American Pale Ale Three Floyds Zombie Dust Clone

Am I stupid? I can't find the other ingredients listed on this recipe anywhere. Maybe this is inexperience and I don't know what I'm looking for. Anyone care to help out? Otherwise, I guess I can ask my LHBS if they have the necessary ingredients. I've managed to track down the citra so that's one win for me.

xMalachi said:

Am I stupid? I can't find the other ingredients listed on this recipe anywhere. Maybe this is inexperience and I don't know what I'm looking for. Anyone care to help out? Otherwise, I guess I can ask my LHBS if they have the necessary ingredients. I've managed to track down the citra so that's one win for me.

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From my limited experience, the citra is the toughest ingredient to track down (although my LHBS seemed to have plenty). I would imagine your local LHBS would have the grains, extract and yeast.

I brewed up a similar recipe more body though. Now finally having tasted zombie dust here in the east coast ( pita ) I can swear i can taste some orange zest or something of that nature everything else in my beer is there except this. I haven't read all the posts in this thread but has this been mentioned??

xMalachi said:

Am I stupid? I can't find the other ingredients listed on this recipe anywhere. Maybe this is inexperience and I don't know what I'm looking for. Anyone care to help out? Otherwise, I guess I can ask my LHBS if they have the necessary ingredients. I've managed to track down the citra so that's one win for me.

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What what's can't you find? The least common is probably Melanoiden; I have seen people recommend Aromatic as a sub but haven't done it personally.

As far as the orange flavors, I haven't got that, and don't recall anyone else posting about that, but I could have missed it. Different people perceive tastes differently though.

After 2 weeks of bottle conditioning, I chilled one and cracked it open. I was lucky enough to score a bottle of Zombie Dust from someone local who had a friend ship it to him so I at least had some reference. It may not be QUITE as good as the original, but it is damn good. Pours a bit darker than the original, which is to be expected in a partial mash. Champagne-like effervescence, with a thick white head. The nose is like a hop-head's wet dream. Citrusy, juicy, and potent. The palette expresses notes of lemon, grapefruit, and pine with a bit more bitterness than ZD. A bit of malty sweetness still shines through for a nice finish. I think this is probably the best beer I have brewed to date. For a photo, check it out on untappd: http://untappd.com/user/BrettyV/checkin/11968989#

skeezerpleezer said:

What what's can't you find? The least common is probably Melanoiden; I have seen people recommend Aromatic as a sub but haven't done it personally.

As far as the orange flavors, I haven't got that, and don't recall anyone else posting about that, but I could have missed it. Different people perceive tastes differently though.

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LHBS was able to get me going. I was having trouble finding the ingredients on NB but no worries now.

Just got back from purchasing the ingredients for the extract/partial mash version of this. I just used the straight recipe and didn't sub any grain for the extract. I probably should have because the extract to make this was expensive. Buying a secondary carboy didn't help keep the cost down either. Oh well, now I can secondary my beers if I choose to. It's an investment in my brewing. Can't wait to get this one brewed up.

One question about the partial mash version. Would it be best to add all of the dme at the start of the boil or do half at the start and half when I do my 15 minute hop addition.

Going to say unless you really care about color, it doesn't really matter. I added all my DME at the beginning of the boil with very little effect other than a slightly darker beer.

ajohnson153 said:

One question about the partial mash version. Would it be best to add all of the dme at the start of the boil or do half at the start and half when I do my 15 minute hop addition.

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Hop utilization will be better the later you add it. What is your boil size?

skeezerpleezer said:

Hop utilization will be better the later you add it. What is your boil size?

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Well I have the capacity to boil about 5 gallons but I bought the recipe to do a 3 gallon boil so I was probably going to just boil 3 gallons. I would go ahead and do 5 but I really don't have a use for the extra OZ of citra hops if I don't use them for this recipe.

Ok, that should work. If you have beer smith, you can play with when you add the extract an see how it affects the IBUs. Maybe another person that has done it can chime in on when they added it.

I'm afraid I don't have beersmith. I was just going to go ahead and split my malt additions and see what happens.

I plan on using the 1968 yeast on this one. Would lowering my mash temp help on a partial mash recipe or with so few actual grains would it even matter?

Yes, i would shoot for low 150s.

ajohnson153 said:

I'm afraid I don't have beersmith. I was just going to go ahead and split my malt additions and see what happens.

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This is what I did, I am very pleased with how the color turned out.

mcotter said:

This is what I did, I am very pleased with how the color turned out.

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How did you do your FWH addition? I have never done a FWH recipe before and was curious as to how to do it. Do I just add the hops in with my mash and let them soak for 20-30 mins and pour them into the kettle with my first runnings, or do I add them to the sparge and add them to the kettle with that?
I know they have to end up in the boil. I use a grain bag so I can't put them in that because the grain bag will hold them out of the wort with the rest of the grains.

ajohnson153 said:

How did you do your FWH addition? I have never done a FWH recipe before and was curious as to how to do it. Do I just add the hops in with my mash and let them soak for 20-30 mins and pour them into the kettle with my first runnings, or do I add them to the sparge and add them to the kettle with that?
I know they have to end up in the boil. I use a grain bag so I can't put them in that because the grain bag will hold them out of the wort with the rest of the grains.

