Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale

This is my newest obsession. Has anyone else tried it? It is from a small, young brewery in Conroe, TX. I would love to be able to try to match this using extract but I wouldn't have the first clue.

If you live in Texas and haven't tried it you are definitely missing out! But the only place I have found it in Dallas is Whole Foods.

"As for ingredients, Bombshell's malt backbone is constructed of Rahr Special Pale and Wyermann Viennaa varieties, while German Tradition Sterling is the exclusive hop variety used. California Ale yeast is employed once again."

From: Pint Log: Southern Star Blonde Bombshell Ale Review

It is a tasty blonde.

Southern Star does have a few good beers, the Bombshell Blonde being one of them. One of these days I'm going to make the 30 minute drive North to take a brewery tour.

Haven't tried it yet, but I am a fan of their Pine Belt Pale Ale.

I'd say mostly pale malt, with enough vienna to bring it to the right color. Sterling hops are easy enough to find, you just have to estimate on the additions, and WYeast 1056 or WLP 001.

Malt: Rahr Special Pale
Wyermann Vienna
Hops: German Tradition Sterling
Yeast: California Ale
ABV: 5.25%
IBU: 20

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link Maxhavoc! Sounds like someone who knows what they are doing would be able to figure it out, haha. I, on the other hand, am relatively new and don't think experimenting is the best idea for me.

Wasn't too sure about it since it comes in cans, but I bought a six because I like blondes and I liked the label art.

I liked it enough to buy another six. Tasty when served icy cold in a koozie on a hot day.

I'm no help on the recipe though...
Pez.

EDIT: Keg and Cellar in Coppell, TX carries it.

Yeah the only reason I first tried it was because we were floating the river and I needed cans. I only bought 6 because I was reluctant and thought Shiner was the safer bet.

I ended up rationing them the whole weekend!

I agree, good stuff. Perhaps not the best ever but like you said they are a young company. The company is owned by a guy I work with's brother in law and I fully intend to take a tour one weekend soon. I don't know much about that particular brew but I have attempted to clone the pine belt pale. First attempt was close but not quite there and I ended up with some funky after taste. Hopefully next attempt will get me closer. I will speak with the guy I know and see if he can't shoot an email to his brother in law about some suggestions.

Awesome! Remind him that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

call dave at the brewery and he will give you the recipe then all you have to do is adjust the pale malt to light dme he brewery phone number is 936-441-2739 if you cant get a hold of dave jeff or amil might be able to help

My Attempt: Partial Mash - I will let you know how it turns out!

3.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 37.50 %
3.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 37.50 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
1.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
1.25 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 21.4 IBU
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 35 ml] Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.34%
Bitterness: 24.2 IBU
Est Color: 3.9 SRM

Bringing this thread back up, isnt there some wheat in this brew? im drinkin one now and i would say so, but a murky beer for sure, looks like my chill hazed blonde

BarleyWater said:

Haven't tried it yet, but I am a fan of their Pine Belt Pale Ale.

I'd say mostly pale malt, with enough vienna to bring it to the right color. Sterling hops are easy enough to find, you just have to estimate on the additions, and WYeast 1056 or WLP 001.

Click to expand...

Malt: Rahr special pale, Simpsons 30-37, Crisp 45
Hops: Galena, CTZ, Nugget
Yeast: California Ale
IBU: 45
ABV: 6.3%

Straight from their website...I live just down the road from SSB and know Dave, the owner, a group of people! The Pine Belt is my favorite too!

It is delicious. We find it at Central Market but most places that have a halfway decent beer selection carries it these days.

We did the Southern Star tour today. The people are super nice and accomodating. The beer is great and it's nice to see a local business succeeding and growing. It's definitely cool packaging craft beer in cans.

CrazyBrew said:

We did the Southern Star tour today. The people are super nice and accomodating. The beer is great and it's nice to see a local business succeeding and growing. It's definitely cool packaging craft beer in cans.

Click to expand...

I was there today as well, you probably saw me...I was the guy in the wheelchair...i am there every Sat as i live just up the road... Love the cans AND unfiltered beer!

hey man go to www.brew-it-yourself.com and email Ray, hes got all their recipes. hes got em in extract, mini mash, and all grain.

Here's my take, brewed on 8/10/2012. Homebrew is on the right. This came out closer than I originally thought. If I were to re-brew, I would go half-and-half on pale and vienna, possibly bump mash up to 154, something to slightly up the malt presence.

Otherwise, spot on. Could throw in a whirlfloc next time too, but I like a cloudy looking blonde anyhow.


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Blond Bomber
Brewer: Ryan Harper
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.74 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 4.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 22.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 63.6 %
4 lbs Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 36.4 %
15.00 g Saaz [7.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 16.5 IBUs
15.00 g Saaz [7.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 4 4.4 IBUs
8.00 g Saphir [3.80 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 1.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 Yeast 6 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 37.12 qt of water at 156.1 F 152.0 F 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min 168.0 F 10 min


Ferment for 2 weeks at 62F.

Notes:
------
Color: Nice blond to yellow/orange color. Could be a bit more clear, but some yeast and protein haze present, not chill-hazed.

Head: nice, thick, creamy head, sustained during the whole drink, nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma: malt, bready, slightly sweet, tiny hint of hops (spice, noble)

Taste: initial sweet malt washes over the tongue, followed with some yeast and hop bite. Mostly clean finish. Could use more risidual sweetness


Comparision to Southern Star Bombshell blond:

Bomber is slightly lighter in srm, maybe there's a bit more vienna (or maybe a 90 minute boil)
Aroma: almost identical, Bomber a bit more tart, less malty
Flavor: surpisingly close; Bomber could use a slightly higher mash temp, maybe a touch more vienna malt, or a 90 min boil to bring out the malt a bit more
Bombshell had no head what-so-ever, not sure if that's just the age of the can, or normal.

This beer cleared up in another week.

Also I'm happy to report this took 2nd place at the AHA Club only Competition in the light hybrid category.


http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/competitions/club-only-competitions/winners

Just got the score sheet back and it got a 42!

I picked a partial mash from Ray over in spring. I just bottled it today and had to try out the leftovers. OMG even flat this one is a keeper. Cant wait for it to finish.