I am often asked by people wanting to start homebrewing “If I like Bud Light, what beer should I make?” Beers like Bud Light (and Coors, Miller, etc) are called adjunct lagers. Adjunct refers to an ingredient used in beer besides hops, grains, water or yeast. In these beers, rice is used as a source of fermentable sugars outside of traditional grains like barley and wheat, and is therefore considered an adjunct. Lagers, unlike ales, are fermented with bottom-feeding yeast at cooler temperatures from around 48 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit (instead of top-feeding yeast fermenting around 64 to 70 for ales) and fermented for months longer. This process results in a much lighter flavor impact from everything in the beer.

Considering the undeniably lighter flavor, it may seem counter-intuitive that making lagers is actually far more difficult than making an ale. You would need a much cooler space to ferment, or a proper temperature-controlled fermenter. And then, you have to wait many more months before your beer is even ready! Ugh!

I recommend a Cream Ale to anyone who wants an easy beer to make and an easy beer to drink; good for any time and any season. You can churn out a good batch of this beer in just 14 days!

Cream Ale

5 gallons

7 lbs 2-row pale malt

1.1 lbs flaked corn

1 oz of a noble hop (Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt or Tettnang)

1 packet US-05 American Ale yeast

Mash grains at 148°F for 60 minutes. Sparge with 168°F water. Boil for 60 minutes. (1 oz hops at 30 minutes) Cool wort to 70°F. Put cooled wort into sanitized fermenter. Add yeast. Seal fermenter. Ferment for 14 days. Bottle or keg on day 14.

OG/FG: 1.045/1.008. ABV: 5%. IBU: 12. SRM: 3.