Widmer Brrr Like Hoppy Red

Trying to put together a recipe to get something similar to a Widmer Brrr. Let me know what you think...

13# Pale Malt (2 Row) UK
1# Munich Malt - 10L
.50# Carapils
.50# Crystal 10L
.50# Crystal 80L
.20# Chocolate Malt
.50oz. Horizon 60min
.75oz. Warrior 60min
1.0oz Simcoe 10min
1.0oz Cascade 5min

If you can nail that brew, I would want the final recipe! I love Brrrrr!

I'd probably go with domestic 2-row vs the UK and throw some more cascade and simcoe in around 20-30 minutes

2 row is based off what I have...Though I do need to get some domestic. I've got Marris Otter or Golden Promise right now. I also had another thought of upping the Munich to 2#'s and the reducing the 2 row to 12#.

Like your suggestion of more hops...But as is I'm just at about 50IBU's. Widmer's description of the brew states it's 50 IBU's. I can reduce the amounts and adjust, though. I'll play with it.

I know widmer says they use chocolate malt, but to me it seems like even a small amount adds to much of a roasty flavor for a beer like this. If it was me I'd probably use like 1oz of chocolate and then make up the color difference using one of the carafa specials, or just switch to just the carafa special.

What yeast would you use for this beer? I'd like to try this one too.

Kilted Brewer said:

Like your suggestion of more hops...But as is I'm just at about 50IBU's. Widmer's description of the brew states it's 50 IBU's. I can reduce the amounts and adjust, though. I'll play with it.

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I'd lower the bittering hop amount and load up on the late additions. It's been a while but I seem to recall Brrr having a fairly intense hop flavor/aroma. I'd do a blend of Simcoe and Cascade at something like 20 and 5 minutes, and maybe even a dry hop. Whatever you do, keep us posted. That is one great beer!

Brrr is one of my favorites.

One kilt wearer to another... I hope it works for ya.

If I remember right, Widmer describes this as being bitter up front and "candy like sweetness" in the finish.

ChshreCat said:

If I remember right, Widmer describes this as being bitter up front and "candy like sweetness" in the finish.

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That rings a bell. I seem to remember it being more hoppy than sweet, although it certainly had a fair amount of sweetness as well. It had a very distinct Simcoe character if I remember correctly. I'm going to have to buy a sixer soon to refresh my memory.

HOOTER said:

That rings a bell. I seem to remember it being more hoppy than sweet, although it certainly had a fair amount of sweetness as well. It had a very distinct Simcoe character if I remember correctly. I'm going to have to buy a sixer soon to refresh my memory.

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Buy a couple cases, then the next day you can buy a sixer to refresh your memory from the night before.

Well, I know this first attempt won't be quite like Brrr...For one my efficiency was WAY off on this batch and lost several points on the OG because of it. I did change a few things from the first post, but don't have my notes with me. I switched the 2-Row to domestic organic, and I beleive I did up the Simcoe/Cascade amounts. But what I also did, to have some fun, was mix all the Simcoe/Cascades together and then just took a scoop full and added every 5 mins from 20 mins on. I also dry hopped with Cascades. Just kegged on Monday so it'll be another week or so till I get to try it out.

Overall, like I said, it's not going to be brrrr...but samples tasted pretty darn good. Guess I'll have to try again...shucks!


PS: Got word that BRRR is now on tap at the Gasthaus!

Missed this thread until now. I love me some BRRR...

Oly said:

What yeast would you use for this beer? I'd like to try this one too.

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I would use WLP051 or Wyeast 1272. It mutes hop bitterness and lets the sweetness of the crystal come through which is exactly what you want in this brew.

I think you want to dry hop with simcoe and summit to get the aroma the BRRR has.

Widmer Brrr is back on the shelves... Enjoying one right now.

BTW, did anyone brew anything close. I'd love to make something Brrrish.

