Last updated:
Foster’s Lager is Australia’s most internationally recognized beer brand, though Australians themselves rarely drink it, it’s positioned primarily for export markets, particularly the UK. Cloning it is a straightforward exercise in clean, light adjunct lager brewing, and the result is a crisp, refreshing beer that’s more enjoyable fresh from a keg than the commercial version typically arrives in overseas markets.
Foster’s Lager clone recipe (5 gallon / 19L batch)
Target stats: OG 1.048, FG 1.009, ABV ~5.1%, IBU 14, SRM 3–4, pale gold. Grain bill: 6 lbs (2.72 kg) Australian or North American 2-row pale malt, Australian 2-row malt (from malting barley varieties like Schooner and Gairdner grown in Western Australia and Victoria) has a slightly different modification level and flavor than American or European malts. North American 2-row is the most accessible substitute. 1.5 lbs (680g) flaked maize (corn), Foster’s uses corn as its primary adjunct, consistent with the Australian brewing tradition of corn adjunct use in mainstream lagers. 0.25 lb (113g) dextrose, fermentability boost. Rice hulls 0.5 lb, lautering efficiency. Hops: 0.5 oz Pride of Ringwood (60 min), if available. Pride of Ringwood is the traditional Australian bittering hop variety used in most Australian commercial lagers, with a distinctly herbal, slightly woody character that is part of the traditional Australian lager profile. If Pride of Ringwood is unavailable: 0.5 oz Hallertau (60 min), 10 IBU, acceptable substitute at lower authenticity. 0.3 oz Saaz (30 min), 4 IBU. Total IBU: 13–15. Yeast: Fermentis Saflager W-34/70 or White Labs WLP820 Oktoberfest Lager Yeast, clean lager fermentation. Ferment at 10°C (50°F). Water: Moderate softness, Melbourne’s water (Foster’s original home) is moderately soft. Target: calcium 50 ppm, sulfate 30 ppm, chloride 70 ppm. Process: Single infusion mash at 64°C (147°F) for 60 minutes or step mash if using raw corn adjunct (pre-gelatinize separately). 90-minute boil. Ferment at 10°C (50°F) for 2 weeks. Diacetyl rest at 17°C (63°F) for 48 hours. Lager at 2°C (35°F) for 5–6 weeks. Fine with gelatin. Carbonate to 2.5–2.6 volumes CO2.
Common Questions
Do Australians actually drink Foster’s?
Foster’s Lager is famously not popular in Australia despite being one of the country’s most recognized international exports, it’s a running joke among Australians that Foster’s is “the beer Australians export because they don’t want to drink it themselves.” The dominant Australian lager brands in domestic consumption are Carlton Draught, VB (Victoria Bitter), XXXX Gold, Tooheys New, and Coopers, all distinctly different from Foster’s. Foster’s is owned by Asahi (which acquired Carlton & United Breweries, Foster’s parent, from SABMiller in 2020) and continues to be produced primarily for export markets. In Australia, the Foster’s brand has minimal retail presence. The Foster’s Lager most commonly available in the UK, US, and other international markets may not even be brewed in Australia, UK Foster’s is brewed under license by Heineken UK at the Scottish Newcastle facility, and US Foster’s is produced by MillerCoors in the US. This means Foster’s sold globally is a locally brewed approximation of the Australian original rather than an imported product. For homebrewing: this recipe targets the original Australian Foster’s Lager character (corn adjunct, Pride of Ringwood hops, clean lager fermentation) rather than any specific export market version. Brewing this recipe produces a more authentic result than what most international markets receive in commercial Foster’s packaging.
