Pliney the Elder

I'd like to preface this by saying I have never had a real Russian River one...nor anyone else's clone. I also have no idea which clone recipe I used.

On Friday night I finished the last of my Irish Stout and had to put a new keg in the fridge...enter my Pliney knockoff (clone sounds icky)

I've had the Sam Adams Longshot version of the IPA (don't remember the name) and wasn't thrilled with it...but everyone here raved about Pliney so I thought "What the hell" when I made it back in December.

Anyway...On Saturday night I pulled a glass. It was totally not carbed (I set and forget and it was only on the gas overnight) but I usually like to taste the first one to figure out if it will work with the other beers on tap.


OH MY FRACKING GAWD

This is the most insanely delicious thing I have ever tasted.

I've already pulled 4 glasses of it and am considering making another "unscheduled" batch just to make sure it is available.

I'm starting to get worried I'll never taste this thing properly carbed as I don't know if it will last the three weeks.


So to whoever convinced me to brew an $80 batch of something I've never tasted before all I can say is thank you.

HBT rules.



Anything else you guys want me to spend money on?
Cause right now your word is law to me.
[And no I'm not buying you a new system]

Well then, I'd say it's time to post your recipe for the benefit of all humanity!

Definitely not mine...but I have no memory of where I got it from although I'm sure it was from here [considering all but one of the recipes I brew come from here]

Link to recipe on BMW

I've brewed two different Pliny "clones". I'm in the same boat. I've never had the original but I have really enjoyed both of the brews I made. What style of beer is this considered? It is basically a Double IPA but the hops blow it out of the "official" style. I guess I would call it a really hoppy double IPA but was wondering if there was a more accurate category for this beer. Anyone know?

steinsato said:

What style of beer is this considered?

Click to expand...

The BJCP lists it as the number one commercial example of Imperial IPA (although the OG is low enough that it could have been an American IPA if the attenuation wasn't so high).

I love the knockoff that I brewed up. I downed one case and have a case left. I plan on doing it up again real soon. I was fortunate enough to have a friend send me a couple bottles of PtE and Blind Pig. While I enjoyed them immensely I liked my beer more. Now in defense of the RR beers they were 4 and 6 months old respectively. Maybe if I had one that was brewed within the month or two months ago I would be singing a different tune.

Here is a recipe I got from the board. Let us know if you did anything different.

Pliny the Elder (Russian River Brewing Company)
With assistance from Vinnie Cilurzo of the Russian River Brewing Company

5 gallons
OG = 1.074
FG = 1.014
IBU = 100+
SRM = 8
ABV = 8-8.5%

Ingredients:

12.2 lbs 2-row malt
.28 lbs crystal malt (45L)
.86 lbs CaraPils malt
1.0 lb dextrose (corn sugar)
19.5 AAU Chinook whole hops (mash hops)
(1.5 oz of 13% alpha acid)
42.9 AAU Warrior hops (90 minutes)
(2.75 oz of 15.6% alpha acid)
6.1 AAU Chinook hops (90 minutes)
(0.5 oz of 12.2% alpha acid)
12 AAU Simcoe hops (45 minutes)
(1.0 oz of 12% alpha acid)
14.3 AAU Columbus hops (30 minutes)
(1.0 oz of 14.3% alpha acid)
20.5 AAU Centennial hops (0 min)
(2.25 oz of 9.1% alpha acid)
12 AAU Simcoe hops (0 min)
(1.0 oz of 12% alpha acid)
3.25 oz Columbus hop (dry hop)
1.75 oz Centennial hop (dry hop)
1.75 oz Simcoe hop (dry hop)
1 tsp Irish moss
White Labs WPL001 (California Ale) yeast
.75 cup of corn sugar (for priming)

Mash your grains at 150-152 degrees F. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated above. Ferment at 68 degrees F. Dry hop two weeks.

Extract option

Replace 2-row malt with 6.15 DME and 1.0 lb 2-row malt. Steep crushed grains in 1 gallon of water at 151 degrees for 45 minutes. Follow remaining recipes above.