Clone Recipe: Budweiser Magnum Strong Beer

Cloning Budweiser Magnum Strong Beer requires a precise approach, focusing on a high-adjunct grain bill for a clean, strong fermentation, meticulous temperature control during lagering, and specific hop additions to achieve its characteristic crisp, low-bitterness profile. My experience shows that achieving its distinctive high ABV without residual sweetness relies heavily on healthy yeast and an extended cold maturation.

When I first ventured into brewing strong lagers, I made the classic mistake of underpitching yeast and rushing the lagering process. The result? A beer that was high in alcohol but muddy, with an unpleasantly sharp acetaldehyde note and lingering diacetyl. It taught me a fundamental lesson: strong lagers demand patience, precision, and an absolute commitment to yeast health and temperature control. Cloning something like Budweiser Magnum Strong Beer isn’t just about matching a recipe; it’s about replicating a process honed over decades to produce a remarkably clean, crisp, and potent brew. This isn’t a beer for cutting corners. My 20 years in brewing have shown me that every detail, from water chemistry to cold conditioning duration, contributes to the final profile. Let’s get into the specifics of how I approach this clone.

The Math Behind the Magnum Clone

Reaching an OG of 1.068-1.070 while keeping the beer light in body and color means relying heavily on adjuncts. Flaked rice is my go-to for this style, contributing fermentable sugars without adding significant color or heavy malt character. I target a high proportion of rice, typically around 30-35% of the total fermentables, to achieve that signature crispness. Here’s a breakdown for a typical 20-liter (approx. 5.3 US Gallons) batch, assuming a 75% mash efficiency, which is what I generally aim for in my brewery.

For hops, I keep it simple and clean, focusing on a single addition for bitterness and very minimal aroma. For a target IBU of 12-15, I typically use a noble hop with an alpha acid rating of around 3-5%. My preferred choice is Hallertau Mittelfrüh for its classic lager profile.

Manual ABV Calculation Guide

The final alcohol content is crucial for a strong beer clone. I always verify my readings and calculate my actual ABV using this formula:

ABV = (Original Gravity - Final Gravity) * 131.25

So, for an OG of 1.069 and an FG of 1.011:

ABV = (1.069 - 1.011) * 131.25 = 0.058 * 131.25 = 7.61%

This simple calculation gives you the truth about your beer’s strength, no guessing involved. It’s a foundational piece of data for me.

Step-by-Step Execution: Brewing Your Clone

Brewing this beer demands discipline. My process is detailed and follows precise temperature and timing guidelines. This is where my 20 years of experience truly shine, navigating the nuances of a clean, strong lager.

1. Water Treatment: Start with soft water, ideally reverse osmosis or distilled, and build your profile. I typically add 5g Gypsum (CaSO4), 5g Calcium Chloride (CaCl2), and 3g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) to my 28 liters (7.4 US Gallons) of strike water to achieve a balanced profile that supports enzyme activity and yeast health without imparting harshness. Ensure any chloramines are removed; I use a campden tablet for this.
2. Mash In: Heat your strike water to **71°C (160°F)** to hit a mash-in temperature of **65°C (149°F)**. Maintain this temperature precisely for **60 minutes**. This temperature promotes a highly fermentable wort, crucial for a dry finish in a strong beer. The pH should be between 5.2 and 5.4. I check this with a calibrated pH meter after about 10 minutes into the mash.
3. Mash Out: Raise the mash temperature to **77°C (170°F)** and hold for **10 minutes**. This denatures the enzymes, stopping sugar conversion, and reduces wort viscosity for better lautering.
4. Recirculation and Lautering: Slowly recirculate the wort until it runs clear, typically 15-20 minutes. Then, begin collecting your wort. I aim for a slow, consistent run-off, collecting about 23-24 liters (6.1-6.3 US Gallons) pre-boil, with an expected pre-boil gravity of around **1.058-1.060**.
5. The Boil: Bring the wort to a vigorous boil. Once boiling, add your Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops for the **60-minute** duration.
   • At **15 minutes** remaining, add 1/2 tsp of Irish Moss or a Whirlfloc tablet for clarity.
   • At **10 minutes** remaining, add 1 tsp of yeast nutrient (e.g., Fermaid O or Wyeast Yeast Nutrient) to ensure healthy fermentation in this high-gravity wort.

