Sam Adams Boston Clone- Feedback

I just put this together from browsing the forum and Sam Adams website. I am not able to Lager due to temp control, so I used ale yeast. Recipe is still fermenting, so I have not tasted yet. Just looking for some input on how this may turn out. Also, I am new to brewing, so this may be an epic fail, but I went for it.:rockin: Pretty sure Sam doesnt use chocolate malt, but I love it.

Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
6 lbs 9.6 oz LME Golden Light (Briess) (4.0 SRM) Extract 86.84 %
Specialty Grains: 1/2 LB Crystal 60 L , 1/2 Lb Mild Malt 2-row, 2 oz Briess Chocolate
1.50 oz Tettnanger [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 41.3 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (45 min) Hops 7.6 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (5 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
11.5g Safale US-05 Yeast
6 Gal Bottled Water

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I add about 1.5 gallon of water to boil pot. Steep grains for 30 mins at 154.
When its done I add an additional 1/2 gallon of water and bring to a boil.
Take pot off the flame Add your extract and mix it well.
Put it back on the fire bring it to a boil, once the hot break occurs start the timer and do your hop additions.
After 1 hour boil, put pot in icebath and add 1 gallon of bottled water until wort reaches aprox 90 degrees. Add additional
2 Gallons of Bottled water to Fermenter and add your wort. At this time, Aeriate the wort by rocking fermenter side to side for about 5 minutes.
Once the wort reaches 78 degrees, pitch yeast. I pitch the yeast
dry as recommended by packaging, but you can also rehydrate yeast and pitch.
Ferment in primary for 1 week, and secondary for 2 week. Bottle condition 2 weeks.

OG was 1.040

Yesterday, I decided to rack out 1/2 a cup and try my brew. Not what I expected. It has a overwhelming alcohol taste and has a slight burn to the tongue. The brew has been fermenting for two weeks, and has been at aprox 65-70F. Is this common for such a green beer, or could something have gone wrong? It still has another week in the secondary, and two weeks in the bottles. Sure hope this flavor mellows out. It totally took away from the flavor of the brew.

Its green. Need to wait.

jasonsbeer said:

Its green. Need to wait.

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10-4. I sure hope so.

2 gal boil for a 5 gal batch is not ideal. More likely to get burnt flavored, plus choc malt might give you that taste. I did a Sam clone recently that's still bottle conditioning...

BridgewaterBrewer said:

2 gal boil for a 5 gal batch is not ideal. More likely to get burnt flavored, plus choc malt might give you that taste. I did a Sam clone recently that's still bottle conditioning...

Click to expand...

So the beer fermented in primary for 1 week, and secondary for 2 weeks and has bottle conditioned for one week and is very tasty. It does not appear to have any burnt flavors, and the chocolate seems very mild. This does not taste like Sam Adams Boston, but is a tasty brew that I will make again. I thought the final gravity was a bit high at 1.016 and does have a hint of sweetness. I am open to any suggestions for the next go round.

Sorry please disregard my previous post. I wasn't reading carefully and was half asleep.
Thanks for the update on your batch.
Here's the recipe I tried (found it on here somewhere). Just opened first bottle. It's good, but not quite like Sam Adams. I think there's only so much you can do with an extract version. I'll try a more complex grain bill and more hops, similar to your recipe. Not sure I like the flavor of the liquid extract, seems like I can taste a caramel type flavor, which might be what some people mean by extract twang. Anyway my DME batches seem not to have that taste.

1/2lb Crystal (60L) Malt
Steep at 155°F for 30 minutes
3.3 lb Amber Liq ME
3 lb Light Dry ME
2 oz. Tettnanger
1/2 oz. Hallerttau
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
1 whirfloc tablet
Brewing Instructions:
Maintain 5 gallons in brew kettle for entire boil. Bitter boil 1.5 oz. Tettnanger for 45 mins, whirfloc and flavor boil 1/4 oz. Hallerttau Mittlefrueh for 15 mins, aroma boil 1/4 oz. Tettnanger for 3 mins, add finish hops 1/4 oz. Hallerttau Mittlefrueh + 1/4 Tettnanger at burner shutoff. Ferment at 63F until SG is below 1.030 (typically 3-6 days). 65 F for remainder fermentation to FG of 1.010 ish. If at all possible, lager at 55F for additional week. Stats: O.G.-1.048, F.G.-1.011, ABV-4.6%, SRM 7

I will have to give this one a shot, sounds tasty. I do agree that it may be difficult to clone SA with Extract, however, I am very pleased with what came of the clone recipe. I gave my father in law a few brews yesterday, and he loved the brew. I was quite excited as he has been homebrewing for 5+ years, and this was only my second batch!:rockin:

BridgewaterBrewer said:

Sorry please disregard my previous post. I wasn't reading carefully and was half asleep.
Thanks for the update on your batch.
Here's the recipe I tried (found it on here somewhere). Just opened first bottle. It's good, but not quite like Sam Adams. I think there's only so much you can do with an extract version. I'll try a more complex grain bill and more hops, similar to your recipe. Not sure I like the flavor of the liquid extract, seems like I can taste a caramel type flavor, which might be what some people mean by extract twang. Anyway my DME batches seem not to have that taste.

1/2lb Crystal (60L) Malt
Steep at 155°F for 30 minutes
3.3 lb Amber Liq ME
3 lb Light Dry ME
2 oz. Tettnanger
1/2 oz. Hallerttau
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
1 whirfloc tablet
Brewing Instructions:
Maintain 5 gallons in brew kettle for entire boil. Bitter boil 1.5 oz. Tettnanger for 45 mins, whirfloc and flavor boil 1/4 oz. Hallerttau Mittlefrueh for 15 mins, aroma boil 1/4 oz. Tettnanger for 3 mins, add finish hops 1/4 oz. Hallerttau Mittlefrueh + 1/4 Tettnanger at burner shutoff. Ferment at 63F until SG is below 1.030 (typically 3-6 days). 65 F for remainder fermentation to FG of 1.010 ish. If at all possible, lager at 55F for additional week. Stats: O.G.-1.048, F.G.-1.011, ABV-4.6%, SRM 7

Click to expand...

At 2 weeks in the bottles, this brew became really tasty. The sweetness finally mellowed out. It has a nice balance between bittering hops and the malt. I will be making this one again for sure!