Spotted Cow Extract Clone Help / Challenge...Will Donate $25 to HomeBrewTalk

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Spotted Cow Clone BREWED!

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.047
Actual Original Gravity 1.047!!!

I am optimistic.

This time of year my basement stairs range in temperature from 66F to 68F. It's like a built in fermentation stairway. Do you think this is a good temp to ferment this beer at?
 
Loving this beer right now!

I'm looking forward to it too. I will bottle it in about a week and a half. I usually leave my ale in the fermenter for three weeks. Then three weeks in the bottle, but I will try one after a week. Hope it turns out.
 
I always try and fight the urge to try a bottle before 3 weeks, as I am always disappointed. Then I get paranoid that my beer isn't going to turn out, but it's always better after 3+ weeks.

With this one, it was interesting to see the fruit character start to show through after the 3rd week. Everything before that was 'skunky'.
 
I will be brewing this in the next few days. no luck getting the 2565 locally, but I did get WLP029. put on the stirplate this morning, hoping for a big starter to get this finished up in a jiffy.

Anyone make this with 029 before?
 
UPDATE!
I am surprised at how close this recipe is. It's really good. My clone does not seem as bright in color as Spotted Cow. Spotted Cow has a slight tinge more orange color. Mine seems a little dull when compared side by side.
The flavor is very close. Please forgive me, I am not very adept at describing what I taste. Spotted Cow has a slight more sour/tart-ness than my clone. I used the Kolsch yeast, so I'm guessing it is the hops. I'm not sure how to adjust this recipe, though. I have seen some recipes with Saaz hops at the finish. I used Mittlefrau, but someone else used Hersbrucker. This also has a creaminess like Spotted Cow.
I'm very happy. This is my first attempt at a clone that was not a kit from AHS. I'll try to get side by side pictures at the next tasting.

Spotted Cow Clone
2.5g Batch (All-Grain - 4g brewpot / 5g cooler)
Style: Cream Ale
Boil Volume: 3.14 gal
Actual Efficiency: 60.53 %
Mash Profile: Medium body (60min @ 154F), No Sparge

Ingredients
3.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.25 %
1.00 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 18.42 %
0.75 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 13.81 %
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 9.21 %
0.18 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3.31 %
0.53 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.60 %] (60 min) Hops 18.2 IBU
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) Yeast-Ale

OG 1.047 SG
FG 1.011 SG
Color 4.8 SRM
Bitterness 18.2 IBU
ABV 4.69 %
 
After looking at my recipe, I think I will use less Flaked Barley to lessen haze and add a little more Vienna for orange color. I might switch the hops to Hersbrucker and add some Saaz at the finish.
 
That's what I'm saying... house favorite so far.

In fact, a couple friends prefer this over the original. Mine is also a little more cloudy then the original... let golden in color maybe,

But I figure, if it's this good... almost better, I think I'll leave it alone.
 
That's what I'm saying... house favorite so far.

In fact, a couple friends prefer this over the original. Mine is also a little more cloudy then the original... let golden in color maybe,

But I figure, if it's this good... almost better, I think I'll leave it alone.

Nah, I'm messin' with it. heh heh. I don't think I will be able to make it any clearer, but I think I can get little deeper orange color.

I'm surprised how close it is on the first try. Boosts my confidence, that's for sure. I'm going to brew it again in the next month I think.
 
Any more updates from those of you who have brewed the clone? I am going to do it in the next week or two and want to know how happy you are with the recipes posted and if you would change anything about them.

I can't wait to brew this. Spotted Cow is my favorite beer right now.
 
I used the recipe in Post #89. Next time I am going to cut the Flaked Barley by .5#, raise the Vienna by .25#-.5#for orange color, and I am going to the hops to Hallertauer Hersbrucker and add some Saaz at the finish, without raising the IBU's. As I said I am surprised by how close this is.
Mine is a 2.5gal batch, so you will have to scale it to 5gal.
 
Thanks for the update. I'll try your modifications and see how it works out. Even if it is very close, I'll be happy with it.
 
Comparing the clone with the Spotted Cow again. The color is spot on. The aroma is so close I don't know the difference. But the flavor is just off a bit. I really wish I knew how to judge beer and tell what these flavors are. It is frustrating, because I feel like I am guessing at the modifications I need to make this closer to the real thing. I have brewed 28 batches, and I still feel like a noob when I'm tasting...
 
BrewSpook, was your recipe the same as mine? If not, can you post yours. I would like to see how they are different. Also, keep us informed when you taste it.
Thanks!
 
northern brewer has a new partial mash kit called Speckled Heifer that I will be brewing on Friday... it's a farmhouse ale, but I'm not sure if they're just playing on the SC name or it's an actual clone..

we shall see....
 
cool cool cool

I'll be leaving 12 plain, and putting jalapeno, serrano, and habenaro peppers in the other 36 bottles.

I'll have to do a side by side with spotted cow with the unaltered ones.

:mug:
 
I brewed this a few months ago; sadly its all gone. Tasted very similiar to Spotted Cow; a little different, but dang good.

Ingredients (4 gal batch size)
4.5 lb - American two-row
1 lb - Flaked corn
0.75 lb - German Vienna
0.5 lb - Flaked Barley
0.5 lb - Crystal 20L

0.25 oz - Columbus - 60 minutes
0.11 oz - Sterling - 15 min.

