Assistance with a beer I can't get anymore

kendrid · 01-23-2009, 06:09 PM

My favorite local microbrew closed it doors last month without warning. Unfortuantely I can no longer get one of my favorite beers.

This is their description of the beer:

Absolute Rat Bastard-
This Rat, who is not to be confused with his cousin, Dirty Rat, is a very full bodied ale. This unadulterated beer is of complex malt character with slight citrus hop flavor and bitterness. A brew balanced to leave you satisfied!

6.8% Alcohol 1.063 O.G. 19.3 SRM 32.9 IBU's

I am too new to event attempt to guess how that would be made. Anyone care to take a stab (partial mash preferred)? Thanks.

JMSetzler · 01-23-2009, 06:24 PM

Matching the OG, color, and IBU's woudln't be too difficult with some software like BrewSmith, but not knowing the style of beer would really make it difficult to choose the proper ingredients to come up with the flavor...

kendrid · 01-23-2009, 06:25 PM

Sorry - it's a dark ale like a porter. Maybe considered a "strong ale" although I'm not 100% sure what makes a strong ale vs a porter.

**DeathBrewer** · 01-23-2009, 06:47 PM

It would help to know the malts they use. Does the brewery still make it? If so, you could call or e-mail and ask if you could get some details. Just say you're brewing a clone because you love their beer and you want to show others how good it is.

**remilard** · 01-23-2009, 06:47 PM

The BJCP style that fits is American Brown, although it is near the low end for IBUs and a bit over the high end for OG.

Here is a recipe that will get you close on color and hop bitterness and character (as described).

Jamil Zainasheff's - American Brown Ale

Bump up the base malt (or extract) to get the correct OG and maybe up the specialty malts a hair (but not in proportion to the base malt).

That will be a start and it is probably impossible to start closer without having tasted the beer.

kendrid · 01-23-2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathBrewer

It would help to know the malts they use. Does the brewery still make it? If so, you could call or e-mail and ask if you could get some details. Just say you're brewing a clone because you love their beer and you want to show others how good it is.

The brewery is gone. I just went to the website and they have now pulled all of the contact info and beer info. I was hoping to find a contact email who would maybe forward me to a brewmaster.

I found it at ratebeer.com. They have it classified as an Old Ale. Someone said it was referred to as a "Hybrid brown ale" at one of their beerfests. They used to have all of the local microbrews come to their restaurant every summer for a huge beer tasting.
http://ratebeer.com/beer/govnors-public-house-absolute-rat-bastard/73080/12252/

**humann_brewing** · 01-23-2009, 07:28 PM

One things that jumps out at me is they say that it is a full bodied with a lot of malt character.

With a OG of 1.063, you would need to get down to 1.011 to reach 6.8% which would not leave that much maltiness unless there some some added in another way.

I am not an experienced extract brewer my any means, but if this were AG, I would think you would need to mash at 148-150 get get that kind of ABV about of it and then maybe add some dextrose to bring back the maltiness.

As far as a grain bill, it is hard if they don't give you any hints other tahn full bodied, but they do give you the SRM, so I would start with another brown and go from there.

Well there are some good citrus hop flavoring, but which one is it. Do you know your hops to tell which one they used for taste/aroma?

kendrid · 01-23-2009, 07:34 PM

I don't know my hops yet so I'm not much help and I realize it is hard for you guys to determine this without tasting/smelling it yourselves. What is a good citrus hop to start with?

My plan is to start doing 2.5 gallon partial mash brews to "play". With the information you guys are providing it seems like I should be able to get a decent brown ale recipe like the one remilard provided and go from there.

Thanks.

Boerderij_Kabouter · 01-23-2009, 07:41 PM

I would try talking to some local beer stores and finding out if they know any of the reps. You may be able to get in contact and I would guess they would give you the recipe.

Otherwise you could try writing to the replicator in BYO and ask them to help. Sounds like a good story for that.

**IrregularPulse** · 01-23-2009, 07:43 PM

Cascade is a very common citrus hop. you could try starting there.

This the same one?

There description doesn't match yours so much about ABV and malt characterisitics