Mirror Pond by Deschutes

I spent a few years in Oregon and my favorite small batch beer out there was Mirror Pond by Deschutes brewery. I've been looking around the internet and can't find a good clone that I trust. I found one that used 3 1/2lbs of malt extract but that seemed like it wasn't enough for a 5 gallon batch. I've only messed with kits up until now so I'm not really comfortable with using a recipe from some random website.

If anyone has run across a good Mirror Pond clone post it here.

I'll keep it updated if I find one.

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/5

Found this one. Anyone have any comments about the ingredients?

Well, Rob makes some very fine ales. I haven't tasted this one, but note that he calls it a "modified clone".

Likewise, Mirror Pond is one of my absolute favorite Brews (except maybe for their new Inversion IPA). I've got two different extract/specialty grain clones which are decent. The first is from Clone Brews:

3lbs DME (or 4.5lbs DME if not using specialty grains)
2lbs pale malt
1 lb crystal 20l

6aau cascade 60min
6aau cascade 15min
Wyeast 1056/equivalent
10aau cascade dryhop


Here is the recipe that I like better (from my LHBS):

6lbs DME
.5lb 45l English Crystal
1 oz cascade 60min
1 oz cascade 20 min
1 oz cascade 0 min
Wyeast 1056/equivalent
1 oz cascade dry hop

Hey thanks for the response. I ended up ordering the book off Amazon. I wanted the detailed recipe since all I've done so far is kits. Also it had some other beers in there that I might try.

Did someone say mirror pond?:rockin:

FWIW my friend forwarded me a page with several recipes on it from a random website . I think he wants 10 gallons for his 50th birthday or something. BTW this recipe uses almost 11 lbs combined malts.

Mirror Pond Clone
Specifics
Recipe type: Partial Mash
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.055
Finishing Gravity: 1.012
Time in Boil: 1 hour
Primary Fermentation: 7 days
Secondary Fermentation: 7 days
Additional Fermentation: 3 weeks bottle carbonation


Ingredients:
7 lbs. Pale malt extract
1 lb. 20L Crystal malt
1 1/2 lbs. 2 row pale malt
1/2 lb. Munich malt
2 oz. Cascade hops (60 min)
2 oz. Cascade hops (30 min)
1 oz. Cascade hops (last 5 min)
1 oz. Cascade hops (last 1 min. or dry hop)
#1028 London ale yeast

Procedure:
Single step mash the grains in 3 quarts of water at 152 for one hour. Sparge with 6 more quarts at 170. Add this to 3 gallons of water with the extracts and boil for 1 hour using the listed hop schedule. (Irish moss, wort chill, aireate, and yeast pitch as per own styles)

Nice. I might use that one. I'll wait until I get the book to compare though.

Is that considered a mini mash? I've been using kits and what it calls for is to put the grains in a sock that comes with it and steep at 170 for one hour. Sound close to the same but I do it will three gallons of water and don't sparge.

After further research on IBUs glibiddys recipe came to about 68 IBU. Am I doing somthing wrong? Deschutes website calls for 40 IBU.

jcarson83 said:

After further research on IBUs glibiddys recipe came to about 68 IBU. Am I doing somthing wrong? Deschutes website calls for 40 IBU.

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Works backwards from your IBU's. Choose the amount of IBU's you desire, and AAU of those hops, and then come up with the qty of hops that matches your needs. Keep in mind this isn't actualy my recipe, but something from a random website.

I can't get the Recipator give me accurate numbers. I ran the numbers manually using Tinseths equations and they don't jive. Not sure if I trust the website.

Here is the formula I use

Here is a good read about calculating IBU's. I have always done all mine longhand, without that fancy software.

Ok I decided on a recipe and I'm going to brew up my first partial mash this weekend. Here it is:

2lbs American Crystal Malt 40
4lbs Pale Malt (2-row)

3lbs Light DME

Cascade Hops (assuming 6%aa for now)
1.25oz 60min left
1.25oz 20min left
0.5oz 6min left
2oz dry hop at 2 weeks

Pete Moss 2 min left

Yeast 1056

I calculated IBU 40, OG 1.050 based on my spreadsheet.

I'm planning on buying a 5gal circular cooler and building a lauter tun with copper pipping as recommended in some of the other posts. 60 min mash with batch sparge at 170F. I haven't calculated my sparge amounts yet.

Oh and I just got a turkey fryer so I can do a full 5 gallon boil.

Recipe looks good. The only question I might have is, why 2lbs of crystal? I was under the impression that more than about 1lb is excessive lighter styles such as an APA. Hopefully the more knowledgeable minds will chime in on this topic. Also, is that Irish Moss (not pete moss)?