   The total boil time will be **60 minutes**. By the end, you should have about 20 liters (5.3 US Gallons) of wort.

6. Chilling: Rapidly chill the wort down to **10°C (50°F)**. This is crucial to prevent DMS (dimethyl sulfide) formation and to ensure you pitch your lager yeast at the correct temperature. I use an immersion chiller, and I make sure to sanitize it thoroughly before use.
7. Yeast Pitching: This is arguably the most critical step for a clean lager. I always prepare a healthy, active yeast starter for high-gravity lagers. For 20 liters at 1.069 OG, I’d typically pitch about 350-400 billion cells, which for a liquid culture like WLP830 German Lager, translates to a 2-3 liter starter stirred for 2-3 days prior. Alternatively, rehydrate and pitch 2-3 sachets of dry lager yeast (e.g., Saflager W-34/70). Ensure the starter/yeast is at the same temperature as your chilled wort to avoid shocking the yeast.
8. Primary Fermentation: Ferment at a consistent **10°C – 12°C (50°F – 54°F)** for 7-10 days, or until fermentation activity noticeably slows and gravity is within a few points of your target FG. My hydrometer readings typically drop from 1.069 down to around 1.018-1.020 in this phase.
9. Diacetyl Rest: Raise the temperature to **16°C – 18°C (61°F – 64°F)** for 2-3 days. This allows the yeast to clean up diacetyl and other undesirable compounds. It’s non-negotiable for a clean lager.
10. Cold Crash & Lagering: Once the diacetyl rest is complete and your final gravity (around **1.010-1.012**) is stable for two consecutive days, cold crash the beer to **0°C – 2°C (32°F – 36°F)**. Transfer the beer to a clean, sanitized secondary fermenter (or keep it in primary if space allows) and lager for a minimum of **4-6 weeks**. This extended cold conditioning is vital for clarity and flavor maturation, smoothing out any rough edges and allowing flavors to meld beautifully. I’ve often gone longer, up to 8 weeks, and have always been rewarded.
11. Packaging: Carbonate to **2.4 – 2.6 volumes of CO2**. For bottling, this usually means adding about 120-130g (4.2-4.6 oz) of priming sugar for a 20-liter batch. For kegging, set your regulator to 10-12 PSI (0.69-0.83 bar) at 2°C (36°F) and give it about 10-14 days to fully carbonate.

For more detailed information on fermentation control and advanced techniques, be sure to visit BrewMyBeer.online.

Troubleshooting: What Can Go Wrong

Even with precision, brewing high-gravity lagers can present challenges. Here are a few common issues I’ve encountered and how to address them:

• Diacetyl (Butterscotch/Buttery Flavor): This is the most common off-flavor in lagers. It usually stems from insufficient diacetyl rest. If you detect it, simply raise the temperature back to **18°C (64°F)** for another 2-3 days. A healthy, robust yeast pitch and good nutrient levels are your best preventative measures.
• Poor Attenuation (Too Sweet, High FG): If your FG is too high, it might be due to an underpitched or unhealthy yeast culture, or mashing at too high a temperature. For future brews, ensure proper yeast cell count and precise mash temperature control. If it’s already fermented, you can try rousing the yeast (gently swirling the fermenter) or adding fresh, active yeast, but this is often a difficult fix post-fermentation.
• Sulphury Notes (Rotten Egg/Matches): Some lager yeasts naturally produce sulphur compounds, especially in the early stages of fermentation. With proper lagering, these usually dissipate. If persistent, it might indicate yeast stress. Ensuring good yeast health, oxygenation, and nutrient levels helps minimize this.
• Acetaldehyde (Green Apple Flavor): This often indicates an unfinished fermentation or yeast stress. Giving the beer more time, especially during the diacetyl rest and lagering phases, usually allows the yeast to reabsorb and convert this compound.
• Haze (Cloudy Beer): Beyond yeast haze, protein haze or chill haze can occur. Ensure you have a good hot break during the boil, chill rapidly, and allow for sufficient lagering time. Using Irish Moss or Whirlfloc is key. Filtration is an option for commercial clarity, but I find extended cold conditioning usually does the trick for homebrew scale.

