Apocalypse Cow Clone Ideas

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Bashiba

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Messages
200
Reaction score
3
Location
Clinton
I had three floyds Apocalypse Cow tonight, it was the first beer that really felt new and unique to me in quite some time. A simple idea that I haven't seen done anywhere else in the past. I'm looking for recipe ideas on this if anyone has had it.

Here is the description from three floyds.

11.0% ABV 100 IBUs
This complex double India pale ale has an intense citrus and floral hop aroma balanced by a velvety malt body which has been augmented with lactose milk sugar. With this different take on an IPA we have brewed an ale that is both pleasing to drink and, once again, “not normal.” Cheers! June release.

Here is what I was thinking off the top my head.

6 gallon batch

19lbs 2 Row Pale
2 lbs Cara-Pils
1lb Caramel 40
2lbs Milk Sugar

Hops
2 oz of Columbus 90min
1 oz mixture of Citra and Amarillo 15min
1 oz mixture of Citra and Amarillo 10
1 oz mixture of Citra and Amarillo 5
1 oz mixture of Citra and Amarillo flameout
3 oz mixture of Citra and Amarillo Dry Hop

No idea on the yeast, the beer didn't have to much in the way of Yeast Esters, so just something that will finish low and handle a beer this big, I wish I had another bottle to take a gravity reading from.
 
I would hold off on the lactose and add it to taste at bottling since it is unfermentable. I would guess that 2 lbs will be too much (~1 lb is common in milk stouts), but then I like my DIPAs as dry as possilbe.

Otherwise the malt/hop bills look great. Maybe bottle half as is, and add the lactose to the other half to compare. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the tips, but this beer was the complete opposite of most DIPA's in mouthfeel and texture, also much sweeter. It was super creamy, thick, and velvety and being 11% I figured at least doubling the standard 1lb would be necessary to get that affect. Splitting the batch and doing different amounts of Lactose is a great idea. I wish my Mash tun could handle a full 10 gallon batch, Maybe I'll scale it up to 8 then split it into to 4 gallon batches.
 
Ever end up brewing this one? Im thinking of doing a milk IPA but was gunna try my own recipe rather than a clone. I'd like to know how this one ended up.
 
No I never got it fit into my schedule, and its mapped out now until the end of the year. I'll have to put it on my list of things to do come next spring. If you do I would love to see the recipe and what you think of the results.
 
Did anyone ever brew this. I just got my hands on two bottles of Apocalypse Cow and I love this beer. I really want to brew a clone.
 
I'm using extract, but would very much like to brew this beer. What kind and what quantity of malt extract would I use instead of the 19 pounds of 2-Row Pale?
 
I'm using extract, but would very much like to brew this beer. What kind and what quantity of malt extract would I use instead of the 19 pounds of 2-Row Pale?

Ballpark, 12 lbs of light (or extra light, or pale) dry malt extract. Hopefully you can do a full volume boil to get enough bitterness out of the hops.

For my tastes, I'd double the flame-out and dry hops. A beer this big needs a lot of hop aroma to blast through all the malt. I've brewed hoppy wheat beers with more Citra and Amarillo than this recipe has...
 
Cheers on converting the 2-Row to Dry Malt Extract. I'm still a bit of a n00b in this whole brewing hobby/craft/obsession thing. Does anyone have a line as to what yeast they used in this brew?
 
Cheers on converting the 2-Row to Dry Malt Extract. I'm still a bit of a n00b in this whole brewing hobby/craft/obsession thing. Does anyone have a line as to what yeast they used in this brew?

3 Floyds house yeast is supposed to be (similar to) 002/1968. However, for a big beer that you want to add lactose to I'd pick the similar, but more attenuative 007.
 
Back
Top