Yeah irish. I had a recipe that called for 1 and 2 so I just doubled it so I wouldn't have to use as much DME. Let me know if thats a bad idea.

Have you brewed this yet jacarson83? If so, how'd it turn out?

This is the recipe from Austin Homebrews Mirror Pond Clone. It is very good.
Mirror Pond Clone

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

10-A American Ale, American Pale Ale

Min OG: 1.045 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 54
Min Clr: 5 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.25 Wort Size (Gal): 5.25
Total Grain (Lbs): 7.00
Anticipated OG: 1.042 Plato: 10.48
Anticipated SRM: 6.4
Anticipated IBU: 39.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 30 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.18 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.036 SG 8.95 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.3 1.00 lbs. Crystal 20L America 1.035 20
85.7 6.00 lbs. Briess LME- Gold America 1.035 4

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 7.30 31.1 60 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 7.30 8.3 15 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 7.30 0.0 Dry Hop


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.10 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP001 California Ale




Notes
-----

Steep crystal at 155° for 30 minutes.

Here's my recipe after some tasting with my LHBS and some wild-ass guessing combined with what I could find online. This is in secondary and should be taste-worthy in about 1month:

5gal
OG: 1.058
IBU: 44
SRM: 8.3

Malts:
2# Pale Malt - 2row
1.5# Munich Malt
1# Crystal 30L
above in a "mini-mash"

Then added a total of 4.5# of Briess light LME in two steps during boil. 1.5# at beginning to aid in hop utilization and 3# near end of boil.

Irish Moss at 15min remaining

My LHBS store shorted 1/2 oz of Cascade so I had to compensate with Saaz

Hops:
1.5oz Cascade at 60min remaining
.66oz Cascade and .25oz Saaz at 15min remaining
.66oz Cascade and .25oz Saaz at 0min remaining steeped at flame-out for 3min.
1oz Cascade dry-hopped.

See my sig for the details of my first clone attempt. Not sure how much of a dead-ringer it will be, but it should be a fine PA.

mezman said:

Have you brewed this yet jacarson83? If so, how'd it turn out?

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It's been in the bottles for about 3 weeks. I've tasted a couple and its a little fruity so I'm giving it a few more weeks. The same thing happened to an IPA I did and after about 4 months in the bottles it was great. Other than that it turned out well.

I took a trip to CO about a month ago and picked up some real Mirror Pond so I can do a taste test, and remind myself what it tasted like. Its not perfect but I don't know where I went wrong.

jcarson83 said:

Yeah irish. I had a recipe that called for 1 and 2 so I just doubled it so I wouldn't have to use as much DME. Let me know if thats a bad idea.

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Drop the Crystal 40 to 1# and increase your 2-row by 1# or include 1# of 2-row Munich Malt.

I went with some Munich Malt due to the significant (but doesn't linger) malty taste in the brew.

I'm brand new to brewing. I love Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter. I was wondering if you (jcarson83) ever made a batch of Mirror Pond that was good.

Thanks.

When I first posted this, almost a year ago, I was pretty new to brewing as well. I 've been brewing mostly pale ales since and haven't really come that close to a Mirror Pond. It's a mystery to me what makes it taste so damn good compared to other pale ales. I 've been messing around with other hops, other than cascades, and on my last batch I went back to strictly cascades in order to get back to the root of the beer. Its sitting on primary right now. To me thats what gives Mirror Pond its most striking characteristics.

It's been almost a year now since I've tasted one and unfortunately the memory is fading. I wish they had smellonet so at least I could get a good whiff of it again.

I'm working on an Pale Ale recipe inspired by Mirror Pond. Has anyone had any good results or updates with the various recipes that they can share?

For all grain go

8 lbs 2 row
1.25 lbs corn sugar ( give the extra light dme effect)
1 lbs crystal 40L

1 oz Cascade 60 min
1 oz Cascade 30 min
1 oz Dry hop

WLP001 California ale yeast ( use what you want this one is most versatile)

Steep @ 154.
Sparge @ 170

preboil 6.5 gal with approximately 1 gal evaporation/hour gives roughly 5.5 gal.

For extract go

3 lbs DME
3 lbs Extra Light DME
1 lbs crystal 40L
.25 lbs malto dextrin (Adds body and mouthfeel. For all extract beer does
not ferment.)

Same hop schedule

I just emailed Deschuttes Brewery asking for the Recipe and this is what they sent. They sent it on Deschuttes Brewery letterhead too! I would post the letter but doesn't appear you are able too.

Specifics:

Recipe type: All grain
Batch size: 5 U.S. gallons
Original gravity: 1.050-1.055
Final gravity: 1.012-1.015
Boil time: 90 minutes
Fermentation temp: 65° F
Yeast type: English Ale


Malt:
NW 2-row Pale Malt
Crystal Malt
Dextrin Malt

Hops:
100% Cascade


**Note**
Temps, times and weights are the challenge. Happy Brewing!

Nice!!!! I might have to give that a shot.

