Light Hybrid Beer Presentation

• BJCP Light Hybrid Beer Styles

• Sample Classic Commercial Examples

• Homebrewing Light Hybrids

BJCP Light Hybrid Beer Styles

• Cream Ale (6a)• Blonde Ale (6b)• Kölsch (6c)• American Wheat or Rye Beer (6d)

Cream Ale Style• An ale version of the American

Lager Style – clean crisp flavorful light ale with low esters

• American ingredients with up to 20% flaked maize and up to 20% glucose

• OG: 1.042-1.055 FG: 1.006-1.012• ABV: 4.2-5.6% SRM: 2.5-5.0• IBU: 15-20

Pizza Port Carlsbad Cream Ale

• A soft drinking summer beer with a touch of pilsner malt

• Different versions at each brewpub

• 1.042 O.G 1.008 F.G.• 4.4% ABV

Blonde Ale Style• A clean light soft malty beer with

an un-agressive hop balance.• Designed as entry level craft beer.• American malt, hops and yeast

are typical.• OG: 1.038-1.054 FG: 1.008-1.013• ABV: 3.8-5.5% SRM: 3.0-6.0• IBU: 15-28

Hollywood Blonde• Great Beer Company Started by

homebrewers Steve Casselman and Maribeth-Raines-Casselman

• Contract Brewed By Skyscraper Brewing for Great Beer Company

• Uses Cologne Kolsch yeast• ABV: 4.5%

Eel River California Blonde Ale

• Founded 1995 in Fortuna, California

• World’s first certified organic brewery

• OG: 1.050• IBU: 10• ABV: 5.8%

Kölsch Style• A crisp delicately balanced beer

with subtle fruit flavors and aromas

• German pils malt and noble hops with select attenuative ale yeast

• OG: 1.044-1.050 FG: 1.007-1.011

• ABV: 4.4-5.2% SRM: 3.5-5.0• IBU: 20-30

Reissdorf Kölsch• Founded in 1894 in Cologne,

Germany• 90% Destroyed during WWII• Kolsch Convention “Protected

Geographical Indication” for Cologne in 1985

• 3 products: Kölsch, non-alcoholic Kölsch and Beer Shnapps

• ABV: 4.8%

Gaffel Kölsch• Brewery recorded at site in 1302• Gaffel brewery founded in 1903 in

Cologne• Over 70% of Kölsch served in kegs

at local pubs and restaurants• 3 products: Kölsch, Light and Non-

alcoholic• ABV: 4.8%

American Wheat or Rye Beer

• Refreshing wheat or rye beer with less phenolic and ester character than German wheat styles

• American malt with large proportion of wheat malt is typical

• OG: 1.040-1.055 FG: 1.010-1.016

• ABV: 4.0-5.5% SRM: 3-6• IBU: 15-30

• Brewery founded in 1984 in Washington• Hefeweizen created in 1993• 60% Malted Wheat• 39% 2-Row• 1% Caramel• OG: 1.050• ABV: 5.2%• IBU: 18

Pyramid Hefe-Weizen

Widmer Hefeweizen• Founded in 1984 in Oregon• Created first unfiltered American

Hefeweizen• OG: 1.047 FG: 1.010• ABV: 4.9% SRM: 8• IBU: 26• Malts: Pale, Munich, Wheat, Extra

Special• Hops: Alchemy, Willamette, Cascade

Brewing Light Hybrids – Malt

• German Pilsner Malt base for Kölsch• American Malts for other styles• Minimize crystal malts (undesirable

residual sweetness)• Use light mild un-hopped malt extracts

Brewing Light Hybrids – Adjuncts

• Use flaked maize and glucose to lighten body and create dry finish for Cream Ales

• Use American 2-row malt base for Blonde Ales

• Use Pilsner malt for Kölsch• Use a 40-60% malted wheat for American

Wheat Beer• Substitute rye for some or all of the wheat

for American Rye Beer

Brewing Light Hybrids – Hops

• Use low alpha acid noble hops or noble derivatives for Kölsch (Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalt, Hersbrucker, Mt. Hood)

• Any hop variety can be used sparingly for other Light Hybrids

• Finishing hops should be minimal if any

Brewing Light Hybrids– Water

• Soft water preferred for Cream Ales (RO Water + 1.5 tsp/5gal CaSO4)

• Water for other hybrids can vary• San Diego filtered water okay –

could be blended with RO water to soften the water

Brewing Light Hybrids– Yeast

• Use attenuative ale yeast– BJCP guidelines result in 76-84%

attenuation• Create a large yeast starter– Re-pitching from a previous

fermentation is recommended for larger yeast pitch

Brewing Light Hybrids

• Mashing–Mash at low

temperatures (149F) for dryer beer

• Boil–Minimize boil to avoid

carmelization

Fermenting Light Hybrids• Cool wort to fermentation

temperature• Aerate the wort vigorously – 100%

oxygen• Low fermenation temp for Kölsch

(59-65F)