Goose Island Sofie Clone

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chadkarol

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Joined
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Location
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What do you guys think? Any suggestions or see anything that you think wouldn't work? Goose Island's website says 6.5% abv and 25 IBUs. This is my first attempt to create my own recipe. I've only used NorthernBrewer recipes previously.

Sofie
Saison
Type: All Grain Date: 9/27/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Brewer: Chad
Boil Size: 7.04 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 6.50 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.10 gal Est Mash Efficiency 82.1 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU

10 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (1.6 SRM) Grain 1 82.0 %

2 lbs White Wheat Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 16.4 %

0.77 oz Zythos - Amarillo Substitute [11.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 25.0 IBUs

3.2 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) [Boil for 15 min](1.0 SRM) Dry Extract 4 1.6 %

0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -

1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml] Yeast 6 -

1.00 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Secondary 14.0 days) Spice 7 -

1.00 tsp Gelatin (Bottling) Fining 8 -


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.060 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.5 %
Bitterness: 25.0 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 3.6 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 3.2 oz
Sparge Water: 4.53 gal Grain Temperature: 70.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 70.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 16.80 qt of water at 163.1 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 4.53 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 4.01 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 4.01 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
 
I would personally go 10lbs 2 row, 1 lb White Wheat, 1 lb Table Sugar, and I calculated with Amarillo but do like 1 oz 30, .5 oz 15, .5 oz flame out.

Also while I love 3724, make sure you can ferment at higher temperatures or have time for it to ferment out.
 
Are you thinking 70-75 degrees? What are the advantages to fermenting at a higher temperature?
 
I would start at 68...after a few days ramp to 74, if it still has points 78, etc....if you do a search for that yeast variety or read the reviews on NB site it goes into detail. I will search for the threads when I am no longer mobile.
 
I did a mini mash because my LHBS isnt have enough belgian pils.

I have not tried this side by side yet but I am very happy with the results.
Search Sofie in the Wild Forum/ Good Luck

Dingmans Pils- 4lbs
Flaked Wheat -2lbs
White Wheat-1lbs
Light Pils DME -3 Pounds
Mash at 156

Pitched Wyeast Belgian Saison and Wyeast Brett B + Sofie Dregs at 78 degrees. I am going to keep it in the 80 for a week with a heating pad.

I hit my intended O.G 1.056

Primary 30 days.

Secondary for 90-120 with 75 oz White wine soaked French medium toast Oak chips and 1 oz bitter orange peel.
 
I would start at 68...after a few days ramp to 74, if it still has points 78, etc....if you do a search for that yeast variety or read the reviews on NB site it goes into detail. I will search for the threads when I am no longer mobile.

I do see the reviews on northernbrewer, and I'll have to make sure I keep an eye on the sg. One of the reviewers says to agitate it daily to create more co2. I'll plan on fermenting as normal, and if I see the sg is not dropping then I'll definitely do this and/or increasing the temperature as well. Definitely good to know.
 
I did a mini mash because my LHBS isnt have enough belgian pils.

I have not tried this side by side yet but I am very happy with the results.
Search Sofie in the Wild Forum/ Good Luck

Dingmans Pils- 4lbs
Flaked Wheat -2lbs
White Wheat-1lbs
Light Pils DME -3 Pounds
Mash at 156

Pitched Wyeast Belgian Saison and Wyeast Brett B + Sofie Dregs at 78 degrees. I am going to keep it in the 80 for a week with a heating pad.

I hit my intended O.G 1.056

Primary 30 days.

Secondary for 90-120 with 75 oz White wine soaked French medium toast Oak chips and 1 oz bitter orange peel.

Do you still have this in the primary? Let me know how you do with gravity; I'd be interested to find out if just the increased temperature works ok for the yeast, or if agitating the yeast is needed. Thanks for your input.
 
I did a mini mash because my LHBS isnt have enough belgian pils.

I have not tried this side by side yet but I am very happy with the results.
Search Sofie in the Wild Forum/ Good Luck

Dingmans Pils- 4lbs
Flaked Wheat -2lbs
White Wheat-1lbs
Light Pils DME -3 Pounds
Mash at 156

Pitched Wyeast Belgian Saison and Wyeast Brett B + Sofie Dregs at 78 degrees. I am going to keep it in the 80 for a week with a heating pad.

I hit my intended O.G 1.056

Primary 30 days.

Secondary for 90-120 with 75 oz White wine soaked French medium toast Oak chips and 1 oz bitter orange peel.

