Brewing with Adjuncts: Does Corn Belong in Craft Beers?

A recent post on Guys Drinking Beer has me thinking about corn. In my beer. Corn is an adjunct grain (ie, something other than the traditional barley) that has gained an unfavorable reputation for its use in big-name macrobrews like Bud Light and Coors. But is there a place for it in the craft brewing world?

The purpose of corn in a beer recipe is to lighten up the body and the flavor of the beer. It also adds a touch of sweetness (think: cornflakes).

This on its own wouldn’t be a bad thing, but Ryan of Guys Drinking Beer explains that things started to change between World War I and II. After Prohibition was repealed, there were limits on grain due to wartime shortages. The breweries that survived the Prohibition started using corn, which was cheap and readily available, to round out their recipes. Surprise, surprise, this turned out to be just as madly popular then as it still is today.

But corn isn’t inherently bad. Like any other ingredient, it’s all about how you use it. Ryan names two craft beers brewed with corn that he thinks measure up: World War American Style Lager from Blue Nose Brewery and Drafty Window Prairie Ale from Hopothesis Brewing Company.

What do you think about this? Can corn be used to brew good craft beer or does it have no place in brewing?

• Read the Post: Does Corn Get A Bad Rap as a Brewing Ingredient? from Guys Drinking Beer

Related: The Rye Side of Beers: Roggenbiers and Other Rye Beers

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