AHS Blue Moon Clone - Partial Mash

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Jilaman

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Looking for the wisdom of the community here, is there a simple way to modify this kit to be a Late Addition of the LME?

How much should I add of the LME at beginning of boil? Their instructions call for the 5lbs of LME to be added at the beginning of the boil.

How should I adjust the hops?


I used Beersmith to create the recipe and here it is based on the directions I received with the kit.




AHS Blue Moon Clone
Witbier


Type: Partial Mash
Date: 7/21/2008
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Matt Stiger
Boil Size: 4.08 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (5 Gallon)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 55.6 %
1.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 16.7 %
1.00 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 11.1 %
1.00 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 11.1 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 5.6 %
0.50 oz Ahtanum [6.00%] (60 min) Hops 8.5 IBU
0.50 oz Ahtanum [6.00%] (5 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
0.75 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.75 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) [Starter 750 ml] Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.048 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.8 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 10.2 IBU Calories: 211 cal/pint
Est Color: 7.0 SRM Color: Color
 
Bump.

Hey guys, I suggested to Jilaman to post this question here. I've done an extract brew and wasn't sure what to tell him for the late extract addition and hops adjustment.

Anybody able to give him a hand?

Cheers,
Sparky
 
Going from 10 to ~15 IBUs with the extra utilization seems OK, I wouldn't worry about it, it's still within style. Or you could cut back to 1/3 oz for bittering to get back closer to 10 if you are worried about it. Either way it will be a good brew.

- Eric
:mug:
 
This is still chugging in the Primary, the recipe from Austin Homebrew Supply shows that it should be 7 days in primary and then move to secondary. Does anyone think it should need a secondary? Should I just leave it in the primary for 14 days?

It is still fermenting, so I did not bother checking gravity yet. so I know it is not done fermenting, but I just wondered what anyones opinion is on whether or not to use a secondary on this particular beer.
 
I would just use Primary..the style is nice a cloudy as it is..Just out of curiosity but doesn't Blue Moon use a clean ale yeast for the beer? I think a wit yeast is better but I have made a few wits and one clone of blue moon with a wit yeast and it did not taste like blue moon..it was very good but not blue moon.


I would say a full 3 weeks in primary and bottle keg whichever..

J
 
+1... That strain takes three weeks to reach terminal gravity. Swirling the carboy every day or two to rouse the yeast is a good idea. Once the krausen drops take a reading, if it is below 1.015 you should be good to go, otherwise give it another week. You don't want bottle bombs.

There is no reason to secondary wheat beers since you aren't trying to clear them, and this yeast is highly flocculant so you don't have to worry about sediment in your bucket if you are careful racking.

- Eric
 
I didn't think it needed aging or clearing which is my understanding what a secondary is for.

Well Austin Homebrew's recipe calls for WL400 Wit yeast, so that is what I used. It has been in primary since last Saturday night, and it is stil chuggling at about a bubble every 8 or 9 seconds. I do know that people have had troubles with the WL400 attenuating properly or taking a long time.

This is my first partial mash and only my 10th batch. I plan on leaving it in the primary as long as possible to get the best attenuation and the best flavor from the orange peel and coriander.
 
Well after 8 days in Primary, it's SG is 1.010 which is where it should be when it is finished fermenting, I plan on letting it stay in primary for at least 14 days depending on when I can get to bottling. Does anyone else think I gain any benefit of letting it age longer or moving to a secondary?
 
I think your plan of bottling after 2 weeks should be fine since it sounds like fermentation has already done its thing. No need to secondary this.
 
Here is the finished product. I will probably get flak for drinking "green" beer as it has only been in the bottle 10 days, but I am worried about it's carbonation. It seems really weak. But I will wait another week or more before I start making judgements.

IM000396.JPG


The picture sucks, but the color is better than the image shows. With the flash the beer looks darker than it is. I think the color is right on. I did a late addition of 3.5lbs of the LME. Added it right at flame out stirred well then cooled. That and added the zest of two fresh oranges to "freshen" up the flavor.

I also left the coriander and orange zest in the primary during the fermentation phase.
 
I just tasted one of these, 14 days in the bottle as of yesterday, and It's been in the fridge overnight.

I get a distinct sense of possible problems.

1.) very little to no carbonation.

2.) slight band-aid taste. this worries me most.

Otherwise color is good, smell is good(other than band-aid)

More time ? Any suggestions.

Notes: I do use bleach to sanitize, but I did rinse before using anything that came in contact.
 
1.) very little to no carbonation.

Did you use the 4.5oz dextrose that the AHS kit comes with to prime?

My first batch (of hefe) got less than 4 gallons in the bottling bucket. Perfect carb with 4.5oz. My last hefe I used about 8oz dextrose for 5+ gal. Again perfect! For both bottlings, the beer was at about 72F.
 
I used the priming sugar it came with, and I had under 5 gal more like 4.5 gal in the bottling bucket. I boiled the priming sugar in the water, cooled and poured it into the bucket. I then racked the beer onto the priming solution, I did not stir it.


Should I let the beer just age more in the bottle?
 
I was just reading the directions from AHS on the kit, and it says the beer is best after 4 weeks in the bottle.
 
Jilaman
I made the same Austin clone and there was a definite off taste - don't know if it was the orange or the coriander, but the after-taste is not enjoyable. Did you ever get this answered or ?
 
Well as of this past weekend it has been bottled for 4 weeks. It has zero head retention. It doesn't seem really carbonated, there are bubbles and the CO2 "psssh" when I open a bottle.

I am not sure if this was my stupid mistake of leaving all the coriander and orange peel in the primary.(hindsight seems like this was dumb)

It tastes like beer, and maybe it is a bit more coriander than I thought. I'm really not sure what the off flavor is, I am not a beer judge and I don't have a very advanced palette, but I do know, it doesn't taste like blue moon.

I am baffled at this point. I will probably drink it, I have some friends that are a bit more advanced in brewing, I am going to have them try it and give me a critique.
 
Opened another today, total gusher. It's been in the fridge like 48 hours.

Opened two more, back to the barely carbonated.
 
I used the priming sugar it came with, and I had under 5 gal more like 4.5 gal in the bottling bucket. I boiled the priming sugar in the water, cooled and poured it into the bucket. I then racked the beer onto the priming solution, I did not stir it.


Should I let the beer just age more in the bottle?

You said you did not stir it. I always set the tube in the bottling bucket so that the beer sort of swirls in. After it's all in the bottling bucket I gently stir it. Not sure, but it sounds like uneven distribution of the priming sugar throughout the bottles.
 
I did not stir it, and maybe I should have, but racking the beer onto the priming solution worked man times before. I usually put the tube in like a half circle on the bottom of bottling bucket which creates a good swirl.
 
Sounds like some inconsistency with the priming at bottling to me, too. Has the off taste mellowed out yet?

ps I hope you're drinking all those you're opening to find out about the carbonation. ;)
 
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