harp clone

I just drank a six pack and it is great (as far as I'm concerned). What I'm wondering is what would be the recipe for an extract brew? It tastes very bitter (to me but I'm new to the different good beers) but it tastes great as far as I'm concerned and I think it would be one that me and my Dad could share. Is there something similar or anywhere close that someone could get me the recipe to?

I would be very interested as well, I love this beer.

I don't have a recipe, but if I am correct Harps is a lager, isn't it?

I don't want to deter you, Neon, but lagers require a much lengthier fermentation time and the ability to keep the beer near freezing temps for long periods of time.

If you have the patience and the means to do it, go for it, (and I hope you find a good recipe) However, you might find it a little easier to start with an ale of some sort that will be ready to drink in less than 2 months and can be left to ferment at room temperature.

-walker

Well, now I'm a little confused. In one of my earlier posts someone mentioned that Harp was an ale. I originally thought it was a lager and wasn't going to try and make some but then I heard it was an ale. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14721It seems that it was the Jaded dog that informed me of this.

Harp is basically just an Irish Lager. Hard to find a good recipe for it, because so many have tried and were not as sucessful as they wanted. I would brew a basic Irish Lager and find your own way to tweak the recipe with advice and research. Dont be discouraged by lagering. My second homebrew is lager. I have a fridge that gets down to freezing if I want it to, which is good to have a fridge just for lagering. Good luck on whatever you choose and Rock On!:rockin:

Neonsilver said:

Well, now I'm a little confused. In one of my earlier posts someone mentioned that Harp was an ale. I originally thought it was a lager and wasn't going to try and make some but then I heard it was an ale. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14721It seems that it was the Jaded dog that informed me of this.

Click to expand...

I think the Jaded Dog was simply mistaken. Harps might make an ale as part of their total line-up, but I don't recall ever seeing it. I'm only familiar with their lager, which is the "tan" in a "black-and-tan".

Walker-san said:

I think the Jaded Dog was simply mistaken. Harps might make an ale as part of their total line-up, but I don't recall ever seeing it. I'm only familiar with their lager, which is the "tan" in a "black-and-tan".

Click to expand...

ok, thanks for the info. I think before I try a lager or even making beer I'm going to start with wine. This way I can get my Fiance' into the idea a little more before I start spending money to make my own beer.
So where do you think this beer would fall on the IBU scale? How much of the bittering, finishing, aroma hops do you think it would require? What kind of extract would you use, I'm thinking I would start out with DME? Thanks in advance, this forum really is great.

I read somewhere that harp is topped off with an amount of Guinness which gives it it's Black and Tan lager uniqueness. I suppose that makes sense.
-Ben

I haven't had a Harp's in a while, but I bet you could brew an ale version that would be close. From what I remember, it had some ale-like flavors. I'd have to drink another couple of 'em to start formulating the recipe, though.

According to Beer Advocate Harp is a lager and is about 5% ABV.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209

It does seem that a lot of folks here detect a lot of ale character in the beer so it is possible to make an ale similar to Harp's.

I haven't had a Harp's in a long time but the reviews on BA suggest that it is a fairly malty beer with probably 2 hops additions, one 60 minute and one around 5 or 10 minutes. The IBU are probably in the 20-25 range. You might try something like a lighter colored version of an Irish Red. (BJCP Irish red Guidelines: http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category9.html#style9D)

I would probably start with an easy English ordinary bitter or an American Amber (low end of IBU scale)

Wine is, IME, much more difficult to have a decent first batch. I've made beer, mead and wine. Mead has been the least likely to screw up in the past, but can take a LONG time to be ready after bottling. Now there are so many good pre-measured "recipes" from all the online HB stores that I'd go ahead and start with beer.

Edit: Here is a link to "Beginner Ingredient Kits" on morebeer.com you can also check out Austin Homebrew. They both have excellent reputations. You can try a kit from your LHBS but it is always a little more iffy relying on someone else's recipes when you don't have other people who have tried it.

