Fat Tire Clone

I checked the usual suspects and found this recipe for a Fat Tire Clone. http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?group=20&item=1517 The ingredients are as follows:
7 lb. American 2-row
1.5 lb. American Munich
0.5 lb. Belgiun Biscuit
0.75 lb. American Crystal 20L
4 oz. American Crystal 40L
4 oz. American Crystal 120L

1 oz. Williamette 5% 60 min
1.5 oz. Williamette aroma

Having never used biscuit malt before, does this seem about right. Also, I'm assuming that the aroma hops are to be added at heat knock-off and removed when cooled. Any suggestions, comments, tweaks?

bump... im curious too!

Also interested. I've looked around and found maybe a half dozen different clone recipes for Fat Tire, but they all are pretty different. Biscuit Malt is about the only ingredient common to all of them.

I can't decide on which one to cook up, which is why "Fat Tire Clone" is last on my list of "on-deck" recipes.

-walker

I just ordered a couple of books with recipes (Clone Brews etc.) and I'm almost positive that there is a recipe for Fat Tire in one of them. If there is I'll check out the differences and post.

I'm brewing this recipe Thursday. I got it from another forum from a brewer who is well respected. He swears its as close as you can get.
I'm altering the hops because I'm no longer a big fan of NB, but here is a good base to get started with.

NOTE: The 2 lbs. of amber malt is home toasted Belgian Pale at 350 degrees for 25 mins.


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]

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.058 SG (1.045-1.056 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.014 SG (1.010-1.015 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Color: 12 SRM (11-18 SRM) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 37.2 IBU (20.0-40.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 2.4 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.7 % (4.5-5.7 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 6.1 %

ORRELSE said:

...I'm altering the hops because I'm no longer a big fan of NB...

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Kinda curious as to why you dont like NB anymore.

Any extract? Im not up to all grains yet.

Tony said:

Kinda curious as to why you dont like NB anymore.

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Don't know. I did a batch of LWPA with NB instead of Perle and it just wasn't right. Didn't seem to fit with an IPA.

OtherWhiteMeat said:

Any extract? Im not up to all grains yet.

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Substitute the top 2 lines of the recipe I posted with something like this:

4 lb Light DME
1 lb Wheat DME

That will get you close to the OG. The wheat DME might aid in head retention and add some body.

ORRELSE said:

Don't know. I did a batch of LWPA with NB instead of Perle and it just wasn't right. Didn't seem to fit with an IPA.

Click to expand...

Tony...he means Northern Brewer hops, not New Belgian Brewing, I think.

Just received my copy of Beer Captured. The recipe in there calls for 8lb. Belgian two-row, Crystal 80L, Munich Malt, Victory Malt and Biscuit Malt. The grain base looks fairly similar to the above posted recipes. Hops are a little different. Magnum for bittering, Hallertau Hersbrucker for flavor and Williamette for aroma. All three agree on the Aroma hops. Hope this is useful.

brewsmith said:

Just received my copy of Beer Captured. The recipe in there calls for 8lb. Belgian two-row, Crystal 80L, Munich Malt, Victory Malt and Biscuit Malt. The grain base looks fairly similar to the above posted recipes. Hops are a little different. Magnum for bittering, Hallertau Hersbrucker for flavor and Williamette for aroma. All three agree on the Aroma hops. Hope this is useful.

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Cool...Curious what the IBUs are for that recipe in Beer Captured?

ORRELSE said:

Cool...Curious what the IBUs are for that recipe in Beer Captured?

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IBUs = 21

El Pistolero said:

IBUs = 21

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Ouch. I'm sure the New Belgium version is somewhere along those lines as well.
Being the hop-head that I am--I want it amped up a little. With promash, I got 36. The owner of the recipe I'm using says it holds bitterness well, and he got 37 when he did it. I'm sticking with that ballpark.