Wondering how yours is coming along? I just moved mine into the secondary last weekend. It feremented out great after I bought a heating pad. I now have it in the fermenter along with some white wine soaked oak chips and bitter orange peel. Haven't decided quite yet for how long. I'll sample at two weeks and go from there. I normally keg, but this batch I'll bottle so I can age it for a bit longer in the bottles. At least 30 days, but I'll keep some for at least a year to see how it ages.
 
Wondering how yours is coming along? I just moved mine into the secondary last weekend. It feremented out great after I bought a heating pad. I now have it in the fermenter along with some white wine soaked oak chips and bitter orange peel. Haven't decided quite yet for how long. I'll sample at two weeks and go from there. I normally keg, but this batch I'll bottle so I can age it for a bit longer in the bottles. At least 30 days, but I'll keep some for at least a year to see how it ages.

I am kegging my Sofie Clone on Holloween. I have been waiting to get a seperate "wild" keg setup. Finally pulled the trigger on Friday. I cant wait to see what carbonation will do to this brew. Every sample had tasted great so far!
 

I ended up leaving mine in the primary for about a month. After the first week I had realized that I needed to increase the temp, and did so for about three weeks until it was finally fermented completely. I threw it in the secondary with some bitter orange peel and white wine soaked wood chips for two weeks. I just bottled it about two weeks ago and had my first sampling a few days ago. I think it's really good and tastes very similar to Sofie. Aroma and taste is very similar. I ended up with a higher OG that calculated, so abv is a bit higher, but that's ok by me. I'm going to let it bottle age for at least a couple more months before drinking too much of it. If I can resist.
 
I am kegging my Sofie Clone on Holloween. I have been waiting to get a seperate "wild" keg setup. Finally pulled the trigger on Friday. I cant wait to see what carbonation will do to this brew. Every sample had tasted great so far!

Its fully carbed and kegged, ill sample mine tonight and let you all know. It has been a while since I have had Sofie. I prefer it aged and funkier than fresh.
 
Side by side: Fresh kegged homebrew v. 2011 GI Sofie

The homebrew is much more cloudy, touch more orange in color that make become less evident once it clears up. The nose is very similar. Sofie is more clean in the nose and taste. The homebrew has more brett character, barnyard lemon and orange. Sofie has a more substantial sweet clean hop presents. Sofie is very highly carbonated in comparison.

My wife prefers mine while I prefer the more refined Sofie.

If I were to brew this again I would pitch the Saison Yeast 1st and secondary with brett rather than pitching both together.
 
chadkarol said:
What do you guys think? Any suggestions or see anything that you think wouldn't work? Goose Island's website says 6.5% abv and 25 IBUs. This is my first attempt to create my own recipe. I've only used NorthernBrewer recipes previously.

Sofie
Saison
Type: All Grain Date: 9/27/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Brewer: Chad
Boil Size: 7.04 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 6.50 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.10 gal Est Mash Efficiency 82.1 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU

10 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (1.6 SRM) Grain 1 82.0 %

2 lbs White Wheat Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 16.4 %

0.77 oz Zythos - Amarillo Substitute [11.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 25.0 IBUs

3.2 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) [Boil for 15 min](1.0 SRM) Dry Extract 4 1.6 %

0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -

1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml] Yeast 6 -

1.00 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Secondary 14.0 days) Spice 7 -

1.00 tsp Gelatin (Bottling) Fining 8 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.060 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.5 %
Bitterness: 25.0 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 3.6 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 3.2 oz
Sparge Water: 4.53 gal Grain Temperature: 70.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 70.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 16.80 qt of water at 163.1 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 4.53 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 4.01 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 4.01 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

Sofie
 
I would personally go 10lbs 2 row, 1 lb White Wheat, 1 lb Table Sugar, and I calculated with Amarillo but do like 1 oz 30, .5 oz 15, .5 oz flame out.

Also while I love 3724, make sure you can ferment at higher temperatures or have time for it to ferment out.


I just finished brewing 10 gal of this recipe today. The only difference is I used wyeast 3031 Saison Brett B blend yeast. The plan us to secondary ferment in a 10 gal oak barrel. I will update when it is complete.
 
I tried the beer the other day, and I have to say that this recipe nailed it. Very good beer! So good in fact that I entered it into the local home brew competition as an American wild ale. Results are in next week.
 
Glad it worked well! I brewed this beer a few months before my daughter's birth over three years ago. Her name is Sofie. :) I have a few bottles cellaring that I'm saving for her 21st birthday. Eh, maybe 18. It'll be way past its prime but that's ok.
 
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