Harps, Never had it before but everyone is telling me it taste just like it. Ok for those who want to know here is what i did.


Ok this is what I have so far (For my first Ale).


I cooked Crushed Crystal English in the bag until boil and let steep for 5 min(removed bag). then Added Muntons Lit 3.3 lbs and Premium

German malt extract 3.52 lbs, Water salts and brought to a boil. Added hops (.80 oz of fuggles and .80 oz Northern Brew) Boiled for 1

hour. Added 1/4 oz Mt hood hop pellets and continued boil for 15 min. Then added the rest of the Mt hood hop pellets 3/4 oz and boiled

for 5 min. (PS this was in 3 Gallons of water). Then Added this to two Gallons of Ice to cool down. Had to remove some because it became

to cool too fast and just added water for the removal of ICE. Now added Nottingham Yeast (11g) after warming them up in water to the

mixture (Pitched) the temp of the Wort was 60 F (Also was trying to get the total to 5 Gallons). The OG I think was 1.038 (This is

because I have never read a Gravity reading before. It shows 1.0000 then is in 10 increments so I assume that the 10 reading after the

1.0000 is 1.0100?? After Ferminting for 2.8 Days (Bubbles good every 4 seconds (Big bubbles)) the Fermintation slowed down to about 70

seconds. I transfered to secondary Carboy and took a reading for gravity.

I now have a reading of 1.0120!!! (Now I know my initial OG reading was low due to not steering the inital brew after adding water)

Dry hopped with 1.5 oz of Cascade hop pellets after transfer.




Allright transfered early sunday morning and now is 3:09 am on Wed. I am thinking that I need another transfer based on the yeast on the

bottom of the barrel (Almost 1 inch)? This should give me a much cleaner beer in the end (Less yeast taste). It will be a double

transfer as I put it back in the same contaner ASAP before final transfer and bottling.

I Did a double rack (the bucket was prior cleaned, Recleaned the Carboy and waited for it to be clear of water) Could have gotten away

with a single rack to another carboy (But dont have one) Just wanted to see what is happening. Now it is 4:10 1 Hour after I initiated

the transfer. Hope this works the beer smells great. Super cleaned everything. Now to see if the yeast are still alive after this.

PS added 1/4 gallon of cold spring water since the bucket showed 4 and 1/2 gallons. this was on the bottom before the last transfer.

Dont know how or if this will have an effect at this point(only thing I can think of is delution of the aroma, Achahol or bitterness)!


Note to self: This could be because I did not leave long enogh in the primary (Though there was an 1/2 inch of dead yeaste's in the

bottom).

Another PS it was 7:00 in the morning when I finished the batch off the stove and pluged the bucket! and it was 4 days until monday

morning at 7:00 when the inital transfer was too take place. I used 2.8 days. (Sunday early AM)


Ok Thurs morning at 2:49 added 1/8 cup of sugar to the mix (Just poured in) to compansate for the extra water in hopes that this will

revive the yeaste's. Right away I got a small ring at the top of the carboy (Small amount of foam). After Five minutes there is a small

inner ring of foam (on the outer portion of the carboy (on the Glass)) that shows the yeaste's are happy with the small sugar added

(They are not dead). This is just pure sugar.

Bubbles every 16 seconds 3:18 Am (They are Alive). Hopefully this will be the adjustment to the water added.

3:32AM Ring of foam about 1 inch across top (in a circle). 3:56 am Looks like a (life preserver) nice and round all the way!



Waited 3 days (Saterday) and bottled using Muntons KreamyX beer kit primer with headin pwder 7oz (Less the portion of 5 Gallons missing) and

bottled.


Day 3 after bottling (light head bear tastes bitter)

Day 4 after bottling Much better carbination and head but still bitter

Day 5 Tastes pretty good now.

Friends tastes on Monday A week and 2 days after bottling (They all say it tastes like harps)

Iceman