Brewing my first clone this weekend!

Going to attempt a Ruination clone and über excited. Never brewed a clone before and a bit nervous. I took a look at a recipe on here and on another site and sort of tweaked it due to the reviews on both. People thought og was low or bittering was not enough so thats why i frigged with it.. It's an extract brew 5 gal.
OG=1.075
FG=1.010
IBU’S = 115-120
SRM= 6
Alcohol 7.7% by volume

Ingredients
6.6 Lbs Northwestern gold (light) malt extract syrup
2.0 Lbs. Northwestern gold (light) dry malt extract
1.0 Lb. Briess 2-row malt
1.0 Lb. Briess 15L Crystal Malt

Magnum hops (bittering hop)
(2.50)

Centennial hops (aroma/finishing hop)
(2.0 Oz.) .50 at 15 min 10, 5 and flame out.

Centennial hops (whole leaf dry hop)
(2.0 Oz.)

Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast

Brew day went well I had 3 oz of magnums was only going to use 2.5. But at the 45 min mark the .5 was staring at me so I just threw it in. Split the 2 oz of centennial into .5 and hopped at 15 10 5 and 00. Hydrometer had a crack in it so forget taking a of reading :/. So ya. Ill report back with pics and final results

Ferm temps steady at 62

Did you transfer it from the stove into your carboy without straining out any of the hops? I haven't seen anything fermented on the boil hops before. How does that usually turn out? Does it increase flavor? Or is it just easier than trying to get that stuff out of there?

I have done a few batches where I did not strain off the hops and trub from the kettle and they turned out tasty. Only bad part is there is more gunk in the fermentor so you have to be careful when you rack it off.

I don't strain my boil kettle. I do whirlpool the wort and I have a pickup tube that pulls from the outside wall of the kettle so that leaves a bit behind, but it's never concerned me.

Sounds like a PITA to me. Unless it settles well. You have to move it the day before I assume?

Double_D said:

Did you transfer it from the stove into your carboy without straining out any of the hops? I haven't seen anything fermented on the boil hops before. How does that usually turn out? Does it increase flavor? Or is it just easier than trying to get that stuff out of there?

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I usually go from stove to sink for an ice bath with my chiller. Sometimes i strain, most of the time i dont. I notice nothing between the two as far as taste is concerned..So as far as increasing flavor? No i dont think so. i always go to secondary after fermentation is done usually two weeks. Dry hop for 5 days cold crash then bottle.
I usually have very little sediment in this process. Ill post more as time goes on.

Sounds good to me then. I had a beer from a guy that came in to the LHBS that was all chunky. Like still had the dry hop in it chunky. Trying to figure out why his would have turned out that way.

Double_D said:

Sounds good to me then. I had a beer from a guy that came in to the LHBS that was all chunky. Like still had the dry hop in it chunky. Trying to figure out why his would have turned out that way.

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A lot of reasons to be Nasty chunky in bottle. Dry hopping with pellets without using a bag. Not waiting for his beer to settle before bottling impatience more than likely.

[ame]http://youtu.be/eri1__YDQ8Y[/ame]

Fermentation is still going strong. Have noticed for the first time that I seem to have a yeast ring that I have never seen before in any of my brews. But then again this is my first big ipa that i have brewed. At first glance I got nervous but at closer look it just looks like a ring of yeast goin to town.

Dry hopped today 2 oz of centennial. Should be ready to bottle by sat.

I was thinking of brewing that as my next batch. Anxious to know how it turns out

Bottled a little early because I won't be home. 48 bottles and one bomber. Pics in three weeks for test and comparison