Dogfish Head 60 min IPA clone try #1

[ceeaton]

why is wine yeast so much cheaper than beer yeast? And why wouldn't wine yeast for beer? Has any one ever tried it?

Beer yeast is cheap if you use the dried stuff. The liquid White Labs wine yeast is just as expensive as the liquid beer yeast, if I remember correctly (never have used the liquid wine yeast).

I think I've heard wine yeast brings Aunt Ester to the beer party.

A quickie search on the net (and everything is 100% true on the net):


Wine yeasts will not consume maltotriose, so steps must be taken to minimize or break down that particular sugar. You could do that enzymatically, by increasing the ratio of simple to more complex sugars, by splitting your batch and then blending once all fermentation is finished, or by doing a multi-strain pitch. Or you could just live with a sweeter end result.

Many Wine yeast strains have a Kill Factor. They produce a protein that kills other yeast and bacteria that are in the same must/wort with them. Be sure to check on that if you are doing a multi strain pitch, or planning to bottle condition with a beer yeast.

Wine yeasts will produce different esters, and you will want to keep that in mind. Pick one that will produce flavors that will work well with the beer that you are brewing.

Hope that helps.

 

[Redbird1]

The Dogfish clone recipe from MoreBeer is $51 with yeast. A little cheaper. That comes out to about $6 a six pack just for ingredients. I am just trying to see what it cost to make a really good home brew beer. I realize as you scale up and buy/brew in larger quantities your cost per bottle will come down.

If you're still in the market, you can use promo code "SAVEME5" to take $5 off, plus they have free shipping over $59.

 

[Redbird1]

The Dogfish clone recipe from MoreBeer is $51 with yeast. A little cheaper. That comes out to about $6 a six pack just for ingredients. I am just trying to see what it cost to make a really good home brew beer. I realize as you scale up and buy/brew in larger quantities your cost per bottle will come down.

If you're still in the market, you can use promo code "SAVEME5" to take $5 off, plus they have free shipping over $59.

Edit: I'm going to have to order a Tart of Darkness kit. I've always wanted to try it, and $30 isn't that much more than I'd pay for a bottle from the liquor store.

 

[ceeaton]

I think might bottle this one for some extended aging, so I dry hopped it in the carboy. 14g Glacier, 14g Amarillo, 7g Simcoe. Smells like I added a pine forest to my beer!

 

[ceeaton]

Finally got around to bottling this beer today (I dislike bottling, love kegging), nice clarity, could smell it all over the house, good hops. Might have a keeper here. Will probably be one of the first beers I try after the alcohol fast. Should be in the bottle at least three weeks before I disturb one. Aimed low on the priming sugar as I don't like overly carbonated beers (my English roots showing through). This one should age pretty gracefully if I leave it alone since it had a bit of umph to it.

 

[Boatboy24]

A shame I will not be at Harford this spring, as I'd love to steal one of those from you.

 

[ceeaton]

A shame I will not be at Harford this spring, as I'd love to steal one of those from you.

Heck you were going to get a 6 pack or two. Guess if I see @AZMDTed down there he'll get some instead.

I definitely plan on re-making this one again once I taste test it against the real McCoy, so you may be inline for a "new and improved" version this Fall. Never know, I might just be able to UPS you some if I deem this batch worthy, you'll just have to p.m. me your address when that time comes. I would imagine shipping would cost less than driving to Chantilly and back, plus I know UPS ground gets there in a day (we ship proofs etc to Government agencies all the time and use UPS Ground to get it there by the next afternoon (though it usually gets delivered by Noon, just not guaranteed)).

 

[Boatboy24]

Heck you were going to get a 6 pack or two.

Dang it!!!

 

[AZMDTed]

Heck you were going to get a 6 pack or two. Guess if I see @AZMDTed down there he'll get some instead.

Craig, thanks. You're welcome any time you're able to come on down. Just let me know. I'm not a beer drinker but I thank you for the mention anyway. Btw, I've got two extended maceration cabs in carboys now (Eclipse Lodi, and a CC showcase), plus a third one three and a half weeks into EM.

 

[ceeaton]

Finally got to taste this project side-by-side with the real McCoy. I'm amazed how close I got on this first try. My up front bitterness is higher than the "control" version, but the hop aftertaste is less intense. When I make it again I will start the hop additions at 50 minutes verses 60, that should slightly reduce the bitterness and add some more hop character to the finish. Leaf hops would also be a benefit when dry hopping. All in all, this is a very good beer. Will be nice to have a few cases around this summer as one or two any evening would be enough to satisfy any beer urge I'd have (plus my version ended up being 6.5% ABV).

 

[ceeaton]

Had three of these this evening and I am feeling the 6.5% ABV (I know, I'm a lightweight all of a sudden). Taking a case of this up North this weekend. I expect to bring quite a bit back unless my two brothers dive in full bore. I figure three of four beers and a glass of wine with dinner and I'll be rockin' and singin' on the front porch (we have a screened in porch that overlooks the creek and bike trail with a ledge to perch your favorite drink (or citronella candles or both)). Many a fine nap has been completed during my short lifetime on that porch.

 

[ceeaton]

Had my older brother compare the clone to the real thing. He liked my version better as it had a bit more residual sugar and made the bitterness less apparent. My next tweeks will be to use loose leaf hops for the dry hops to hopefully push up the hop character in the finish. Plus I'd drop the 80L Crystal malt back to 4 oz, or substitute 40L Crystal malt as the color has more of a copper hue than the commercial version. Will definitely make this one again (possibly next weekend) depending on when the grapes and buckets come in from Harford (I'm not expecting them for a few more weeks).

 

[ceeaton]

Buckets coming at the end of this week. Wish I had made another batch, only have 8 of these left, it's f-ing good IMHO. Seems to take to bottling pretty well as most higher hopped ales do.

 

[jswordy]

Buckets coming at the end of this week. Wish I had made another batch, only have 8 of these left, it's f-ing good IMHO. Seems to take to bottling pretty well as most higher hopped ales do.

I wish I could even get buckets...

 

[ceeaton]

I wish I could even get buckets...

It is a nice, cheap option. Only problem is you have to tailor your schedule to their arrival. Now they aren't coming until next weekend and I have no grain and don't feel like a 75 minute round trip to go pick some up (plus it is pretty rainy here today, I'm a fair weather brewer).

 

[jswordy]

It is a nice, cheap option. Only problem is you have to tailor your schedule to their arrival. Now they aren't coming until next weekend and I have no grain and don't feel like a 75 minute round trip to go pick some up (plus it is pretty rainy here today, I'm a fair weather brewer).

As far as I have been able to determine, the closest I could get buckets might be Atlanta or Nashville, though I've not found any outlets there. Both are 200-250 mile round trips. I am trying to work with a local homebrew store to see if they could get a list going for shipments. They'll profit and I'll get to buy juice buckets. But this area is really all about brewing beer. If folks do make wine, its from local grapes from local vineyards.