FWIW--here's the hops bill that I'll be using:

1 oz. Willamette 60 mins
1 oz. Fuggles 30 mins
1 oz. Fuggles 15 mins
1 oz. Willamette flameout

ORRELSE said:

Flat Ass Tired

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 %

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Hmmmm... I went to the LHBS to get some of the speciality grains here, and was told that biscuit malt and special roast were the exact same thing; special was the american name and biscuit was the british name.

What gives there? I don't know any better, honestly (I only recently stopped using kits) so I just grabbed a bag and left.... confused.

-walker

I'm pretty sure biscuit and special are two different animals, although both are pale roasted and the flavors are perhaps similar enough that you could make a substitution. I would have thought victory would be a better substitute than special.

I assume you're talking about American Brewmasters? I know I've bought biscuit there in the past.

BeeGee said:

I assume you're talking about American Brewmasters? I know I've bought biscuit there in the past.

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Yeah... AmBrew is where I went. The bags are labeld "biscuit", but the paper sign on the big box that holds the pre-measured 1lb bags says:


Looking around on the web, I have found places that sell both, and they say that Special Roast is similar to biscuit. One other place that sells both describes biscuit as leaving (duh) a 'breadlike' character and special roast as leaving a 'nutty' flavor.

I guess if I want special roast, I'm going to have to get it somewhere other tham American Brewmaster.

-walker

I see...I probably just saw the one sign and bought it as biscuit. In any case, this page:
www.foamrangers.com/malts.html
certainly indicates they are different.

FYI....I read elsewhere that the Beer Captured recipe recommends a Belgian yeast strain. I'm not at home, so I can't verify that at the moment.

From the other clone recipes I've seen, Belgian yeast is not recommended by those who say they have successfully cloned it. They say it isn't even close, matter of fact.

I've never had Fat Tire, so I've no first-hand knowledge, just passing on what I've read.

BeeGee said:

I'm pretty sure biscuit and special are two different animals, although both are pale roasted and the flavors are perhaps similar enough that you could make a substitution. I would have thought victory would be a better substitute than special.

I assume you're talking about American Brewmasters? I know I've bought biscuit there in the past.

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I'm pretty sure they are different to. To take that even further, I've read before that american and british versions of crystal malts are completely different animals as well.

Unfortunately my palate isn't really trained enough to really know the difference in a lot of stuff....gotta keep drinking!!!!

ORRELSE said:

Unfortunately my palate isn't really trained enough to really know the difference in a lot of stuff....gotta keep drinking!!!!

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Sounds like a great plan! Can I join you?

Here's what I have ended up with. Brewing this tonight. Starter is foaming at the mouth....

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?group=18&item=5111

-walker

Well, racked over to secondary today. So far, very nice. I'll tell ya, the biscuit goes a long way. A little dab'll do ya! Pretty bready but that's what Fat Tire is, so it fits.

I really hope nothing happens to this batch. Its really good right now.

BTW--I must say, good call on the fuggles instead of northern brewer, Brewmaster in Training Orr. Bitter, but not harsh.

Yeah, I hear you on the biscuit. ABout 10 minutes into steeping my grains last night my wife called from the living room.

"I know I always say it smells like bread baking when you brew, but it REALLY smells like it tonight. What are you using for your grain?"

-walker

hey guy's, how's the fat tire clone coming? here's my recipe for tomorrow:
8.5 lbs domestic special 2-row
.5 lb. cara-vienne
.5 lb cara-munich
.5 lb. cara-pils
.5 lb. munich malt (6 degree)
.25 lb. biscuit malt
2 oz chocolate malt
2/3 oz willamette hops @ 75 min
1/2 oz fuggles @ 15 min
1/2 oz fuggles @ 0 min
1300 ml starter w/ WLP001 (Cali Ale)
mash for 60 min @ 152 degrees w/ 1 pkg water salts
og 1.050 fg 1.012

Personal observation: Fat Tire goes very well with pepperoni pizza. I'll have to try one of these, haven't done an amber in years.

you got it brother! my wife and i make home made pizza every sunday and it goes soo good w/ homebrew. especially an ipa.....
when my fat tire's ready, it'll get the pizza duo test......

