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What makes a good summer beer?

Djehuty

Djehuty

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I've seen so many beers with "summer" somewhere in their names or descriptions that I'm not really sure what I should be shooting for if I brew one.  Some recipes I've seen seem to be just a standard pale ale, maybe with a bit of wheat, with spices added.  Some get more complex.  I'm considering brewing a weizen, and there seems to be some overlap.  Would it work to start with a Bavarian-style weizen and add the various spices and such (coriander, ginger, orange, what have you) that one sees in beers labeled summery?  Or is that crossing a line which must not be crossed?
 
Summer beers or "lawnmower beers" are light, refreshing and low alcohol. The reason being is that when your mowing the lawn or using power yard tools you need to keep your wits about you to keep your fingers about you! I prefer to make a simple ale with some tart (grapefruit) taste. Refreshing, zippy and low gravity. I can drink more if I have less alcohol. I do drink high gravity beer a lot but there is a time and place for everything. I grow Keylimes (like the pie). Doesn't everybody in Wisconsin? I brew a light ale and put in a cup and a half of the juice. Now I can drink a homebrew and still cut grass!
 
It's your beer - do what you want.  The traditional hefe yeast offers clove and banana and Belgian Wit yeasts can be tart and will support citrus flavors very well.  The 1007 Wyeast is crisp and clean and made me a nice American Wheat/Rye that I once put a small amount of grapefruit zest into. 

For clean/crisp, you may wish to mash a tad lower and/or use an attenuative yeast strain, but the spicing is completely up to you. 
 
Are there any good resources for designing this sort of recipe?  I'll only have the one shot at it this year, and I don't want to mess it up too badly. :)
 
You could BYO.com and search their recipe archives.
 
BobBrews said:
...I grow Keylimes (like the pie). Doesn't everybody in Wisconsin? ...
Click to expand...

I don't!  But I may have honey at the end of the season to trade with you for limes... I'm in metro Milwaukee.  And you?
 
I bought a sapling while in Florida a few years back. It lives like me. In the summer it's outside. In the winter it's inside! I get about a cup and a half of juice per season. This years crop is spoken for, by me! I will put you on my waiting list. It is like the season ticket's waiting list for the Packers. I live near Stevens Point. I belong to The Central Wisconsin Draught Board brewing club http://www.cenwisdb.org/. Thanks for the offer. I do brew with honey now and then.
 
I'll be passing by your way Friday morning on our way to Wausau.  Love O'so brew!

P.S. I love that movie on the website.  Did you guys make it or find it somewhere?
 
I created the website. The O'so movie is my doing. the music was created by a friend of mine. The Craft beer movie is done by someone else. I will redo the website when O'so expands again this summer. New building new web site. Stop in by O'so and try a beer. Ask for the tour it should last about 5 min.
 
Been there, done that!  Nice people.  I stayed with some college kids for a weekend to show them how to all grain.  Spent plenty of time at O'so trying the beers, even some that weren't released to the public.
 
Maybe this one can taste good for the lawnmower?????

Recipe from  Weinkeller on a swedich forum

Mexican
Style: Standard American Lager
TYPE: All Grain
Batch Size: 10,00 L
Boil Size: 12,26 L
Estimated OG: 1,048 SG, Estimated FG 1,012
Estimated Color: 8,2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 15,8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70,00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1,60kg Viking Pilsner Malt (3,7 EBC) Grain 72,73 %
0,40kg Corn, Flaked (2,6 EBC) Grain 18,18 %
0,20kg Viking Münchermalt (18,0 EBC) Grain 9,09 %
12g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4,30 %] (60 min)Hops 12,7 IBU
5g Cascade [7,00 %] (10 min) Hops 3,1 IBU
8g Cascade [7,00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1st SafLager S-23

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 2,20 kg
90 min Mash In Add 6,60 L of water at 72,7 C Target: 67,0
Sparge with approx 8,5l 75,0C water.
 
For my money nuthin says summer like a nice mexican lager with a lime.
There are some great recipes in BeerSmith to get you going.
The long and the short is whatever makes you go AHHHHHHHHH is a great summer brew!
 
I always brew a blonde ale for summer and add lemon zest at flameout. Lemon zest is made simply by grating the peel of the lemon. It doesn't add much to the flavor, but it give a real nice aroma. I real drinkable beer !!!
 
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