Clone Beer Dog Fish Head - Midas Touch

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OregonNative

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
163
Reaction score
4
Location
Louisville, KY
Recipe Type
Extract
Yeast
WLP001/Wyeast1056 ale yeast
Yeast Starter
n/a?
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
n/a
Batch Size (Gallons)
6.5
Original Gravity
1.086
Final Gravity
1.026
Boiling Time (Minutes)
75
IBU
12
Color
Dark Amber
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
5-7 days 68-75 F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
12-14 days 68-75 F
Additional Fermentation
n/a
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
---------------
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
-------------
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
-----------
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.
 
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.
 
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:

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

How much do you think for that OG? I'm thinking of trying something like this but with apple instead of grape.
 
OK so being a new brewer we have some good news and some bad news. I bottled all 5 gallons of it in 12, 16, and 23 oz bottles. It has been conditioning for almost 3 weeks now. I was on my couch watching tv the other day and POP came from the closet where the beer was. 2 of the bottles blew up. After researching a little bit I found out that White Labs WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale Yeast has an attenuation of 80% or more. I started with a 1.062 gravity. But after 3 days I added the muscat concentrate which added a ton of sugar to the batch. I had a hard time finding anything on the web that showed how much gravity this added to the beer (I think one website showed it adds .005?). My FG was 1.022 which was high but I figured this was about 2/3 fermented so I thought I should be ok. These are the steps that I followed and I think I know what the error was. I fermented for 7 days and then put it in the secondary for 3 weeks. I believe I took it off the yeast too early and it didn't hit a lower FG. After 3 weeks in the secondary it was still bubbling but slower and the gravity stayed at 1.022. I put the 12 oz bottles in the fridge for now hoping that they won't blow up. The 16 and 23 oz bottles are really thick so hopefully I should be ok. The problem is that the beer is super carbonated. The good news is that it tastes good so far. It is still green but I can taste a little bit of the honey and the muscat makes it dry. Reminds me a belgian style that uses honey (Barbar). The saffron doesn't come through that much but it is a powerful spice so I didn't want to overdue it with too much.
 
When figuring out your expected FG on this beer it is pretty safe to just use the malt. The sugars in the grape juice and honey will completely ferment so they don't contribute to the FG.

The muscat juice concentrate is 68 Brix, which translates to 68% sugar. You can estimate the SG it adds by using the weight of the juice times 0.68 and treat it as sugar.

Craig
 
Got some questions that I hope the more experienced guys can answer

This is my 2nd brewing attempt, last one was a euro bock kit so im still a bit new, thought this one looked easy enough though.

1. Edit: Had a fermentation question but Revvy answered it in another thread

2. Have questions here "After the most vigorous fermentation subsides (about 3 days), add the White Muscat grape juice concentrate. Rock the baby again." So I open up the fermentation bucket, dump the concentrate in it, how much should I shake it up? Will the yeast consume a lot of the sugar in this juice?

3. Ferment for 5 to 7 more days then rack to secondary fermenter. is this just for clarity?
 
I typically leave mine in the primary for 2 weeks, then move it over to the secondary. Depending on the brew I leave it for 2 weeks. For a high grav IPA with 6-10 oz of hops I leave it for 2-4 weeks in the secondary.

Typically if I am dry hopping I'll go 2 weeks in the secondary before adding the dry hops for 2 more.
 
This is one I brew quite a bit of. Mrs Zac just loves it, and everybody who has tasted it really likes it. I'd have to check mt brew sheet, but I think I use 6lbs or 2-row & thats it.
 
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?

Just started a variation on this today. I found a .5g package of saffron at the local Indian spice store for 4.99. Doesn't seem like a deal killer at all. I'm going to substitute loganberry juice for the grape juice and see what happens =). I'm also going to use 4.5 lb of British 2-row and 4 lb of light DME.
 
My wife and I love this beer. I think I'll try to make it soon. Quick question: do you need to boil or sanitize the grape juice somehow before adding it to the fermenter, or do you just pour it in?
 
Just make sure the juice is pasturized and preservative free. You should be just fine then. And the recipe calls for concentrate, not actually juice, so be careful of that, too.
 
marking this to brew this weekend. Looks great! any ideas on where to get saffron cheaper? i just found .06 oz for $20!!! its gonna be costly.
 
I think there is different grades of saffron so you may be able to find it in whole foods or some specilty health food store maybe. I didn't really taste any of the saffron in it so if you leave it out you probably woudn't notice anything. moeron15 said he found it in an indian store.
 
I am not a fan of this beer (at all), but regarding the price of saffron...