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I'll have to let someone else answer that one, I just steeped my grains in the kettle and pulled them out after about 45 minutes. I did add the hops at the same time as the grain and left them in there for the full boil.

ajohnson153 said:

How did you do your FWH addition? I have never done a FWH recipe before and was curious as to how to do it. Do I just add the hops in with my mash and let them soak for 20-30 mins and pour them into the kettle with my first runnings, or do I add them to the sparge and add them to the kettle with that?
I know they have to end up in the boil. I use a grain bag so I can't put them in that because the grain bag will hold them out of the wort with the rest of the grains.

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Add them to you first runnings, then boil the whole 60 min.

skeezerpleezer said:

Add them to you first runnings, then boil the whole 60 min.

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Cool, thanks. I wish I could brew this before next Tuesday. I'm going to the NASCAR race on Sunday, so I won't have time to brew.

Just tasting a variant of this recipe. I used the same malt bill and hop schedule but used simcoe, chinook, and Amarillo in addition to citra. Delicious

Xpertskir said:

Just tasting a variant of this recipe. I used the same malt bill and hop schedule but used simcoe, chinook, and Amarillo in addition to citra. Delicious

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Yeah this recipe looks like it would be a good base for experimentation.

This is coming along beautifully. Hit the FG on the mark with the 1968! Dry hopped today and holy krausen, this fermented up to the lid! My OG reading was high, but I think I must have missed or mis measured something when calculating it. 1.087 seems a little high.

But still, it taste so good and it's not even half way yet.

I made this twice now. The first was the original, and the second I split the hops between Citra and Amarillo. Been in the bottle for a week. The sample was awesome.

I had this beer for this first time a last week at Local Option in Chicago. I couldn't believe it when I saw it on the wall. Hoping to try some more gems while I'm here in Chicago for the next year or so.

Another good one I like is daisy cutter by half acre

Also as long as you are in the area, may as well make a pilgrimage to sw michigan. Even if you only just make it into the very south of the state. Obviously there is Bells, but even closer is Greenbush, the Livery and Patchwork, which is tiny, but does awesome pales. Also second to half acre.

Question about fermentation temps before I brew this up tomorrow. My brew closet stays at a pretty even 68F. If I am using the Wyeast1968 will this yield good results or should I try to ferment it cooler?

ajohnson153 said:

Question about fermentation temps before I brew this up tomorrow. My brew closet stays at a pretty even 68F. If I am using the Wyeast1968 will this yield good results or should I try to ferment it cooler?

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If you can get it a few degrees cooler I would do that. The liquid temp will be 5 degrees or so higher than the ambient temp during active fermentation. On another note, I did it with S-04 at those temps an it came out good.

skeezerpleezer said:

If you can get it a few degrees cooler I would do that. The liquid temp will be 5 degrees or so higher than the ambient temp during active fermentation. On another note, I did it with S-04 at those temps an it came out good.

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Well it looks like I will be seeing about using a swamp cooler on this one. I have some jugs I brought home from work to use as ice packs. I'll toss em in the freezer tonight so they'll be frozen when I brew tomorrow evening.

I have done this clone before and thinking I'm going to make it on the next brew day.

I'm sure this is covered in here but did you guys dry hop in secondary or before that?

xMalachi said:

I'm sure this is covered in here but did you guys dry hop in secondary or before that?

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It was covered. Dry hop in secondary for 10-14 days.

ajohnson153 said:

Question about fermentation temps before I brew this up tomorrow. My brew closet stays at a pretty even 68F. If I am using the Wyeast1968 will this yield good results or should I try to ferment it cooler?

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My basement is 62F and it fermented wonderfully with the 1968.

Dry hopping now.



The hydrometer sample tasted great. Has anyone brewed this recipe and served this as a cask beer?

mikeyr4444 said:

My basement is 62F and it fermented wonderfully with the 1968.

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I actually think I might be ok with the temps as they are. The fermometer on the side of my better bottle never went above 68-70 when I fermented my Belgian that is currently in secondary. Unless the 1968 is particularly exothermic I think I can just let it go. This temp range has worked out just fine for both my Hefe and my Belgian dark strong ale.

ajohnson153 said:

It was covered. Dry hop in secondary for 10-14 days.

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I dry hopped from day 20 to 30 on the primary then cold crash 3 days, rack

Xpertskir said:

I dry hopped from day 20 to 30 on the primary then cold crash 3 days, rack

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I was just aiming at keeping it simple. So I decided to skip brewing today and just bottle. Brewday will be Sunday. I'm excited.

Current recipe still the first thread?

benzy4010 said:

Current recipe still the first thread?

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Yes