Lemon Beer

[Waylander87]

Evening all,

I'm looking to make something light and refreshing, and having just juiced and peeled (not in that order) 8 lemons for use in 10ltrs of elderflower fizzy wine I wondered about making a beer with a lemon favour to it?

A quick scout on here hasn't turned up much, and other forms have some blooming complex recipes which I'm sure are actually alchemy!

Anyone got an idiot proof brew which fits the "light and refreshing, with lemon" brief?

Ta!

 

[abeyptfc]

I shamefully admitted trying a few bottles of Fosters 'radlers' last week, its like a bottle of fanta lemon and only 2.8% I think. I think it will cure a hangover due to its refreshing fizzy nature, low alcohol and its one of your 5 a day!

 

[Waylander87]

That was also part of my inspiration.

I wanted a proper beer with a similar zestiness

 

[pittsy]

sounds like you should try a wit bier

 

[Tyronnster]

I made a delicate pilsner with lime. Put 4 limes in a fv nothing really to reports very slight lime taste.

Maybe use the cordial next time when pouring a drink

 

[Pearlfisher]

From the Wye Valley website -

JUNE

“This year is the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Royal Yacht Britannia. To celebrate, I’ve created a brand new brew with a nautical theme. Ocean Wave is an exceptionally refreshing pale wheat beer. Pioneer hops give it a zingy citrus aroma, and this is complemented by a touch of lemon zest added to the hopback. This beer also contains Cascade hops”

 

[Waylander87]

Cool. Few replies there.

Whit bier: I shall google this/search forums.

Pilsner: you said you added 4 limes; is that 4 sliced, 4 rind and juice, 4 whole (bobbing around)??

Wye valley thing: OHHHHH! So that's what cascade is. A few recipes I've found assumed I wasn't an idiot and just said things like "1/2lb cascade". And wheat flakes.
I'm aiming for something with lemon citrus coming trough, rather than hop related citrus notes. However, correct choice of hops might help that goal a bit.

Thanks for all the inspiration this far, keep it coming :)

 

[Darcey]

Last years Styrian Golding hops were very lemony. Also Citra pellet hops (If you can find them) mixed up with boiling water and added to the FV 2/3rd of the way thru fermentation. 2/3rd of the hops at about 10mins before end of boil. Use them on a light lager or pale ale malt base and add some lemon zest (but not the rind) at the 10mins as well. Make sure its got some good fizz and serve cool.

Or buy cooking lager and a bottle of lemonade?

D

 

[Tyronnster]

I squeezed 4 limes an the rind from two.

When drinking you get bitterness in the back of the throat but not a big taste

 

[Waylander87]

Thanks for the replies all.

Given my lack of knowledge/experience I think I'm going to brew an IPA from a kit. Seems like the cheaper option for experimentation purposes.

I've got 2 fermentation bins, so ill split the wort; half will be lemon rind, half will be juice and rind. I'll post the results of which is most lemony (or which is least terrible) when I get that far.

 

[pittsy]

When doing a wit bier i use oranges , i would use the peel only and also around 30g (4 to 5 large oranges ) and i also add them at 5 mins left of boil .

 

[Waylander87]

Did I say IPA? :hmm:

Meant wheat beer!

I've opted for a coopers wheat beer kit, plus a can of coopers liquid wheat extract. That's gone in the FV as per kit instructions (including the sugar...) along with 2 lemons (rind and peel) which I boiled up in a bit of water for 15mins. Made up to 22.5ltrs.

2 lemons enough do you think? :wha:

I've read on other parts of the Internet of lemon beers tasting of Jif (refuse to call it Cif) if too many are used; would rather it fail to taste of lemons but be a drinkable wheat beer than taste of Jif and be used as drain cleaner!

 

[graysalchemy]

Usually you will get citrus notes from the american 'c' hops. I have an APA which is very citrusy, not necessarily lemon but very good.

 

[Waylander87]

So here's what I did in the end.

Coopers wheat beer kit
Coopers wheat extract
4 lemons (zest and juice), boiled for 20 minutes. One of the zested and juiced lemons was added to the boil (so by this stage it was just the white rind bit, which everyone says is the bitter part).
Sugar and water as per kit instructions.

Come out at around 3.2%

Very drinkable, but oddly not that lemony. Got a lot of citrus to he smell, and a s,ignt after taste, but not anywhere near as lemony as i thought it woild be. Bit disappointed with that. BUT! At least it doesn't taste like Flash...