Commercial Clone Beer Recipes | Make Commercial Beer At Home!

In this blog post, I will go over some nice recipes that are similar in taste and appearance to popular commercial brands.

Now I know that commercial beer isn’t really the essence of homebrewing, but nevertheless there might be some of you who are interested in creating clones of your favorite beer brand.

The different clone recipes I will cover in this post is as follows:

1. Heineken Beer Clone
2. Corona Beer Clone
3. Budweiser Beer Clone
4. Pilsner Urquell Beer Clone
5. Guinness Beer Clone

This post is a collection of all kinds of clone recipes, read on to find step by step instructions as well as all the ingredients you’ll need for each recipe.

Read Also: What Is The Best Home Brewing Kit For Beginners?

Why Make Commercial Beer Clone Recipes?

Personally I enjoy making my own non-branded beer at home, but there are some which enjoy trying to copy their favorite brand from major breweries.

There can be a fun challenge in trying to make your own beer that looks and tastes exactly like popular brands.

You can brag to your friends that you are making that Budweiser or Heineken for half the price they pay for them in the stores.

Keep in mind that all these popular brands are copyrighted, so don’t go out of your way to advertise that you are making these.

While it is not illegal to make these clone recipes for your own personal use, it is illegal to advertise them as their respective brands, and VERY illegal distributing them.

Keep it in the family or in the friend zone and you won’t run into legal troubles.

You might get ridiculed in the homebrewing community for making commercial beer clones.

Commercial beer that isn’t craft-beer is often frowned upon in the homebrewing community, where pretty much all homebrewers only talk about making and drinking craft beers.

However, this shouldn’t stop you or others from trying to make these commercial beers since they can be quite fun and challenging to get exactly right, which is really the spirit of homebrewing if you ask me.

5 Commercial Beer Clone Recipes

Before we dive into the recipes it is important to mention that these recipes aren’t 100% accurate as the commercial breweries make a big effort as to not leak their recipes completely.

Various homebrewers have made multiple experiments and tests to find recipes that are as close to the real beer brands as possible.

You will definitely be able to fool your own taste buds as well as your friends and family, however, keep in mind that you aren’t making 1:1 clones of the real beer brands, but very close!

DISCLAIMER: it is ILLEGAL to advertise and distribute homemade beer, ESPECIALLY under a commercially copyrighted label such as the clone recipes in this blog post.

These recipes are clones inspired by real beer brands, but they are not the real product. Attempting to sell products made with these recipes is illegal in most states and countries.

You can find all the ingredients needed for these recipes on Amazon. I put all the links on the name of the ingredients to make it a bit easier for you.

#1 Heineken Beer Clone Recipe

The first clone recipe on the list is a clone of the well known Heineken pilsner(lager)!

This recipe will provide you with 6 gallons of finished heineken lager which is very close to the original!

Ingredients (Amazon links):

• 10 lbs. German pilsner malt
• 0.25 lbs. Crystal malt
• 0.42 oz. Northern Brewer hops
• 0.72 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker starter hops
• 0.28 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker finishing hops
• Fermentis – Saflager German Lager Yeast S-23

Step by Step:

1. Heat up 3.4 Gallons of water to 150°F
2. Add all your grains and starter hops
3. Mash for 90 Minutes at 150°F
4. Sparge with water and reach about 6 Gallons of Wort
5. Bring Wort to a boil and boil for 90 minutes
6. In the last 10 minutes add finishing hops
7. Turn off the heat and transfer wort to primary fermenter
8. Pitch and add yeast
9. Ferment in primary at 50°F
10. Rack to secondary and ferment at 50°F for anywhere between 5 to 12 weeks, up to personal preference
11. Bottle and carbonate your peer for at least 2 weeks, perform samples and find the right carbonating time for your own preferences
12. Enjoy!

#2 Corona Beer Clone Recipe

Corona is an iconic summer beverage often seen enjoyed by people hanging out by the beach or just out in the park on a hot summer day.

A Corona is a lager, which is considered one of the hardest beers to make due to their advanced temperature control which is essential for getting the best results.

