Cloned recipes - How close are they?

As an inspiring homebrewer my goal is to replicate a few of my favorite Pale Ales and IPA's. Such as a Great Lakes Burning River. I bought a couple recipe clone books and most if not all the recipes are all grain. I'm not there yet, still polishing my skills. But once I do move up to all grain how close can I get to the taste of a microbrew like a Burning River? I understand some of these brewies have been operating for 100 years and I can never reach there experience level. I guess I'm curious how close I can get, .

What has your success been with cloning? I'm very curious!

I've tried some that have come very close to the commercial versions and others not so much.

Not sure if it was due to my incompetence or the recipe I used.

In my experience some are dead on accurate and some are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Most clones aren't exact but close enough. Keep in mind some clones use specific yeasts that can only be acquired through taking it from the commercial bottles. All in all I'd say try a clone of anything you like, it may even turn out that you like it more than the original.

Some recipes are dead on, even helped made by the original brewery. But, just having the recipe is the beginning. Your process may produce a slightly different brew or your water could make a very different brew. How you handle and the amount of yeast etc.... You can make damn good brew using some clones. You may get exactly the same beer even. But the brewing process is what makes your beer yours. That's why you can use someones else's recipe to enter competitions with.

It's good to do your research too. One of the clone books I saw didn't match the hops that were on the brewers website.

bfb said:

in my experience some are dead on accurate and some are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Most clones aren't exact but close enough. Keep in mind some clones use specific yeasts that can only be acquired through taking it from the commercial bottles. All in all i'd say try a clone of anything you like, it may even turn out that you like it more than the original.

Click to expand...

+1

Burning River's one of my favorites as well. I grew up in Cleveland and live in Columbus now, so in addition to the yearly mad rush to buy Christmas Ale before it's gone, all the Great Lakes beers are a staple in my fridge.

The Can You Brew It Jamil Show Database thread has many tested and proven clones.

The first post is no longer updated so you have to go through it to see the new ones...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/can-you-brew-database-178064/

There's a lot of value in attempting your own clone recipes. You will likely not come close on the first attempt, but as you refine the recipe, you'll obtain a better understanding of how different ingredients (and process) affect the end product. I just bottled my first clone attempt, Rogue's Mogul Madness. From tasting the uncarbed beer, I can tell that it will be WAY off, but I look forward to tasting them side by side and then tweaking the recipe for subsequent attempts. It will be a great learning experience.