Dog Fish Head - Midas Touch
 

Let me start off by saying, this is NOT my recipe. This recipe came from a book that Sam Calagione wrote. He is the owner of Dog Fish Head Brewery. I believe this recipe was created by Bryan Selders, who is a brewer at DFH. I will write down the ingredients/directions exactly as they were written here. All credit goes to Sam Calagione and Bryan Selders. I just wanted to share the recipe with you fine folks.

Description
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The recipe for Midas Touch was discovered in a 2700 year old tomb in Turkey, believed to belong to King Midas. In addition to its exotic pedigree, the saffron, honey, white muscat grapes and higher than average alcohol content are what make this recipe so special.

Ingredients
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Preboil
6 gallons (23 L) water

Boil
8 pounds (3.6 kg) light malt extract - (75 minutes)
2 pounds (900 g) clover honey - (75 minutes)
1/2 ounce (7g) Simcoe hops - (60 minutes)
10 Saffron threads - (end of boil)

Fermentation
White Labs WLP001 or Wyeast 1056 ale yeast.

1 quart (1 L) White muscat grape juice concentrate - (3 days)

Bottling
5 ounces (125 g) priming sugar

Starting Gravity: 1.086
Final Gravity: 1.026
Final Target ABV: 9%
IBUs: 12



Process
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1. In a brew kettle, heat 6 gallons (23 L) of water to a boil. Remove the heat and add light malt extract and honey. Return to a boil.

2. After 15 minutes, add Simcoe hops. Boil for 60 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add saffron threads and swirl contents of kettle to create a whirlpool.

4. Cool the wort and rack to a fermenter leaving as much of the solids behind in the kettle as possible. (Its okay to get some of the sediment into the fermenter as it is beneficial to yeast health).

5. Pitch the cooled wort with a fairly neutral ale yeast and ferment at around 68 F - 71 F (20-22 C). "Rock the baby" to aerate the wort.

6. After the most vigorous fermentation subsides (about 3 days), add the White Muscat grape juice concentrate. Rock the baby again.

7. Ferment for 5 to 7 more days then rack to secondary fermenter. Allow Beer to condition for 12 to 14 days.

8. Before bottling, clean and sanitize bottles and caps and create a priming solution of 1 cup (235 ml) boiling water and priming sugar. Siphon beer into a sterilized bottling bucket, add the water-diluted priming solution and gently stir. Bottle and cap beer. Beer will be ready to drink in about 2 weeks.

Have you had the opportunity to try this beer commerically? I heard negative reviews on it, but I thought it was pretty damned good.

The commercial one is alright, it needs time though. Most of the DFH beers I have had are too sweet, and really need lots of aging.

Hey guys, I have not had a chance to try this recipe or the commercial beer. I do have a couple in the fridge though. Maybe I'll crack one open and give it a review. I'll be adding up a couple more recipes tonight.

Midas Touch Clone in Secondary
 

Hello All,
I went through the forum and didn't see anyone post results if they made a Midas Touch clone from the recipe in Extreme Brewing. Mine is sitting in the secondary right now and I will definitely post the results in a few months when its ready. As you know it is always hard to get the exact recipe so here is what I was able to find:

8 pounds (3.6 kg) light malt extract - (I used liquid here which was a mistake because I didn't get anywhere near the OG stated in the recipe. I now realize after researching that LME is 20% water!)

2 pounds (900 g) clover honey - (I used a local Wildflower honey)

1/2 ounce (7g) Simcoe hops - (Homebrew shop didn't carry these so I went with another DFH favorite..Columbus)

10 Saffron threads - (My brother brought back some really good Saffron from Turkey)

Fermentation
White Labs WLP001 or Wyeast 1056 ale yeast. (I went with WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale Yeast thinking that the OG would be huge)

1 quart (1 L) White muscat grape juice concentrate - (No home brew shop had this so I ordered it from Northern Brewer - Alexanders Muscat Grape Concentrate)

Process was similar to mentioned above except that I put the honey in at flame out. My OG was 1.060 and I added the Muscat after 4 days. From what I read this will only add about .005 fermentable sugar. If my FG is about 1.015 the beer will only be about 6%. Although on the brite side I might not have to condition it for as long as a 9% beer.

Congrats on doing it!!! It has been on my "to brew" list for several months.

I think you may be one of the few on here who has brewed it...I can't wait to hear what you have to say about it when it is ready!!!

Very interested too... I keep pushing this one back. Mostly because saffron is pricey as hell!!! What's the concensus... Will it be good without it? Can anything sub for it?

I'd be curious about what an appropriate grain bill would be for this recipe if going an AG recipe of this fine beverage.

I need to get a copy of Extreme Brewing.

Just basic 2-row...nothing else needed for that side of it...Since the original is simply light malt extract and nothing else.

I had a feeling that was the case, especially since most of the character is coming from the muscat and saffron.