For that same reason, the step by step for this beer in particular is quite long, due to a more advanced process.

Make sure you follow the instructions properly, and you will definitely end up with a nice tasting corona beer clone!

This recipe has a kit which includes all the ingredients you’ll need.

Info about the kit:

• 5 Gallon batch size
• OG: 1.050 SG
• FG: 1.010-1.012 SG
• ABV: 4.5%

Step by Step:

1. Add 1.25-2 qts. Of water per pound of grain in a brew kettle. And heat it about 11-12° Fahrenheit above target mash temperature(150°F)
2. Transfer the grains and water to your mash tun and give it a good stir to avoid any clumping
3. If using a Brew-in-a-bag, put your grains into your brew bag and add the water from step 1
4. Mash for 60 minutes at 150°F
5. Heat up 5 gallons of water to 170°F to use for sparging
6. Sparge with water and reach about 6.5 gallons then drain to boil kettle
7. Bring the wort to a boil and let it boil for 60 minutes
8. Turn off the heat and stir for a couple of minutes then let it sit for 15-20 minutes
9. Cool down your wort to 70-80°F
10. Transfer wort to primary fermenter
11. Add yeast to kick off fermentation
12. When primary fermentation is complete rack to secondary
13. Ferment in secondary for 6-12 weeks, perform taste samples and make sure it has the taste you want
14. Bottle your beer and let it carbonate for a few weeks, the longer the better! Again perform tests to make sure your beer has carbonated properly and has the correct taste and color
15. Enjoy!

#3 Budweiser All Grain Beer Clone Recipe

Next up we got the famous household “dad” beer – the budweiser.

This budweiser recipe is a nice American Lager which will give you the taste and feel of a budweiser, yet very different in the way it’s made.

This recipe will provide you with 6 Gallons of beer.

Info on the recipe:

• American Lager style
• Boil time: 60 Minutes
• Batch size: 6 gallons
• Pre Boil size: 8 gallons
• OG: 1.050
• FG: 1.011
• ABV: 5%

Ingredients (Amazon links):

• 8 lbs. American Pale 6-Row malt
• 3 lbs. Flaked Rice
• 1 oz. Tettnanger hops

Step by Step:

1. Heat up about 5 gallons of water to 148°F
2. Add grains and hops and mash
3. Heat up water for sparging to 170°F
4. Sparge with water and reach about 8 Gallons of wort
5. Boil wort for 60 minutes
6. Transfer wort to primary fermenter
7. Pitch and add yeast of choice
8. Ferment in a cool place(50-66°F) for 1-3 weeks, track your progress
9. (Optional, but recommended) Rack to secondary to clear up the beer
10. Let it ferment in secondary for 2-6 weeks depending on personal preference
11. Bottle beer and let it carbonate for minimum 2 weeks, longer is usually better for lagers
12. Enjoy your own Budweiser clone!

#4 Pilsner Urquell Beer Clone Recipe

This Beer clone will give you the step by step guide to make the famous Pilsner Urquell.

Pilsner Urquell was originally brewed in the Chezh Republic and is the original Pilsner beer, creating a whole new type of Lager that would take the world by storm. Check out this article to get all the details about pilsners.

This recipe strays slightly from the traditional methods.

When this beer is brewed in a larger brewery they use undermodified pilsner malt, however this type of malt can be hard to come by as a homebrewer, for that reason this recipe will not be using this.

Mashing is also changed to make it easier for you.

The mashing procedure used in commercial brewing of Pilsner Urquell uses a method called triple decoction.

Doing this method is extremely time consuming and for that reason this recipe has saved you the trouble and uses an alternative method that will give similar results, but save a lot of time.

