Our Summer Ale is a light ale with a refreshing hop character, ideal for brewing and drinking during the warmer months. The alcohol level is on the mild side at approximately 3.8%, making this a good beer to drink when you want to be refreshed without drinking a heavy beer. The hop character, which includes Cascade and Hallertau hops, is noticable, making this beer more flavorful than the typical commercial light lager beer. Alcohol: 3.8%, IBU's 32.
Includes 6 pounds of blended malt extract, flavoring and aromatic hops, liquid yeast, and corn sugar for carbonation. Makes 5 gallons with a starting gravity of at least 1.039. Ease of Brewing: Beginner.
Click to download the instructions in pdf format.
This shows our William's Summer Ale after 9 days in the bottle. It is a bit cloudy at this point, but the flavor is fresh and nicely balanced with crisp Cascade and Hallertau hop character.
May 06, 2021 by Don
Q: I brewed this last week and have had minimal activity. I wonder if the yeast was bad. What type of yeast is used so I can repitch? I threw the old pack away
A: Wyeast Ringwood Ale, our catalog number Y49. Before pitching more yeast, be sure to take a specific gravity reading. You may find the beer is fermenting normally and is approaching final gravity.
Mar 24, 2021 by Don
Q: How can I increase the ABV and maintain the flavor profile?
A: Adding one pound of beet sugar in the last 15 minutes of the boil will increase the alcohol by about 1.2%, and should not affect the flavor too much.
Apr 23, 2019 by AP
Q: Does summer ale come in an all grain kit?
A: The summer ale is only available as an extract kit at this time.
Sep 08, 2017 by dave
Q: What is shelf life of a summer ale kit
A: Refrigerated, two months after receiving.
A great substitute for my IPA-deprived friends
I was looking for a second beer to serve my friends during a summer get together. Many do not enjoy the IPAs (although many do) and many love the Williams Apricot Ale which I make. I tried the Summer Ale and believe we have another successful summer beer. It was easy to brew. The carbonation was still weak after one week in the bottle, but was clearly improving with each sample I took. At about two and a half weeks it was clearly ready to serve. I expect it will continue to improve in the next week or so. In this way it is just like the Williams Double IPA; it needs two to three weeks in the bottle to achieve the taste I am looking for. Enjoy!
Excellent and easy
I've been brewing with Williams for about 20 years now. The kits are always complete, easy and tasty. I'll be back again soon.
First Rate For Second Batch
Honestly, wasn't sure about this one from last year's bad review and "light" in the description. But it was on sale... My first batch was William's Belgian Double, and this one is very similar. Like the description, it was lighter both in color and in alcohol. This one foams much easier and more generously than the Belgian. The taste difference was subtle and sweeter. Something about having 5 gallons of something in the house home-made and screaming "try me, drink me..." every time i walked by-- so popping the top happened well before the suggested drink date. It's late June, and the suggested "best by" date is mid-July... it's too good to wait. The literature says that ales are more forgiving for the home-brewer: that appears to be true. Instructions for "Summer Ale" say bottle and store at 70°F for 9 days, then 55-65° for two weeks. It's summer in Dixie with limited a/c, and the bottles were in the 70's and 80's for most of the aging cycle. The brew turned out delightful!
Odd finishing taste
I have been brewing for over 15 years and this is the first time I was disappointed in a kit from Williams. The aftertaste was horrible. I poured the entire 5 gallons down the drain.
Dry hopped with peppercorns
We like the summer ale very much, this year we dry hopped with peppercorns hoping to make it similar to our favorite Michigan microbrew summer beer, Short's Nicie Spicie. We are very pleased with the result. There's a very subtle peppery finish to add to what is already a great summer beer.