Sensory Analysis: The Magnum Experience

A successful clone will present a distinct sensory profile, much like the original. My aim is always to hit these notes precisely:

• Appearance: It should be brilliantly clear, a shimmering pale golden color (SRM 3-4). Expect a moderate, bright white head that dissipates steadily, leaving some lacing on the glass. Turbidity is a sign you need more cold conditioning.
• Aroma: The aroma is clean and restrained. I pick up a subtle bready or cracker-like malt character from the Pilsner malt, with a very faint, almost imperceptible noble hop spice. Crucially, there should be no fruity esters, diacetyl, or solventy alcohol notes. A slight alcohol warmth might be detectable, but it should be clean and integrated.
• Mouthfeel: This beer should feel light-bodied, crisp, and refreshing, despite its elevated alcohol content. The high percentage of rice adjunct ensures this. Carbonation should be medium-high, providing a pleasant zing. There should be no cloying sweetness, just a dry, clean finish that beckons another sip.
• Flavor: The flavor mirrors the aroma: clean, malty-sweet upfront with a prominent cracker-like character. The high alcohol content is present but well-integrated, offering a warming sensation without harshness. Hop bitterness is very low, just enough to balance the malt without asserting itself. The finish is notably dry, crisp, and remarkably clean, with no lingering aftertaste. It’s a powerful, yet surprisingly quaffable lager.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is flaked rice essential for this clone?

Flaked rice is crucial because it provides highly fermentable sugars without contributing significant body, color, or strong flavor to the wort. In a strong lager like this, it helps achieve a high alcohol content while maintaining a very light body and a crisp, dry finish, which are hallmarks of the style and the original beer. Without it, you risk a cloying, heavy beer that doesn’t capture the essence of Budweiser Magnum.

How critical is temperature control for a strong lager clone?

Temperature control is perhaps the single most critical factor when brewing any lager, and especially a strong lager. Lagers thrive on cool fermentation to produce a clean, crisp profile free of fruity esters and fusel alcohols. My experience shows that even a few degrees variance during primary fermentation or neglecting the diacetyl rest can introduce undesirable off-flavors that are difficult, if not impossible, to correct later. Precise lagering temperatures are also vital for clarity and flavor maturation. It’s non-negotiable.

What’s the ideal carbonation level for this style, and how do I achieve it?

I find the ideal carbonation level for this strong lager clone to be between **2.4 and 2.6 volumes of CO2**. This provides a refreshing effervescence that lifts the flavors without being overly fizzy. If bottling, you can typically achieve this with 120-130g of priming sugar for 20 liters, allowing 2-3 weeks at room temperature for conditioning. For kegging, I set my CO2 regulator to 10-12 PSI (0.69-0.83 bar) at a serving temperature of 2°C (36°F) and allow 10-14 days for it to fully absorb. Consistent temperature control during carbonation is key to hitting your target precisely.

Can I substitute other adjuncts like corn or sugar?

While corn (flaked maize) or simple sugars like dextrose can contribute fermentable sugars and lighten the body, they will slightly alter the flavor profile. Flaked maize will introduce a subtle corn-like sweetness, which might deviate from the specific crispness of the original. Dextrose ferments completely dry, but using too much can make the beer thin or cidery if not balanced. For a true clone, I stick to flaked rice as it best replicates the clean, neutral contribution needed for this particular strong beer.

For more brewing tips and detailed recipe adjustments, explore the resources available at BrewMyBeer.online.