Brew Dudes Homebrewing Blog

Homebrew All Malt Light Lager

On November 13, 2024

Mike went back to another style that he brewed in the recent past – the American Light Lager. Inspired by the recipes he formulated last year, Mike brewed an all-malt light lager that’s as straightforward as it is satisfying. As he poured this golden beauty from the keg, we could see it was another great edition of the style he created, the American Homebrew Lager. Keeping the all malt grain bill – no adjuncts here – he crafted refreshing and pure drinking experience we couldn’t wait to dig into.

The Recipe: Ingredients and Process

To get that crisp, light experience, you have to choose the right ingredients and follow procedures. Here’s what Mike put together.

For 3.5 gallon batch

Grains:

62.5% Weyermann Pilsner Malt
33% Vienna Malt (from Weyermann)
4% Carapils (for foam and head retention)

Water Additions:

2 ml Lactic Acid (to balance pH)
2 grams Gypsum
1 gram Calcium Chloride

Hops:

1 oz Willamette (60 minutes) – 5.8% Alpha Acid
1.5 oz Sterling (flameout) – 7.8% Alpha Acid

Yeast:

SafLager W-34/70 German Lager Dry Yeast

Mash Schedule:

40 minutes at 152°F
20 minutes at 156°F
10 minutes at 168°F

Fermentation:

Primary: 55°F for approximately 2 weeks
Lagering: Brief exposure to slightly warmer temperatures, then cold storage

Outcomes:

Starting Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 4.75%

Final Thoughts On This All Malt Light Lager

Tasting this beer, we are impressed with how well it strikes a balance. It’s light and crisp with just the right body to keep it from feeling too thin—truly, a beer that’s crafted for quality and drinkability. The bitterness is subtle, allowing the delicate maltiness from the Pilsner and Vienna to shine through without distraction. Sterling hops bring in a noble character that adds just a hint of complexity without overpowering. Compared to a macro lager, this has far more depth, yet it retains that smooth, clean finish we all appreciate in a lager. It is another great addition to the homebrew lager series.

BREW ON!

The Return of Miketoberfest – Seasonal Lager

By John Krochune

On November 6, 2024

In Recipes, Videos

Well, it’s become an annual thing. It is the return of Miketoberfest! With a few improvements and some adjustments, Mike aimed for that honey-colored, easy-drinking festbier that’s perfect for fall. It’s brewed as a traditional yet slightly tweaked Märzen-style brew that would be as satisfying as a giant soft pretzel—zippy hop notes with that unmistakable bready malt flavor. So, let’s dive into the details of this brew and what makes it just right for kicking back in the crisp autumn air.

Prost allerseits!

The Miketoberfest 2 Recipe

This recipe yields a honey-colored, malty lager with balanced bitterness and spicy hop notes, inspired by classic Märzen but with some tweaks.

Batch Size: 3.5 gallons

Grains

46% Weyermann Pilsner Malt
46% Vienna Malt
8% Caramunich I (approx. 35 Lovibond for color and bready flavor)
1 ounce Midnight Wheat (for color adjustment)

Water Adjustments

Lactic Acid (for pH adjustment)
Gypsum: 2 grams
Magnesium Sulfate: 1 gram
Calcium Chloride: 1.5 grams

Hops

Sterling: 0.5 ounces at 60 minutes (7.8% alpha acid)
Hallertau Mittelfrüh: 1 ounce at 15 minutes (2.8% alpha acid)
Hallertau Mittelfrüh: 1 ounce at 5 minutes (2.8% alpha acid)

Yeast

Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager

Mash Schedule

145°F for 40 minutes – to promote a drier lager profile.
155°F for 15 minutes – for additional body and malt profile.
168°F mash out for 5 minutes (total mashing time, including ramping, approx. 75 minutes)

Fermentation

Ferment at 55°F for 14 days

Outcomes

Original Gravity (OG): 1.055
Final Gravity (FG): 1.015
ABV: 5.25%

Celebrate The Season!

This beer came together beautifully! The color is spot-on—a warm, honey-like amber that catches the light, and the aroma hits you with spicy hop notes that keep you wanting more. The Vienna malt gives it a smooth middle, while the Caramunich adds body without overpowering. I might even try extending the lagering time next time, just for fun. Mike and I agreed this would be perfect in a stein with a big plate of sausages, and maybe next year, we’ll set a batch aside for months of true Oktoberfest-style aging. For now, we’re thrilled with this Miketoberfest and can’t wait to keep raising our steins all season long. Cheers to good brews and better company!

BREW ON!

Harvest Ale 2024 – Homegrown Chinook Hops

By John Krochune

On October 30, 2024

In Recipes, Videos

You know, I like harvesting hops straight from my backyard and brewing up something special with them. Every year, I take what I grow and make a unique Harvest Ale to capture the season in a glass and 2024 is no exception. This time, I’m using my Chinook hops for a batch that’s a bit of an experiment. We’re have a small one-gallon pilot batch to see if these hops are good enough for a full five-gallon brew. In this video, we’re tasting the this year’s crop to see if they make the cut!

Look at the color of the Harvest Ale!

2024 Harvest Ale Recipe (Pilot Batch)

I gave it a go for a one gallon batch and will scale up (5x) for a brew session later.