DeRoux's Broux said:

hey guy's, how's the fat tire clone coming?

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I just have to finish up my stout and then I can transfer the Fat Tire over to a keg. Drinking that stout (which hasn't lived up to my expectations) is proving difficult.

None the less, I'll have Fat Tire on tap REAL soon.

bummer. what's up with the stout? off flavors, or not what you wanted?

El Pistolero said:

Tony...he means Northern Brewer hops, not New Belgian Brewing, I think.

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Yeah, I was curious on the Northern Brewer hops... I like hearing others comments about likes and dislikes on certain styles...

I will have to try the recipe with Fuggles to see for myself.

i found a clone recipe last nightfor fat tire on BYO's web page, and it called for willamete and fuggles too. almsot identical to mine, except it called for two styles of crystal malt. ready to brew today!!!!!

DeRoux's Broux said:

bummer. what's up with the stout? off flavors, or not what you wanted?

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No, no "off-flavors (as in faults) per se, but it wasn't what I set out to do. I wanted a classic dry irish stout and the grain bill recipe that I used from BYO has way too much roasted barley in it. I'm going to go back to the drawing board for that.

u use the white labs irish ale yeast? or wyeast equal?
don't you hate been a good beer plan goes bad......

DeRoux's Broux said:

u use the white labs irish ale yeast? or wyeast equal?
don't you hate been a good beer plan goes bad......

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I used the WLP004.

Hey--make sure you post when your Flat Tyre is ready.

Mine is probably the best beer I've done so far. It seems like it has a depth of flavors that I haven't gotten in any of my other beers yet. I wouldn't change one thing with this recipe. I think it is a bit more bitter (as in hops) than the real Fat Tire (last time I actually had one was about 5 years ago), but that is something I like about it.

ORRELSE said:

Mine is probably the best beer I've done so far. It seems like it has a depth of flavors that I haven't gotten in any of my other beers yet. I wouldn't change one thing with this recipe. I think it is a bit more bitter (as in hops) than the real Fat Tire (last time I actually had one was about 5 years ago), but that is something I like about it.

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funny you say that. i racked mine today, and it had the same color, and damn close to flavor, even though it's young. i fermented at about 66-68 for 8 days, and plan on conditioning at 58 degress for 7-10. i had a few fat tire's tonight while i grilled up some chicken and asparagus. i agree with you, it's a little more hoppy. but, i think that's gonna happen with any homebrew clone. i definatly could tatse the biscuit malt, which to me makes the fat tire. i'll let you know next weekend (i hope!).

I'm bottling mine this weekend, but I took a sample on Monday night. It's been at least 5 months since I had a real Fat Tire, but it seemed to be pretty close to the mark, though it is a tad darker than the Real Deal.

A friend is bringing me a case of fat tire from TX in a couple of weeks, so I should be able to do a real side-by-side comparison after my bottles have conditioned for 2 or 3 weeks.

Even though I can't recall what real Fat Tire tastes like, this particular bew is definately one of the 10 best I have ever made.

-walker

walker, you can't get new belgium beers in Raleigh?

DeRoux's Broux said:

walker, you can't get new belgium beers in Raleigh?

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I haven't seen it around here. I thought they had a fairly limited distribution, like 5-6 states around CO?

New Belgian doesn't distribute East of the Mississippi yet. It's supposedly coming in 2006 or 2007. (though, I have heard rumors of one bar in NYC that has Fat Tire available.)

-walker

bummer. their 1554 aleis damn good too.

hope it gets there sooner than expected...

yeah, I know how good the stuff is. I lived in California from 1998 to August of this year, and there was one of their varieties of beer in my fridge at all times. Ah... the good old days.

-walker