admit I used flaked rice. I want to see if I can dry it up a little.
     
  7. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    100% pils to 1.040
    Bitter to 30ish IBUs
    3724 or 3711 or 3068
    Citra or your favorite "fruity" Dry hop
     
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  8. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah


    See? I'm not the only one who puts willamette in a cream ale! However, when the CACA corn police show up, I'm just gonna make a slight eye motion over mike's way, and pretend I don't know what's gong on after that. :rolling_eyes:
     
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  9. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    I only realized on brew day that I was out of flaked maize, so I called an audible. It normally makes up about 30% of my grist. FWIW, I'll probably skip it again next year.
     
  10. Tebuken

    Tebuken Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2009 Argentina

    Dorada Pampeana

    10lbs American 2 row
    1oz Hallertauer 60@
    .5oz Hallertauer 20@
    .5oz Hallertauer 5@
    Nottingham dry yeast(if you like english beer taste use Windsor dry yeast but FG will be a bit higher)

    OG=1047/48
    FG=1011

    Mash for 90 min at 152F - Pitch at 64 F - Ferment at 68 F

    Give it a try !

    Cheers
     
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  11. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah


    I tried one last year with the maze and I ran out of propane after 75 minutes. I don't know if I blame DMS or the maze, but the beer wasn't great.
     
  12. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah


    So it's a 2-row/hallertau SMaSH then. Gotta love it!

    I was surprised at just how much body my 2-row smash beers had (one with US005, one with 3711). Neither had issues with head retention or body, and both had sheets of sticky lacing. 3711 had a lot more head tho (not at all surprising).
     
  13. EOTLBrewer

    EOTLBrewer Initiate (0) Dec 18, 2011 Illinois

    70% pils
    30 % wheat
    1.052 OG

    Perle bittering @ 60 to 25 ibu
    Saaz @5 min to 5 ibu

    WLP 565 yeast, but ferment it in the low 60s
    Makes a very clean and quaffable beer
     
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  14. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    Ironically, while the recipe is insanely simple (hard to screw up), the flavor is very light (delicate?), so otherwise subtle flaws can be really, really annoying.
     
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  15. jae

    jae Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2010 Washington

    Small IPA:

    Water sulfate rich.

    2-row 90%
    Wheat or oats 5%
    Aromatic 5%
    Mash medium-high
    OG 1.040

    Hop: somethinginteresting (Mosaic!) @ FWH, 5 & looooooooooooooooooooong hop stand for BU:GU of 1.5:1.

    US-05, sprinkled, fermented cool as the other side of my pillow.

    Dry hop that mug with an equal total hop weight, 3 days.

    Keg hop with another Z, keg, invite peeps, drink quickly.
     
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  16. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (2,084) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah

    1914 Fullers AK

    Gravity (OG) 1.045
    Gravity (FG) 1.009
    ABV 4.78%
    Apparent attenuation 79.61%
    IBU 41
    SRM 5

    47.5% English pale malt
    16.3% Continental pale malt
    16.3% American 6-row
    5.9% Flaked Maize
    5.9% Invert No1
    7.9% Invert No2
    Cluster 7% 105min (31bu) 1.02 oz
    Fuggle 5.5% 60min (6bu) 0.29 oz
    Styrian Goldings 5.25% 20min (4bu) 0.30 oz
    Goldings 4.5% dry hop 0.27 oz

    Mash 95min@149°F 1.04qt/lb
    Boil 1.5 hours

    You should really start the fermentation in a tall high round fermenter then drop it into a shallow square one after 24 to 36 hours.

    It makes a lovely Light Bitter Ale.
     
  17. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,865) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    Table saison:
    (5 gal)

    90% pils
    10% rye or wheat (malted or flaked, your choice)
    20IBU bittering
    1oz your choice of hop at flameout
    WY3726 or similar
    Mash at 148-150F
    OG~1.035, FG~1.004

    Very simple, very good. With a little luck and a warm ferment you can go kettle to keg in a week.
     
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  18. FeDUBBELFIST

    FeDUBBELFIST Pooh-Bah (1,765) Oct 31, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Ron - can you expand on this part some more? Thanks.
     
  19. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    As homebrewers it's possible to brew an actual true session beer.No need to corrupt the term because they aren't available in the US. Every pub in the UK will have at least a couple.
    For 6 US gallons
    6# pale malt
    4 oz crystal malt
    2 oz roast barley
    1# invert sugar
    2 oz Fuggles hops, full boil
    1 oz EKG (full boil)
    1/2 oz EKG 15 min and 1/2 oz EKG dry hop
    Mash at 152 degrees
    Can't specify yeast or crystal number; I used what was available.
    This is a "clone" for Adnam's Southwold Bitter, 1.037 which i have brewed lots of times.It's the perfect beer for a hot summer day, when at the coast I drink it by the gallon and love it to death.
     
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  20. axeman9182

    axeman9182 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2009 New Jersey

    85% pils
    15% wheat malt

    .25oz Citra FWH
    .75oz Citra @10 minutes
    1oz Citra @flameout

    Wyeast 3711

    I usually brew this to 5.5-6%ABV, but I'm sure you could drop this down to 4.5-5% to make it more sessionable.
     
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