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HelloI am new to this group , and I am going to try my hand at making beer.  Ihave made quite a few different wines so I know a little about fermentation,but visiting a few web sites like Leeners, I find that beer is a totallydifferent process.Well I have carboys, hydrometer, a rubber siphon hose and primary bucketwithout lid or spout-- Would it be possible for someone to give me a recipe and directions I shouldtake to create a nice Lite American lager for a first try?  I have an empty3 gallon carboy and a couple of empty 5 gallon carboys, but don't want tobuy a bucket with a spout unless I'm sure I like homemade beer. I'd like totry about 2-3 gallons.   I AM going to get a capper cause I can use that formy wines.Any and all advice will be appreciatedRoger

yew · Accepted Answer

Do you have a means of boiling the wort? You'll need a kettle that holds at least a couple of gallons and a means to heat it.

Do you have a spare fridge and a temperature controller? Lagers require lower temps than ales.

Contrary to what you might believe, light lagers are one of the more difficult beers to brew. I'd suggest something like a cream ale for your first batch.

Which commercial beers do you like and drink now?

Brina

John 'Shaggy' Kolesar · Answer

The best place for instructions is John.

Ricky Nickolson · Answer

Go to  and order an American Light Ale extract kit. It'smy favorite (a former Miller Lite drinker). I've tried my best through oneform of stupid accident or other, but have yet to really screw up a batch ofit (knock on wood). I don't think you really want to tackle a Lager beer,they have to be fermented at lower and controlled temps and babied for awhile afterwards at near freezing. I'd stick with an Ale kit.Good luck, and welcome!Rickyfermentation,

Billy Vance · Answer

Try I have purchased most of my hardware and supplies there!-Billyfermentation,

Brett Hetherington · Answer

Where are you at? Maybe you should bring a bottle of wine to a local brew club meeting. There you will be able to sample some homebrew and meet people who would be happy to show you the ropes on their equipment. You could probably find somebody willing to sell a capper cheap too!

-Brett

"Roger" wrote in news:nl5jb.56683$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Roger · Answer

Thanks everyone:I followed Ricky's advice and ordered me a kit from Listermans, because Ilike Miller Lite.  Later if I like it, I might try some darker ales.  I dohave a good kettle for heating, yew and Brett, I'm in NW Pennsylvania near"wine country".

Ricky Nickolson · Answer

uh oh...I hope I didn't mislead you. I said that I am a former Miller Lite drinker, and that my favorite homebrew is the Listermann's American Light. The Listermann kit doesn't really taste like Miller Lite (now looking back, thank goodness it doesn't!). It is about the "lightest" tasting kit that I've gotten so far though (except for a "prototype" kit that was mostly corn sugar). I'm sure you'll love it though better than the ML, particularly if you're like me and tend to go down the beer isle from time saying "hmmm...think I'll try this one!"...

Good luck with the tasting. If you like it, I'd also recommend the Creme Ale kit as well. Also, try brewing the American Lite kit using Lager yeast (I used Saflager dry yeast) and putting the fermemter in an ice/water batch to keep the temp down. I think it has a bit of a "bitter" bite, more like the commercial lite beers, are lagers and not ales anyway.

Ricky

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