Confluence Brewing Co.’s Blue Corn Lager clone
All-Grain Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.059 FG = 1.011
IBU = 20.5 SRM = 4 ABV = 6.2%
Ingredients
2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) Sunny State Products Heritage Organic Blue Corn
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) Rahr Premium Pils malt
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt
7 oz. (200 g) Weyermann pale wheat malt
4 oz. (113 g) Weyermann acidulated malt
4 oz. (113 g) Weyermann Carahell® malt
6 oz. (170 g) rice hulls (optional)
2.1 AAU Czech Saaz hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 5.3% alpha acids)
2.2 AAU Motueka™ hops (60 min.) (0.45 oz./13 g at 4.9% alpha acids)
1 g Yeastex 82 (or equivalent yeast nutrient) (15 min.)
1 g Whirlfloc (or ½ tablet) (15 min.)
Wyeast 2142 (Bohemian Lager), White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), or Mangrove Jack’s M84 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Cereal mash: Mill blue corn and 0.9 lbs. (0.41 kg) Rahr Pilsner malt and mash in with 5.5 quarts (5.2 L) of water to achieve a rest at 150 °F (66 °C). Let rest for 15 minutes, then raise to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Let cool to 120–130 °F (49–54 °C) or add some cold strike water to cool.
Main mash: With the cereal mash, add an additional 3.25 gallons (12.3 L) of water and mash-in remaining malt, shooting for 122 °F (50 °C) for a protein rest. Rest for 15 minutes, then raise to 147 °F (64 °C) and hold for 60 minutes. Mash out at 170 °F (77 °C). Sparge with water acidified to pH 5.7 at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect 6.8 gallons (26 L) of wort. Boil for 30 minutes before adding the hops.
When the 90-minute boil is finished, cool wort to 50 °F (10 °C). This beer requires a healthy pitch of yeast. Aim for 1.25 million cells/mL/°P. Oxygenate or aerate well. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) until fermentation activity slows to a few bubbles per minute through the airlock. Let warm to 57 °F (14 °C) and hold for a few days. Slowly cool back to 50 °F (10 °C) and hold for a few more days. Cool the beer 3 °F/day (1.5 °C/day) to 38 °F (3.3 °C) and hold for 1–2 weeks to lager/condition. Keg and carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO2.
Partial Mash Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.059 FG = 1.011
IBU = 20.5 SRM = 4 ABV = 6.2%
Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Pilsen light dried malt extract
2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) Sunny State Products Heritage Organic Blue Corn
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Pilsner malt
7 oz. (200 g) Weyermann pale wheat malt
4 oz. (113 g) Weyermann Carahell® malt
2.1 AAU Czech Saaz hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 5.3% alpha acids)
2.2 AAU Motueka™ hops (60 min.) (0.45 oz./13 g at 4.9% alpha acids)
1 g Yeastex 82 (or equivalent yeast nutrient) (15 min.)
1 g Whirlfloc (or ½ tablet) (15 min.)
Wyeast 2142 (Bohemian Lager), White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), or Mangrove Jack’s M84 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Follow the same instructions as the all-grain recipe for the cereal mash. The key difference is to only cool the cereal mash after the boil to 150–160 °F (66–71 °C) with some cool water. Add the pale wheat and Carahell® malts and hold for 30 minutes at this temperature. Separate the liquid from the grains and corn and collect into a boil kettle.
Add an additional 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water and raise to near-boiling temperature. Remove from the heat source, slowly stir in extract to ensure it is fully dissolved. Return to heat source and boil for 30 minutes before adding hops. Follow the remaining all-grain instructions for post-boil, fermentation, and packaging directions.
Tips For Success
For brewers that have a hard time sourcing blue corn, flaked white maize can be substituted and added directly to the mash since it is pre-
gelatinized. And, one type of Pilsner malt will suffice if your homebrew store doesn’t source multiple Pilsner malt options. U.S. Saaz or additional Czech Saaz can be used in place of Motueka™. Finally, for an interesting twist, a Mexican lager yeast can be used in place of a traditional lager yeast. However, following the recipe and instructions above will get you the closest possible replication to the original Blue Corn Lager.
