Help with Fat Tire clone recipe

So, I've been looking for a good Fat Tire clone recipe for the last couple of days and have come across about 10 different recipes, all with different grain bills and hop schedules. Since a lot of the hop schedules called for Fuggles and neither I nor my LHBS have any Fuggles, I've narrowed it down to the following :

Fat Tire
Size: 5.04 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 172.09 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.052 (1.045 - 1.060)
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.015)
Color: 16.47 (10.0 - 17.0)
Alcohol: 5.09% (4.5% - 6.2%)
Bitterness: 22.7 (25.0 - 40.0)

Ingredients:
6 lb Belgian Pale
2 lb Amber Malt
1 lb Munich Malt
.5 lb Belgian Biscuit
.25 lb Crystal Malt 10°L
.25 lb Crystal Malt 40°L
.25 lb Special Roast Malt
.5 oz Northern Brewer (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Willamette (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
.5 oz Willamette (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
0.0 ea WYeast 1272 American Ale II

The original hop schedule for the above grain bill had the IBUs coming in at 37.2, which I think is pretty high for Fat Tire, since I saw most of the recipes recommending around 16 IBUs. So I dialed it back until I hit the 22 IBU range. Alternatively, I've also seen recipes that had the following hop schedule, which should put me in the same range:
0.75 oz. Willamette Whole 5.00 16.8 90 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 2.6 15 min.
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 2.4 5 min.

I'm just not sure about the flavor/aroma differences in the two since I'm still fairly new to this. Any input on the grain bill or which of the hop schedules to use?

Thanks!

I think Yooper has a fat tire clone on her recipe list. If you haven't checked there you may want too.

My Fat tire clone uses

Pearl .75 60min
Mt Hood .50 15 min
Glacier .25 5min

I'd say just make what you have - it might turn out better then Fat Tire.

I tend to think that most home brews turn out better then the originals.

This one is from Brewboard originally but it turned out fantastic!! Not sure how close to the original it is but this is a fantastic drinkable brew! Just had one so your post caught my eye...
Flat Assed Tired
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 8/16/2008
Style: American Amber Ale Brewer: Ohiodad
Batch Size: 10.00 gal Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 12.84 gal Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % Equipment: Brew Pot (15 Gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (10 Gal)
Actual Efficiency: 75.64 %
Taste Rating (50 possible points): 35.0

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
12.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 58.54 %
4.00 lb Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 19.51 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 9.76 %
1.00 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2.44 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2.44 %
0.50 lb Special Roast (50.0 SRM) Grain 2.44 %
1.50 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 22.9 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [4.86 %] (30 min) Hops 6.7 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [4.86 %] (15 min) Hops 4.3 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [4.86 %] (5 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
2 Pkgs GF All American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1272) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.056 SG (1.045-1.056 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.014 SG (1.010-1.015 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Color: 12.2 SRM (11.0-18.0 SRM) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 35.6 IBU (20.0-40.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 22.5 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.43 % (4.50-5.70 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 5.48 %
Actual Calories: 250 cal/pint


Mash Profile Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Mash Tun Weight: 9.00 lb
Mash Grain Weight: 20.50 lb Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
Sparge Water: 9.15 gal Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE

Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 24.60 qt of water at 164.1 F 152.0 F 60 min


Mash Notes
Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Carbonation Volumes: 2.4 (2.3-2.8 vols)
Estimated Priming Weight: 7.6 oz Temperature at Bottling: 60.0 F
Primer Used: - Age for: 4.0 Weeks
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F


Notes
Amber Malt (22 SRM) Grain 19.5 % (2lbs Pale malt oven toasted at 350 degrees for 30 minutes)

Thanks for posting that recipe. I think that's the same one I got my grain bill from, but I was a bit worried about the IBUs since I think Fat Tire is actually much lower than that.

From BYO:

When trying to emulate Fat Tire Amber Ale, Bouckaert advises that you pay particular attention to the malt bill and the aging process. "We have a malt character that asks for a lot of light-colored malts," he says. "Specialty, Munich and light caramel malts comprise up to 30 percent. For the signature toasted biscuit flavor of this brown-amber beer, add from 5 to 10 percent of malts with a nutty character." For hops, he recommends shooting for 16 IBUs with a subtle late addition of aroma or dry hops. "Don't use Cascade or other overpowering hops," Bouckaert adds.

Click to expand...

I haven't had Fat Tire in a while but I don't remember it being particularly hoppy, which is why the high IBUs scared me off a bit. I think I may go with the same hops, but stick with my original schedule to bring it in around the low 20's. I'll let everyone know how it turns out! :rockin:

bigjohnmilford said:

I think Yooper has a fat tire clone on her recipe list. If you haven't checked there you may want too.

Click to expand...

CAREFUL putting Yooper and Fat Tire in the same sentence. When I first read that, my heart fluttered a little thinking "Man, she is going to kill you!" But then I got to the rest of the sentence. WHEW! (nervously wiping sweat from brow)

I know this thread is a little old but just in case anyone else reads it and for future reference Bouckaert recommends around 16IBUS. This information was taken from an interview with him and is located on the BYO website.

The Flat Ass Tired recipe is mine. This is how it originally appeared on the brewboard back in 2004. I made the notation that the beer could handle the IBU's just fine. The SRM is a tad off but not by much. I used a portable electric oven to toast the grain, so ymmv depending on your oven. I added the Belgian pale malt to give it a semblance of being Belgian, which it is not. I have no idea how Fat Tire tastes these days.

The little recipe that takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'


Sep 12 2004, 12:19 PM Post #1


Group: Members
Posts: 1,086
Joined: 13-December 02
From: Walkabout Creek
Member No.: 504



The flavor similarities in this beer to Fat Tire are remarkable. SRM is 12 and Fat Tire is more like 11, so it's very close. I think the key to the flavor lies in the amber malt (Belgian Pale home toasted at 350F for 25 mins). Highly recommeded by my "Beer Wench"...Before anyone questions the IBU's...the balance of the beer takes care of it. If anyone brews it, please let me know what you think.


Flat Ass Tired


Brew Type: All Grain
Style: American Amber Ale
Batch Size: 5.00 gal Assistant Brewer: Beer Wench
Boil Volume: 6.5 gal Boil Time: 90 min


Ingredients
6.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3 SRM) Grain 58.5 %
2.00 lb Amber Malt (22 SRM) Grain 19.5 %
1.00 lb Munich Malt (9 SRM) Grain 9.8 %
0.50 lb Biscuit Malt (23 SRM) Grain 4.9 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10 SRM) Grain 2.4 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40 SRM) Grain 2.4 %
0.25 lb Special Roast (50 SRM) Grain 2.4 %
0.75 oz Northern Brewer [8.5%] (60 min) Hops 22.8 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (30 min) Hops 7.6 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (15 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [Starter 1000 ml]

I found this recipe about a month ago tried it. I am a Fat Tire fan and I know what it taste like. I have tried extract kits that are nothing like it and they should not call them Fat Tire clones. However I am pleasantly and happily surprised that this is really very very close to the taste of Fat Tire. I have had a few pints since kegging last weekend and I was thinking of getting some real Fat Tire for a side by side. Well I had a couple of drafts for lunch at a restaurant and I think it is almost spot on. I will definitely be doing this again. I did it exactly as it was laid out by toasting grains and the Belgian pale malt and all. If you are looking for one that is really close you should try this one. I found it on another site by I think he goes by Hophead. Anyway thanks Hophead for a great recipe. F.A.T Flat Assed Tired