Well, I finally got to try Friend Not Heavy (Bud Light Clone). I got it lagering at about 37°F in the fermentation chamber for about 6-7 weeks after primary fermentation stopped. I made sure to ramp up the temperature to about 70°F toward the end of primary to get rid of the buttery taste and mouthfeel. Probably could have let it go 1 or 2 more days, but the flavor is almost 100% gone!

 

Here is my comparison of a commercial Bud Light and my Friend Not Heavy clone.

Appearance

The commercial Bud Light was a bit clearer than the clone. The clone, even with filtering, came out a bit hazier and a slightly darker color. Part of this could be the use of flaked corn in place of flaked rice due to availability, but also due to chill haze which I hope will go away with more time in the kegerator. The carbonation was a bit more active in the Bud Light as well, though that is likely due to the clone being very freshly carbed using the force carb method rather than set and forget.

 

Aroma

The aroma is very similar, though the clone has a little bit less hop aroma to it and a slightly sweet smell compared to the Bud Light. Overall they are very similar though.

 

Taste

The taste is the biggest difference and I attribute it almost entirely to the use of flaked corn in place of the flaked rice. The flavor came out closer to a Coors Light than a bud light in flavor. The Bud Light has a crisp bite to it that the clone doesn’t have. The clone has a sweeter taste, similar to a Coors Light. It also has a similar aftertaste to a Coors Light, unlike the Bud Light that finishes very clean in comparison.

 

Mouthfeel

The mouthfeel is very comparable. The clone is just a bit thicker in the mouthfeel, but not terribly noticeable.

 

Overall Opinions

I am very pleased with how this batch came out, and more importantly, so is my father-in-law! He said that this is a “hell of a drinkable beer” as he polished off two glasses back to back last weekend (only took a small growler camping with us). I have to call this a success. However, there are changes I want to make to improve on the recipe. I want to get flaked rice for the next round to see if I can better clone Bud Light and will likely let it age a bit longer in the lagering phase to see if I can get the very minimal off flavors to mellow out. Overall it turned out great though!

 

FNH left, BL right