I have some in my fridge and I've been doing some INTENSE research on it. I may have to buy some more... for study, ya know.

Dunno how long this might take, but I'm willing to go the extra mile. Even if I have to drink several cases, I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

I'm just that selfless of a guy.

ChshreCat said:

Dunno how long this might take, but I'm willing to go the extra mile. Even if I have to drink several cases, I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

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It's folks like you that make this world a better place.

I have had a few of these myself recently. It's funny, I don't drink Widmer brews all year (except their hefe at football games), but once fall/winter rolls around I can't get enough Brrr and Snow Plow. They make the best winter brews!

Brian.

Did you ever have any luck with this. I'm drinking some Brrr right now and I'd love to clone this stuff.

Depends on what you mean by luck! I really enjoyed the brew that I did, but it was different than the BRRR. Took 1st place in the HOPS BOPS (Philly, PA) American Ale category recently. I don't have any left . Mine was lacking a little of the warmth and that initial hop flavor that Widmer's have, but I felt like mine also had the hops linger a little more and that stayed with you (if that makes sense).

Overall, like I said, it was not BRRR, but what I did was quite nice.

I put this together last year.


Recipe: brrr clone
Style: 14B-India Pale Ale(IPA)-American IPA

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 6.50 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 5.60 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.60 US gals
Water Added: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.60 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 5.02 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.059 SG
Expected OG: 1.069 SG
Expected FG: 1.016 SG
Expected ABV: 7.0 %
Expected ABW: 5.5 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 48.6
Expected Color: 14.8 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 75.0 %
Mash Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
US 2-Row Malt 12lb 0oz (79.5 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 10L Malt 1lb 0oz (6.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 80L Malt 1lb 0oz (6.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Munich 10L Malt 8.00 oz (3.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Carapils Malt 8.00 oz (3.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Dark Chocolate Malt 1.60 oz (0.7 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Warrior (15.5 % alpha) 0.50 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
US Simcoe (13.0 % alpha) 0.50 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
US Cascade (4.5 % alpha) 0.50 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
US Simcoe (13.0 % alpha) 1.00 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 5 Min From End
US Cascade (4.5 % alpha) 1.00 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 5 Min From End

Other Ingredients

Yeast: DCL US-05 (formerly US-56) SafAle

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:single infusion @ 155F
Step: Rest at 155 degF for 60 mins

Recipe Notes

jmo88

And how was it?

There is something in Widmer Brrr that I haven't found in other beers. I don't know how to duplicate that flavor. For a larger craft brewery, I am still amazed everytime I drink this beer.

Just started another 6-pack of this. It's even better than the last one was.

Druck. Damn you Windmer Brrr.

Resurrecting this old thread because my wife has requested 5 Gal of a Brrr clone for her "Brrrthday." Looking for any pointers people who have tried to brew this beer may have for me.

Most of the recipes I am seeing seem to come up short on color (which Widmer has at 23 SRM !!!) and sweetness. From what I am seeing (and tasting) there is a tremendous amount of Crystal Malt. Also, from what I taste and smell, there is a tremendous amount of hops in the finish.

Here is the info from Widmer:
SG: 17 Plato
ABV: 7.18
IBU: 50
SRM: 23
Ingredients:
Pale, Caramel 10L & 80L, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade

This is what I am working with now.

SG: 1.072
ABV: 6.98
IBU: 50.8
SRM: 17.5


14.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.73 %
1.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 8.76 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.84 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.92 %
0.13 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 0.76 %

0.40 oz Magnum [20.00 %] (60 min) Hops 25.4 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 5.3 IBU
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (15 min) Hops 6.1 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (10 min) Hops 8.3 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade (Leaf) [9.10 %] (10 min) Hops 5.8 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 oz Cascade (Leaf) [9.10 %] (0 min) Hops -

Can we hear about some results? This beer is just too important - who's gotten close? I'm about to start one soon, but I might start doing one gallon batches until I figure it out.

joetothemo said:

Here is the info from Widmer:
SG: 17 Plato
ABV: 7.18
IBU: 50
SRM: 23
Ingredients:
Pale, Caramel 10L & 80L, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade

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Where'd you hear about the SRM - I found all the other info on the Widmer website, but couldn't find the SRM. 23 seems a little dark, but I'm just winging it here. Can't wait to try.