Water

Spring Water with 2 grams of Gypsum

Grains

Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt – 91% of the grain bill
Bestmalz BEST Red X Malt – 4.5% of the grain bill
Briess Carapils Malt – 4.5% of the grain bill

Hops

1 ounce of homegrown Chinook hops – 60 minutes in the boil
2 ounces of homegrown Chinook hops – Whirlpool for 10 minutes at 180°F (82°C)

Yeast

1 packet of LalBrew Verdant IPA Yeast

Mashed at 150°F (66°C) for an hour. Boiled for an hour

Fermented at 65°F (18°C) for 10 days

Cold crashed for 2 days and then transferred to serving vessel

Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 5%

Tasting Notes and Final Decision

This Harvest Ale looks great, with a deep golden color reminiscent of Sierra Nevada’s classic beers, and the aromas hit with that classic “C-hop” character we like to have in American ales. There’s a bright citrus note, somewhere between red grapefruit and candied orange, which is really inviting. Taste-wise, the Chinook brings a bit more bitterness than we expected – a clean, slightly pithy bitterness with earthy, spicy undertones. The malt provides a nice background without stealing the show, though there could be a dialing back of the Red X malt for the full batch. This one’s definitely got that throwback vibe, like an early-2000s American ale, which makes it perfect for sipping around a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving.

So, did this year’s crop make the cut. We say yes! The hop character from this crop of Chinook is surprisingly clean and vibrant. There will be a full batch to share around the holiday table. This would be a solid Thanksgiving beer, cutting through those rich holiday flavors without overpowering.

If you have the chance to grow your own hops, do it. I like having this option for an annual brew.

Cheers and BREW ON!

Krush Hops SMaSH Review and Tasting

By John Krochune

On October 23, 2024

In Hops, Videos

It’s another SMaSH beer experiment, and this time, we’re seeking to learn more about Krush hops, also known as HBC 586. If you’re new to our SMaSH experiments, the goal is simple: we take a single malt and a single hop to get a real feel for what that hop brings to the party. In this case, we got our hands on a small 2 oz pack of Krush hops from Yakima Valley Hops. Check out this video to see what we had to say about this variety.

Krush with a K!

Brewing with Krush Hops: The Process

For this SMaSH beer, we kept it simple. The base recipe featured 2 pounds of malt, 1 ounce of Krush hops, and about two gallons of water. We brewed with a 60-minute boil, tossing in 3.5 grams of hops at the start, then adding a big whirlpool addition of 17.5 grams at 180°F for 10 minutes post-boil. Finally, we dry-hopped with 7 grams on day three of fermentation. This method allowed us to capture a true sense of what Krush hops could offer, and let me tell you, it’s a hop that packs quite the punch.

What We Thought: Fruity and Zippy

The aroma from this beer hit right away. Mike described it best when he said it reminded him of opening a fresh box of Froot Loops. There’s a mix of lime, orange, and cherry, with even a touch of candied citrus peel. The flavor carries that same vibe, with a bit of a twist. You get citrus-forward notes, but there’s also a ginger-like “zip” that adds a spicy edge. This hop is bright, bold, and perfect for fruit-forward IPAs. If you’re looking for a variety with layers of citrus and berry flavors, and a bit of intensity, Krush hops are a great choice. Be on the lookout for the 2024 harvest!

BREW ON!

Brown Ale With Chocolate Rye Recipe

By John Krochune

On October 16, 2024

In Experiments, Malts, Recipes, Yeast

Fall is here, and with it comes the perfect time to brew up something with a bit more malt character. This week, Mike has brewed a brown ale with an interesting twist—chocolate rye malt. We’ll break down the recipe, the brewing process, and of course, give you our thoughts on how it turned out. It’s always fun to experiment with ingredients, and this beer showcases some of that homebrewing creativity.

Chocolate Rye and 2 yeast strains

The Recipe and Process

Mike brews in 3.5 gallon (13.2 L) batches so the recipe is scaled to his batch size. I put some percentages in there to help you adjust to your needs.

Ingredients:
5 pounds (2.27 kg) of Briess Brewers Malt – 75% of grain bill
0.5 pounds (227 g) of Amber Malt (~22°L) – 8% of grain bill
10 ounces (284 g) of Crystal Malt (~35°L) – 9% of grain bill
0.5 pounds (227 g) of Chocolate Rye Malt (~175°L) – 8% of grain bill

Hops:
1.5 ounces (42.5 g) of Crystal Hops at 60 minutes
0.5 ounce (14 g)Crystal Hops at 10 minutes

Yeast:
1 packet of Cellar Science English Ale Yeast
1 packet of Cellar Science Cali Ale Yeast
(Blended to balance the esters from the English yeast with a cleaner fermentation from the Cali strain.)

Procedures:
Mash at 152°F for 60 minutes.
Raise to 158°F for 15 minutes.
Mash out at 168°F.
Ferment at 68°F for about 20 days.

Original Gravity (OG): 1.049
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011
ABV: 5%
IBU: ~25

This Brown Ale Tasting Notes and Thoughts

On the pour, the beer leaned more toward an amber ale than a traditional brown ale, with reddish highlights and a persistent, tan head. The aroma gave off earthy, herbal notes from the Crystal hops, which reminded us of an English ale, though a bit less floral than a typical EKG (East Kent Goldings) variety. Flavor-wise, there’s some sweetness from the crystal and amber malts, but we found it missing that distinct nutty, biscuit-y note that we usually associate with a brown ale. The chocolate rye added body and some nice foam retention, but it didn’t quite give us the classic brown ale experience. Still, the combination of malts and yeast made for a pleasant, drinkable beer that pairs well with cool fall nights.

In the end, this brown ale with chocolate rye was an experiment in cleaning out the ingredients stash and trying something new. While it’s not a perfect brown ale in the traditional sense, it’s a tasty, malt-forward brew that I’d definitely enjoy by a campfire. Sometimes, brewing is about having fun and seeing what happens when you tweak a recipe, and this one was no exception. If you’re looking to play around with chocolate rye or try a unique brown ale recipe, give this one a shot!

BREW ON!