Bell's two-hearted ale questions/recipe

So heres what I've come up with but I have a few questions.

10lbs 2-row
1.75lbs Vienna
.5lbs 40L
.5lbs wheat

.5oz Centennial@60
1.25oz " " @20
2oz " " @5
2oz " " dry hop after primary fermentation

Yeast from their bottle.

My concern is that they state 7% ABV but an OG of only 1.058. I doubt they get that down to 1.003, do they? Also, Ive read that they recommend 50ish IBUs. I get about 55 with this schedule, how does it look?

Thanks for any help.

I've tried an extract recipe that came out about 1.056 and it wasn't quite right and didn't carry the hoppiness I had hoped. Now that I'm all grain I'm going to try the following figuring for 5.5 gals at 70% efficiency (I've changed my system recently and was getting 68% but I expect to get higher on the nest batch, this is figured at 70% efficiency). 75 minute boil. I thought the FWH might make a difference, its something I didn't have on my extract batches.

11 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain 79.31 %
2 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 13.79 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.45 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3.45 %
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (75 min) (First Wort HoHops 21.0 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (60 min) Hops 19.1 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (45 min) Hops 17.1 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (30 min) Hops 9.7 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (15 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.60 %] (0 min) Hops -

The recipe I researched on the web has the same grain bill as yours, but a slightly different hop schedule:
no FWH
0.5 oz for 60 min
2.0 oz for 20 min
2.75 oz for 5 min
1.75 oz for 10 min steep at knockout.
2.5 ounces dry hop for 5 days at end of primary.
All based on 7.7 %AA , claimed 45 IBU

I recalculated hop schedule based on 9.5% AA. ended up with 55 IBU.

The single infusion mash called for 154 F, my actual was 153. The author of the recipe claimed that he checked it with the brewer at Bells who okayed it, but said their yeast was necessary for complete cloning.

My recipe worked out for a final wort volume of 6 gallons after boil, a measured OG of 60, the gravity at the end of primary was 11, recipe called for 12. I used Safale US05 dry yeast. The author of the recipe claimed that he checked it with the brewer at Bells who okayed it, but said their yeast was necessary for complete cloning.

I can't tell you how it worked out because it only been 4 weeks. Two weeks in primary, two now in secondary. I can tell you it smells terrific...

Can't add much more. Good luck, hope it works out

How do you get a yeast starter from their bottle of beer? I have heard of this but I do not know the details of doing it. I tried Two Hearted when I was last up in Wisconsin, and I loved it. I would like brew this clone as my next project.

dj_van_gilder said:

How do you get a yeast starter from their bottle of beer? I have heard of this but I do not know the details of doing it. I tried Two Hearted when I was last up in Wisconsin, and I loved it. I would like brew this clone as my next project.

Click to expand...

I successfully harvested the Bell's yeast. Just make sure to leave a half inch or so of beer left in the bottle and give it a swirl to resuspend. I started off by making a small starter - about 10 mls or so, and propogated for about a day. I then stepped this up repeatedly over the course of 5 days until I was at a 2 quart starter size. I also added yeast nutrient at each step-up. I did this in my lab on a stirplate, too...since I don't have one at home. If you don't, just make sure to give the flask a swirl every time you can think about it to keep sufficient oxygen.

PseudoChef said:

I did this in my lab on a stirplate, too...since I don't have one at home. If you don't, just make sure to give the flask a swirl every time you can think about it to keep sufficient oxygen.

Click to expand...

Now that sounds like a fun project. Making a stirplate. I've seen designs where people glue magnets to air cooling fans for computers. Does anyone have any designs for this?

syvmn said:

So heres what I've come up with but I have a few questions.

10lbs 2-row
1.75lbs Vienna
.5lbs 40L
.5lbs wheat

.5oz Centennial@60
1.25oz " " @20
2oz " " @5
2oz " " dry hop after primary fermentation

Yeast from their bottle.

My concern is that they state 7% ABV but an OG of only 1.058. I doubt they get that down to 1.003, do they? Also, Ive read that they recommend 50ish IBUs. I get about 55 with this schedule, how does it look?

Thanks for any help.

Click to expand...

I'd say the combo of a lower OG than you want and a higher IBU, spells not enough grain.

I'd up your grains in even ratios to a 1.065 and then see what that does to your IBU. This assumes a 53 point drop in gravity (1.012) and above all else, you want to try and maintain a similar hops to gravity ratios as the real deal.

dj_van_gilder said:

Now that sounds like a fun project. Making a stirplate. I've seen designs where people glue magnets to air cooling fans for computers. Does anyone have any designs for this?

Click to expand...

Here's one:
http://homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32896&highlight=stir+plate

I know Yuri made a bunch of them too, but i can't seem to find the thread...

EDIT: Here ya go:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8850

DeathBrewer said:

Here's one:
http://homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32896&highlight=stir+plate

I know Yuri made a bunch of them too, but i can't seem to find the thread...

EDIT: Here ya go:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8850

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll get one very soon. I just made it back from Wisconsin along with a couple of bottles of Two-Hearted Ale.