Ready for ManCamp?

You may recall that I decided to concoct a mild-tasting lager to serve at ManCamp. Val refuses to drink good beer, so I decided to start brainwashing him, by making a beer that resembles Budweiser to some degree, yet doesn't taste like pee.

Here's the grain bill:

6 lbs. German Pilsner malt
2 lbs. flaked corn
1 lb. 10L crystal malt

I bittered it with Magnum hops (26 IBU), and I used American lager yeast, from White Labs.

I'm having the first glass now.

Very nice, believe it or not. You can taste the corn, but it's not overwhelming. The slight bitterness is blunted by the sweetness of the crystal malt. Overall, the beer has a somewhat spicy taste. Sort of reminiscent of cloves or allspice. I think that must be the hops. There's no way this beer has clove-like yeast by-products. That doesn't happen when you use lager yeast at 52 degrees. I think.

People like to call smooth, light beers "lawnmower beers," because they're good for swilling in quantity when you're out in the sun doing strenuous things like mowing yards. I think this beer is a fine example, except that unlike most "lawnmower beers," it isn't foul.

The head is pretty much nonexistent. Maybe it needs a little more carbonation. I don't care. I think foam is overrated.

I believe I'll keep making this beer, even if it's a flop at ManCamp. Even though it has corn in it, it's a quality brew, and I think it would be great to have out by the pool, in a little fridge.

I better light a cigar before I get too far into this.