Mexican saffron is significantly cheaper than what you would find in the spice aisle at a grocery store. I don't know how much (if any) affect this would have on the flavor of the finished product, but if you have a small mexican market near you, check it out. You can get a huge bag of it for a couple of bucks if memory serves....
 
marking this to brew this weekend. Looks great! any ideas on where to get saffron cheaper? i just found .06 oz for $20!!! its gonna be costly.

Wow, thats way too much! I went to a local indian spice store and picked up more than enough for 4.99.
 
I made this beer about a year ago using the same recipe from Extreme Brewing. Well I still have about 1/2 to 2/3 of a keg left. :(

I've had the midas touch before and from what I remember I thought I liked it. This gave me a good enough reason to brew it. It turns out I'm not a fan anymore, although my friends have been enjoying it. :)

I did a side by side taste test. I nailed everything but the nose. Mine has the grape nose but not in the same way as the original.

I will say that this beer needs a lot of time to round out. It has greatly improved with age. So be patient and wait.
 
Actually, reading more about that Elektra, it is only barely fermented and the fermentation was stopped at 4% ABV, so maybe you could dump it in "as-is" and let it finish fermenting. It's pretty much muscat juice.

edit: it is ORANGE muscat, but better than nothing....
 
I'll say that this beer was a surprise for me. But having one cool, and one room temperature, I say that its delicate and yes a tad sweet but for an old recipe its done well and has a unique flavor.
 
so i'm finally brewing this. 'next weekend' turned into 'next month', but the time has come. i'm getting ready to add the saffron and decided to taste it first, just a thread, right on the tongue. I don't really find it to be that strong of a flavor. recipe calls for only 10 threads. the 0.06 oz i bought probably has about 100 threads in it. So, for those considering this, just buy the smallest container of saffron you can find. Or, just skip it. I haven't tried the beer yet, but i would bet in 5 gallons only 10 tiny threads aren't going to affect it too much. BTW, i bought spanish saffron.

good luck brewing! this is really simple with the small amount of hops to be added, then just waiting.
 
In cooking, saffron is often added just to color something, and not for flavor.

example: If you make a yellow cake from scratch, it will contain saffron just to make it yellow instead of white.
 
I don't really find it to be that strong of a flavor. recipe calls for only 10 threads.

After putting 10 threads out on the counter it seemed like a small amount so I think I put in about 30 or so and you really coudn't taste it in there. The muscat and honey yes but not the saffron.
 
After putting 10 threads out on the counter it seemed like a small amount so I think I put in about 30 or so and you really coudn't taste it in there. The muscat and honey yet but not the saffron.

i just read your reply and i swear i had typed that. That's exactly what i did. I took a solid pinch (probably about 30), but doubt I'll taste any of it. Well, at least I can bake a yellow cake now :ban:
 
so is the general consensus that we can skip the saffron? I am finding it difficult to find and have all of the other ingredients.
 
IMHO, i'd skip it. although i haven't had the original, haven't tried mine (with a hint more than what the recipe calls for), nor have i tried it without. So, i can't compare the outcome. Doesn't seem like it does much though.
 
Wow, all of this talk about "skip the saffron" and "I threw in 30 threads because I didn't think I'd taste it" kind of miss the point of brewing a clone, don't they? It seems strange to me to hear someone say, "I don't like this beer" when they didn't really even brew the beer in question, but their own version with changes that make it a different beer!
 
i dont think you're referring to me, cause i didnt say i liked or didnt like the beer, like others may have. as far as brewing a different beer altogether, you have a point. however, after it's been brewed i'll be comparing the real thing with my clone and will be able to comment on whether i am able to taste a difference with more saffron. maybe if someone does a brew without saffron, he/she can compare and comment on what the difference is there. This could help eliminate some unnecessary costs in the recipe if it doesn't affect the beer that much. DFH really was sticking to what the scientists found in the tomb in order to make the beer authentic. If it doesnt make a difference, i won't be using such an expensive ingredient in the future. just my thoughts on the brew.
 
I certainly wasn't attacking, just pointing out that the whole appeal of DFH's Midas Touch originally was that they were using an ancient recipe. Now, here some homebrewers come along and take Sam & Crew's version of the recipe, tweak it by tripling (or, alternately, completely eliminating) the primary spice, and what they have now is no longer Midas Touch, but a completely different recipe.

I had the same thing happen to me when I made my version of EdWort's Haus Pale Ale. I used a different yeast than called for, and a different hop, and got jumped on (by EdWort himself, no less!) because I was told I wasn't making EdWort's recipe but something different because my version wasn't the recipe as published. I heard the point then, and I am just making sure to spread the "beat-down wealth" now. :mug:
 
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