Check it - I've made 3 batches, each one gallon. I played around with different grain percentages and didn't do much craziness on the hops. I hit my numbers pretty well for a 1 gal batch They're one week into fermentation. I will keep results on the post that I started here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/general-help-recipe-also-trying-brrr-368254/

Happy Brrr Season!

joetothemo said:

Resurrecting this old thread because my wife has requested 5 Gal of a Brrr clone for her "Brrrthday." Looking for any pointers people who have tried to brew this beer may have for me.

Most of the recipes I am seeing seem to come up short on color (which Widmer has at 23 SRM !!!) and sweetness. From what I am seeing (and tasting) there is a tremendous amount of Crystal Malt. Also, from what I taste and smell, there is a tremendous amount of hops in the finish.

Here is the info from Widmer:
SG: 17 Plato
ABV: 7.18
IBU: 50
SRM: 23
Ingredients:
Pale, Caramel 10L & 80L, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade

This is what I am working with now.

SG: 1.072
ABV: 6.98
IBU: 50.8
SRM: 17.5


14.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.73 %
1.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 8.76 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.84 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.92 %
0.13 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 0.76 %

0.40 oz Magnum [20.00 %] (60 min) Hops 25.4 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 5.3 IBU
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (15 min) Hops 6.1 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (10 min) Hops 8.3 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade (Leaf) [9.10 %] (10 min) Hops 5.8 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 oz Cascade (Leaf) [9.10 %] (0 min) Hops -

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I forgot to update this ...

But I entered this in the 2012 Slurp N Burp Open by StrangeBrew. It scored a 39.5 and won 1st place in the specialty category for NW Style Ale.

I've tinkered with the recipe since then and have settled on this as a Brrrr-Style Ale (not clone)

13.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6.67 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 3.33 %
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 20.8 IBU
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (15 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [11.90 %] (15 min) Hops 10.2 IBU
1.25 oz Simcoe [11.90 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.25 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (0 min) Hops -

I bottle it with a Citra hop-tea and priming sugar solution and it knocks socks!

Tell me more about citra hop tea - that sounds interesting. Never done that before.

davepeds said:

Tell me more about citra hop tea - that sounds interesting. Never done that before.

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It is pretty simple... I just boil my priming sugar for 10 min, drop a rough ounce of whole leaf hops into the solution, steep for 10 min, strain (I use a sanitized french press) and prime your beer with hoppy/sugary goodness. It is like a late hop addition that immediately is trapped in the bottle with no other place to go.

Brrr reminds me (in a good way) of what drinking a Christmas Tree would taste like. For some reason I pick up wood, pine and all the flavors of a tree including dirt.

Excellent beer.

So good. I had to drive 3.5 hours to buy it, but it's that good and made all the better. They must put sleigh bells or elf toes in the secondary.

Well here is my try at Brrr It is my swmbo favorite beer so if I did this right or even close it will be even better. I did run out of propane in my first bottle so I ended up boiling 40 minutes longer at 20 minute addition and just moved that addition accordingly.

Type: All Grain Date: 2/2/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Brewer:
Boil Size: 8.17 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 75 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler (10 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 6.76 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.75 gal Est Mash Efficiency 76.8 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 61.7 %
4 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 24.7 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.1 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.1 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.1 %
6.4 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.5 %
4.8 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.9 %
0.50 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 8 23.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 21.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 11.0 IBUs
1.10 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 11 -
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 2.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 13 1.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 14 3.6 IBUs
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Aroma Steep 0.0 min Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 17 -