When i plugged everything into a beer calculator this is what i came up with.

10lbs American 2 row
1 lbs crystal 20L
.5lbs Dextrin

Started with 7 gal for boil estimated 1 gal loss per hour for 90 mins with a finish boil of 5.5 gal into my primary.

@ 70% efficiency give estimated OG of 1.054. So it's right in there. Just gotta figure out a hop schedule.

Since Mirror Pond isn't to hoppy i'm just gonna go with 1 oz Cascade @ 60min, 30 min and dry hop.

I'll see how that goes.

Rooster5150 said:

When i plugged everything into a beer calculator this is what i came up with.

10lbs American 2 row
1 lbs crystal 20L
.5lbs Dextrin

Started with 7 gal for boil estimated 1 gal loss per hour for 90 mins with a finish boil of 5.5 gal into my primary.

@ 70% efficiency give estimated OG of 1.054. So it's right in there. Just gotta figure out a hop schedule.

Since Mirror Pond isn't to hoppy i'm just gonna go with 1 oz Cascade @ 60min, 30 min and dry hop.

I'll see how that goes.

Click to expand...

Did you try this recipe? How'd it go?

Rooster5150 said:

Since Mirror Pond isn't to hoppy i'm just gonna go with 1 oz Cascade @ 60min, 30 min and dry hop.

I'll see how that goes.

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It lists it at 40 IBU's on the Deschutes web site

I just tried one of my Mirror Pond clones. It has only been in the bottles for two weeks, it still needs a bit more aging.

My recipe is:
6 lb Ultralight LME
1 lb Crystal 20L steeped 30min @ 160F
1 oz Cascade @ 60min
1 oz Cascade @ 15min
1 oz Cascade @ dry hop
Safale S-05 dry yeast

It is a good APA, though it doesn't taste like Mirror Pond as I remember it. I'd say it has a bit too much hops in it. It isn't too bitter, which is good. I'll have to pick up a six pack and give them a side-by-side in a few weeks. I'll report back then. I also did a batch with S-04 and no dry hop, that'll be ready in 3 weeks.

I'm about to try my hand at this delicious APA. I see a bunch of recipes here, but no one is screaming success. What gives? Has anybody got the Mirror Pond clone right?

I had my first Mirror Pond on tap this afternoon and agree, that is one great beer. I think the key maybe the english style yeast, but this thread seems more focused on the hop and malt quantities.

what yeast strains have you guys been trying?

have you guys listened to the Brewing Network's "Can you Brew It" They did a run of Deschutes beer. They didnt clone Mirror pond, but came close and with suggested tweaks, I bet it would be damn good. Their Green Flash was dy-no-mite!

I haven't quite replicated Mirror Pond yet, but I've come up with a really nice English Pale Ale recipe which is in the ball park. It uses the White Labs Dry English Ale yeast strain.

Originally from Portland and now in Atlanta. Mirror Pond is one of my all time favorites. I will be giving this one a go this Friday. I will let you all know how it turns out.

12G AG Mirror Pond Clone 90 Min Boil Mash @ 152

20 lb Crisp Pale Malt
2 lb Crystal 20L
1 lb Carapils
2.75 Cascade @ 60
2.75 Cascade @ 15
Irish Moss @ 15
2.5 Dry Hop

Based on this I am looking for 1.054 OG. Going to use 1968 as I have some washed and ready to go from a previous batch. Starter will go on the stir plate this afternoon. Based on my calculations I will be looking to pitch approx 460 Billion Yeasties. Ferment at 63. I will keep you posted.

Looks like you know what your doing. Hope to hear that it turns out. Maybe this will be my come back brew.

Btw I like the 63 ferment. Perfect. What's the ferment schedule?

I haven't tasted this yet, but here's my attempt:

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.87 %
13.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 7.45 %
3.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 1.68 %
0.75 oz Cascade [8.60 %] (60 min) Hops 19.6 IBU
1.25 oz Cascade [8.60 %] (15 min) Hops 18.0 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 3.6 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [8.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 oz Cascade (homegrown) [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -

I mashed at 152, and used s05 for the yeast. It's going to be dryhopped tomorrow morning, and I'll taste it then.

What's your ferment schedule Yooper?

jcarson83 said:

What's your ferment schedule Yooper?

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My ferment schedule? I don't really schedule anything, but I brewed on April 9, I pitched at 62 degrees, and it's been at 64 degrees since. It's been finished for quite a while, I think. It was fermenting pretty steady for the first four days or so. I'll check the SG tomorrow and dryhop it and then keg it on Monday.