Info on the recipe:

• Pilsner Urquell Clone
• Makes 5 gallons
• All-grain
• IBU = 40
• SRM = 4
• ABV = 4.4%

Ingredients (Amazon links):

• 1 lb. Vienna malt
• 8 lbs. Continental Pilsner Malt
• 0.5 lb. carafoam malt
• 0.5 lb. Munich malt
• 0.8 oz. 3.2 AAU Saaz hops (45 min.)
• 1.3 oz. 5.2 AAU Saaz hops (80 min.)
• 0.75 oz. 3 AAU Saaz hops (25 min.)
• 1 tsp. Irish Moss
• 3 qt. Starter – Wyeast 2001 (Pilsner Urquell H-strain) or White Labs WLP800 yeast

Step by Step:

1. Mash Grains with 15 qts. Of Soft water at 142 °F and hold it for 30 minutes
2. Perform decoction and pull 1/3 of the mash
3. Bring mash to a boil
4. Boil for 15 minutes, do not scorch the grain mix
5. Add the pulled mash back into the main mash
6. Let the mash settle at 155 °F for 30 minutes
7. Mash out and sparge at 170 °F
8. Collect enough wort to reach 5 gallons
9. Boil wort for 90 minutes
10. Add 1.3 oz. of 5.2 AAU Saaz Hopas at 80 minutes
11. Add 0.8 oz. of 3.2 AAU Saaz hops at 45 minutes
12. Finally add 0.75 oz. of 3 AAU Saaz hops at 25 minutes
13. Cool wort and pitch your yeast
14. Ferment at 50 °F
15. Ferment until signs of fermentation (bubbles, etc) has settled substantially, this may take several weeks
16. Rack to secondary fermenter and lager it for 4-6 weeks at 40 °F
17. Bottle beer and let it condition for another few weeks (up to personal preference, but minimum 2 weeks)
18. Enjoy!

#5 Guinness Beer Clone Recipe

This recipe will make a beer similar in taste and appearance to a Guinness Draught. 

The Guinness Draught is an Irish dry stout. Guinness has a sharp roasted character and a high hop bitterness.

The key to making a clone of this beer is the use of roasted unmalted barley, also called black barley, which is the key to the flavor and aroma of this beer.

For this beer, there is actually 2 different recipes but both for a Guinness Draught. The first recipe is an all-grain recipe and the second is a partial-mash recipe using extract.

Both recipes will provide you with 5 gallons of delicious beer, tasting and looking like a Guinness Draught.

All-grain Guinness Draught Clone

• OG = 1.038
• FG = 1.006
• IBU = 45
• SRM = 40
• ABV = 4.2%

Ingredients (Amazon links):

• 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) of English 2-row pale ale malt
• 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of roasted barley (500 °L)
• 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) of flaked barley
• WYeast 1084 (Irish ale yeast) or White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) Yeast – 1 qt/1 L yeast starter
• 12 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (60 min) 2.4 oz. (68 g) of 5% alpha acids
• 0.75 cups of corn sugar

Step by Step:

1. Heat up 2.66 Gallons of water up to 161° Fahrenheit
2. Add crushed grains and the flaked barley
3. Mash at 150° Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes
4. Add boiling water to grain bed until it reaches 168° Fahrenheit and then let it rest for about 5 minutes
5. Recirculate until the wort becomes clear, then run wort off to a kettle
6. Sparge with water at 170°
7. Boil your wort for about 90 minutes – add your hops when there’s 60 minutes left in the boil
8. Cool your wort and then rack to fermenter
9. Aerate wort and pitch the yeast
10. Ferment your beer at 72° Fahrenheit
11. Rack to secondary fermenter when primary is complete
12. Bottle after a few days when you feel the beer is clear enough
13. Let it carbonate for at least a few weeks, can be longer(up to personal preference)
14. Enjoy!

