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Kingfisher Ultra is a step up from Kingfisher Premium in the Indian lager market, cleaner, crisper, and more European in character. Cloning it is an accessible exercise in American/European adjunct lager brewing, and the result is a genuinely useful beer for hot-weather drinking. I’ve refined this recipe over several batches to nail the dry, clean finish that distinguishes Ultra from the standard Kingfisher.
Kingfisher Ultra Lager clone recipe (5 gallon / 19L batch)
Target stats: OG 1.050, FG 1.008, ABV ~5.4%, IBU 18, SRM 2–3, very pale straw color. Grain bill: 6 lbs (2.72 kg) Pilsner malt (German or Belgian). 1.5 lbs (680g) flaked rice, the key adjunct for lightness and clean fermentability. Rice contributes fermentable sugars with minimal protein and flavor, producing the dry, neutral body of Indian commercial lagers. 0.5 lb (227g) acidulated malt, pH management for the Pilsner-heavy grain bill. Hops: 0.5 oz Hallertau Mittelfrueh (60 min), 14 IBU, clean Continental bitterness. 0.25 oz Saaz (15 min), 4 IBU, light floral/herbal late addition. No dry hopping. Yeast: White Labs WLP800 Pilsner Lager Yeast or Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager. Both produce the very clean, sulfur-minimal lager character appropriate for this style. Water: Very soft water is essential. RO water with minimal mineral additions: 30–40 ppm calcium, 10 ppm sulfate, 50 ppm chloride. Soft water maximizes the clean, neutral character and prevents mineral harshness. Process: Step mash recommended for the rice-heavy grain bill: 50°C (122°F) for 15 minutes (protein rest, important with rice adjunct), then ramp to 63°C (145°F) for 30 minutes (low-temperature saccharification for high fermentability), then ramp to 70°C (158°F) for 20 minutes, then mash out at 76°C (169°F). If you don’t have step mash capability: gelatinize rice separately (boil rice with water until soft, cool, add to mash) or use rice syrup as a partial adjunct replacement. 90-minute boil to drive off DMS (dimethyl sulfide) precursors from Pilsner malt, critical for the clean flavor. Ferment at 9–10°C (48–50°F) for 2 weeks. Lager at 2°C (35°F) for 4–6 weeks minimum. Carbonate to 2.6–2.8 volumes CO2.
Common Questions
Can Kingfisher Ultra be brewed with ale yeast to avoid lagering?
Yes, using a clean, cold-tolerant ale yeast is a practical compromise for homebrewers without lagering capability. The best options: Wyeast 2112 California Common (ferments cleanly at 17–20°C / 62–68°F with lager-like character), White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast (produces a very clean fermentation at ale temperatures that approaches lager character), or Fermentis K-97 kölsch yeast (ferments at 15–20°C / 59–68°F, produces clean lager-adjacent character). The result with any of these options will not be identical to a true lager fermentation, there will be slightly more ester and less absolute cleanness, but cold-crashed and allowed to clear for 2–3 weeks, a clean kölsch or California Common fermentation approaches the commercial product much more closely than a fruity ale yeast would. If you use an ale yeast: ferment at the lower end of its range, cold crash to 1–2°C (34–35°F) for 2 weeks before packaging, and carbonate to the higher end (2.8 volumes) to emphasize crispness. The grain bill and hop bill remain unchanged, only the yeast and temperature management differ.
