Can this be done by homebrewer

[JohnSant]

Has anyone tried to clone a Budwiser Clamato ! I don't even know if it can be done, but my brother will not drink anything but this so just seeing what's out there. Would like for him to try my home brew, however he wont come close to one. He's not much of a beer man heck he won't even drink the hard liquor. Would really enjoy having him come around to shot the breeze and share a home brew with me.

[berryman]

I won't say it can't be done but trying to copy/clone BMC's is difficult. It's hard to make a beer that light and tasteless and still end up around 5 ABV. Here's a 5 gal extract you might try http://www.midwestsupplies.com/this-bud-s-for-you.html I made this once to share with my non craft brew friends, but any more I don't care they can either drink what I have or bring there own, and sometimes they do.

[JohnSant]

Thanks Berryman. Not really into Bud myself, But my brother enjoys the tomato taste when he drinks a beer. What I'm looking for is a brew that combines both the beer and tomato, this is so I don't have to keep the juice around or run and get some when he comes over.

[braukasper]

So he wants the original bloody mary? Just mix a light brew with some clamato. Google the recipe

[berryman]

If Swen checks in on this thread, he always has some good clone advice.

[The_Professor]

This article says that drink is best "prepared".

I'd suggest finding a good beer and a good preparation.

[JohnSant]

I know its always better fresh , but was hoping for a made up bottle that way won't have to ensure all the things on hand if and when he shows up. Oh well I'll just keep my line full for me, myself and I, oh SWMBO.

[swenocha]

I don't have much on this, but I agree with the Prof and others... I'd brew a light lager (or a light pale ale, if you're not set up for lagers) and prepare it. I don't have confidence that putting the clamato in the bottle wouldn't cause problems. I'm guessing the BMC versions have some stabilization chemicals to avoid spoilage that we don't have access to, but that might just be me talking poo.

Likely the homebrew kit above mentioned would be good. I like to have some pale lagers on hand for friends and lawnmowing and make them quite a bit, so I can offer some suggestion there. Here's the lagers I usually run variations of:

From BYO's Retro Clones issue for Rolling Rock:

4.5% ABV, 2.1 SRM, 22 IBU

72% 6 row
16% Flaked Rice
12% Flaked Corn
(I tend to float on my corn/rice ratio, and/or just use one or the other)

Tettang (60 min for 10 ibu)
Williamette (60 min for 12 ibu)
(I tend to use whatever traditional hop I have on hand to about 22ish ibu)

American Lager yeast
(Generally use the Bud yeast (WLP840), or sub US-05 or Notty or the like for an ale version)

Or BYO's Schlitz:

4.75% ABV, 3.3 SRM, 13 IBU

45% 2 row
23% 6 row
32% flaked corn
(again, I vary on the ratios based on what's on hand)

Cluster (60 min for 4 ibu)
Fuggles (60 min for 9 ibu)
(ditto on hops here)

American Lager yeast
(ditto on ale yeast strains)

Or, my personal favorite for the style, Yazoo's Hap and Harry's Lager:

5.4% ABV, 5.5 SRM, 15 IBU

70% German 2-row
26% Vienna
4% Biscuit

Pearle (60 min for 11 ibu)
Saaz (5 min for 4 ibu)

WLP833 lager yeast

As for micheladas, I've never done this, but if I were doing it I'd use this traditional preparation, which is quite easy:

Michelada
8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 32-oz. bottle chilled Clamato (about 4 cups)
1 32-oz. bottle or 3 12-oz. bottles chilled lager
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 tsp. Maggi Seasoning
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Lime wedges (for serving)

PREPARATION
Mix Clamato, lager, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Maggi Seasoning in a large pitcher.

Mix salt and chili powder on a small plate. Rub rims of pint glasses with lime wedges and dip in salt mixture. Fill glasses with ice, add Michelada mixture, and garnish with lime wedges.

[The_Professor]

...I'd suggest finding a good beer and a good preparation.

I...was hoping for a made up bottle that way won't have to ensure all the things on hand if and when he shows up...

I did find this.

I don't think you're going to be able to reproduce a "prepared beer" in a brewed beer, but you might be able to make something that hints at or is similar.

When I make a fruit beer I add a good dose of pureed fruit with the beer in a secondary container, so maybe that would be correct for tomatos. And some spices.
While it is botanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes...

Not sure you want to add clams to the secondary...

[RickBeer]

I am strongly resisting making comments on this thread. We're taught to be accepting of the tastes of others, even those that drink BMC. I'm walking that line, standing on the precipice, re: a Budwiser Clamato.

But, as we all say, what matters is what you (or he) likes.

[braukasper]

along these lines the book the 12 Bottle Bar has a chapter on mixed drinks using beer

[JohnSant]

Thanks to the BORG my mind is made up. I'll just try and keep the fixins for him when he shows up or make a quick run to the store. I DON'T like bud it gives me a head-ach been that way ever sense I started drinking beer. I'll just try and talk him into trying some of my home brew straight up and hope for the best.

[DaYooper]

I would have to think that the only way you could make an in-the-bottle version of this would be to use a keg and beer wand. I dont know enough about tomatoes but they are a fruit so would have to guess there are fermentable in it. Fermented tomato juice sounds disgusting, so I would think that the beer and juice would need to be pasteurized or zapped with campden to kill off the yeasties and then force carbonated.

[ScrewyBrewer]

Interesting combination of beer, clams and tomato...I guess that's what goes into a Clamato? Not that I've ever thought of brewing one but I'd start off with very soft water, water with very little amounts of calcium and magnesium in it for the basic Pilsen recipe. Tomatoes have a lot of acid in them that would have to be taken into account when figuring out the IBU calculations too. Maybe it's better to add tomato clam soup to taste either late in the boil or boiled then cooled and added to the fermentor just before bottling. These are only my random thoughts since I've never even heard of this interesting but unusual beer before.

[RickBeer]

A Clamato is a drink made of reconstituted tomato juice concentrate flavored with spices and clam broth. People who like it (all 7 of them?) add it to alcoholic beverages for some reason.

Bud mixes the two and sells them as Budweiser & Clamato. Beeradvocate rates it a 51/100, "awful". http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/37389/