Partial Mash Guinness Draught Clone

• OG = 1.038
• FG = 1.006
• IBU = 45
• SRM = 40
• ABV = 4.2%

Ingredients (Amazon links):

• 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) of Maris Otter Liquid malt extract
• 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg) of flaked barley
• 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg) of English pale ale malt (3 °L)
• 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of roasted barley (500 °L)
• Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) or White labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) yeast (2 qt./2 L yeast starter)
• 12 AAU East Kent goldings hops (60 min) (2.4 oz./68 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 0.75 Cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step:

1. First step is placing your crushed pale ale malt and flaked barley in a steeping bag
2. Heat up 4.5 qts. (4.3 L) of water to 161° Fahrenheit and submerge your grain bag in it
3. Let the grains steep for approx. 45 minutes at 150° Fahrenheit
4. While you wait for the grains to steep heat up 2.1 Gallons (7.9L) of water in a pot
5. When steeping has finished, take 1.25 qts.(1.2 L) of hot water from the brew pot, and add it to the grain steeping pot
6. Place colander over the brew pot and then place your steeping bag in it
7. Pour “grain tea” through the grain bag
8. Heat up your liquid in a brew pot and bring it to a boil
9. Stir in your dried malt extract and hops and boil for 60 minutes
10. When 15 minutes of the boil remain turn off the heat and add your liquid malt extract
11. Stir it well and make sure it is all dissolved and then resume boiling
12. Cool wort and rack it to primary fermenter
13. Add water to reach 5 Gallons (19 L)
14. Aerate worth and pitch your yeast
15. Ferment at 72° Fahrenheit
16. Rack to secondary fermenter once primary is complete
17. Once bear seems clear bottle it and carbonate
18. Let it carbonate for a few weeks, can be longer(up to personal preference)
19. Enjoy!

9 Fun Beer Facts

Here are some random fun and interesting beer facts!

#1 Beer is Responsible For Honeymoons!

In Babylon over 4000 years ago a common practice was that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would give his new son-in-law all the mead he could drink.

Mead is a beer made with honey, this along with the fact that their calendar was lunar based created the word “honeymoon” which is now the word used for the holiday/free time the bride and groom spend with each other after the wedding.

#2 The Rule of Thumb

Another popular phrase created in the beer brewing world is the phrase “Rule of Thumb”.

Before the thermometer was invented, beer brewers used their thumbs to figure out whether or not the temperature was alright for yeast.

Too cold, the yeast would be dormant, too hot and the yeast would die. They became quite good at knowing the right temperature by simply filling it out with their thumbs

And apparently, that’s how the phrase “Rule of thumb” was born!

#3 IPA’s Were Used For British Soldiers

Originally IPAs were delivered to the British forces in India.

As we know today IPAs are heavy in alcohol content and hop profile, which gives them a natural longer expiration date, hence good for shipping long distances.

#4 Alcohol Was Appraised by the Church

The early states of the christian church saw alcohol as a gift from god himself.

You didn’t have to drink it, but shaming or despising alcohol was seen as heresy and could get you in quite a lot of trouble.

#5 Slogan Gone Wrong

In 2003 the Hermanus Birkenhead Brewery used a delivery truck with a quite provocative slogan.

On the truck the slogan was written: “Birkenhead Beer – Helping Ugly People have sex since 1852”.

The people of Hermanus naturally got a bit furious and threatened the brewery quite severely.

There were threats of beatings, stoning, boycotts and outright banning of their products.

However, the people of Hermanus got over it and now over 15 years later the slogan is still talked about, but thankfully more in a laughable manner than a violent one.

#6 Top 5 Beer Drinking States

In the Us the top 5 states in terms of beer consumption per capita is:

1. North Dakota
2. New Hampshire
3. Montana
4. South Dakota
5. Wisconsin

#7 0.7% of the World is Drunk

During any given time 0.7% of the world is drunk. This equals to about 50 million people who are drunk right now!

#8 The Strongest Beer in the World

The strongest beer in the world is called “Snake Venom” and for good reason!

The Snake Venom beer has an alcohol content of a whopping 67.5%

If you ever come across this beer you may wanna take it slow since it can get you quite hammered quite fast, watch yourself!

#9 Niels Bohr and his Beer Pipe!

When Niels Bohr won the nobel prize in 1922 the Carlsberg brewery supplied him with a beer pipeline that went directly into his house.

This gave Niels Bohr a lifetime supply of beer coming right out of his kitchen sink – every man’s dream!

Read Also: Best Propane Burner For Homebrewing