Misc
K-97 Yeast - Rehydrated
 
Have you tasted this, yet? I am brewing my second try in two weeks.

I haven't ha a chance to keg it yet, hopefully this weekend. I tried a small sampled pulled for a gravity reading and it was good. I ended up restricting the output valve on my RIMs and mashed too high for about half of my mash - so the gravity ended up a bit higher than I was shooting for (about 1.016 IIRC)
but it tasted damn good. I will report back when I get it in the kegerator...
 
Getting ready to brew my second Spotted Cow clone this weekend with the changes I previously stated.
I have a question. A friend from Wisconsin gave me 2.75oz of home grown Mt. Hood hops. I have never used them, but my research shows that they come from Hallertauer. Would these be good in the Spotted Cow clone?
 
I'd be really curious to know how the NB PM kit differs from the cereal mash listed in this thread. Looks like with NB you just mash the Maize with the rest of the grain?
 
I'd be really curious to know how the NB PM kit differs from the cereal mash listed in this thread. Looks like with NB you just mash the Maize with the rest of the grain?

Yeah, it's flaked maize so you don't have to do a cereal mash with it. The starches are already gelatinized by the hot rollers that flaked the corn.
 
Huh... so I cereal mashed for nothing! Although it was a fun new, experience... I might even do it the same way again when I brew a second batch.
 
I pulled a small sample off the keg today... mmm mmm good. I definitely mashed too high, its got a big body to it, and I didnt use the right kolsch, but damn its a tasty beer. Time to order for another batch.
 
Huh... so I cereal mashed for nothing! Although it was a fun new, experience... I might even do it the same way again when I brew a second batch.

No process is ever for nothing. But strictly speaking you do not need to cereal mash for this recipe. That was just my intention for this recipe. Maybe try it without and report back the differences.
 
No process is ever for nothing. But strictly speaking you do not need to cereal mash for this recipe. That was just my intention for this recipe. Maybe try it without and report back the differences.

Yeah I might do that... all my friends want me to brew this up again.

How close does that NB recipe look to this?
 
So looking again at this recipe...

4 lbs 12.6 oz Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 61.91 %
1 lbs 7.8 oz Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 19.28 %
10.0 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.09 %
7.2 oz Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.81 %
6.1 oz Barley, Flaked (Briess) (1.7 SRM) Grain 4.92 %
1.26 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min)Hops 18.9 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [Starter Yeast-Ale

If i wanted to mash as much grain as I can to minimize the amount of extract... I can drop the DME down to 3# (since it's sold in a 3# bag). Take the 1# 12.6oz left over, times that by 1.4 to get roughly 2.5# addition Pale Malt.

So the new recipe would be:
3 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 61.91 %
1 lbs 7.8 oz Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 19.28 %
3 lbs 2 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.09 %
7.2 oz Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.81 %
6.1 oz Barley, Flaked (Briess) (1.7 SRM) Grain 4.92 %

So I would be mashing 5.3 lbs ? Does that conversion seem proper? And I can just mash the Maize (corn) and flaked barley with the rest of the grain?
 
The NB recipe looks completely different. I cant believe it would taste like spotted cow. There is hardly any corn in it, and it uses ale yeast instead of kolsh.
 
Wookie,
I notice that our recipes are about equal on corn at 18-19% of the grain bill. You have about 70% base malt, and I have 55%. My flaked barley is at 13%, and yours is at 4-5%, so those are two differences in amounts. The last difference is that I am using Vienna, and you are using Munich.
Palmer says Munich gives an amber color, and Vienna is lighter and sweeter than Munich. I was going to up the Vienna in my next brew. I felt my color was not as bright as Spotted Cow. Do you think I should stick with the Vienna or should I add some Munich? I don't want it to get darker, just brighter. What do you think.
 
I think I can answer that. I choose Munich in this recipe because I have used Munich a lot and know how it works. I have only dabbled with Vienna and so far it has not impressed me. I can get very dry and malty notes out of Munich even in light beers and I have not been as successful with Vienna. (I admit it could be mental, I really avoid Crystal malts as much as possible too on the same suspicions.)

That said, maybe Vienna is what gets this beer the closest...

13% flaked barley seems rather high to me. How was the mouthfeel on that thing? Seems like that much unmalted barley would give the beer a creaminess not present in SC. Again, experimenting is the only way to dial in, that is just my feel for it.

I am not sure what you mean by "brighter". Generally, brightness refers to the clarity of the beer. In which case, you could use clarifiers or filtering to further brighten the beer. A long cold crash or lager is imperative for clear beer with Koelsch yeast as it is not a good floculator (typically). It you are talking about a color change (e.g., more orange or more yellow, etc.) then we can try and fiddle with that via the grains. Maybe take a side by side photo and we can go from there? Else, just give us some more descriptors...

I checked out that NB recipe and am surprised as well. My first thought is that that would not make a good clone, but who knows??? Maybe it is right on the money. I would love to try some of the clone...
 
Thanks for jumping in BK, eanmcnulty's post went right over my head!

I have a side by side shot I think at home. It was on my old phone so I am not entirely sure it transferred over. If I recall, SC was a little more clear then mine, but I felt mine tasted better so I wasn't going to mess with it. The description of SC says it's naturally cloudy, but that wasn't the case with the sixer I had... maybe the bottles had been sitting awhile?

I have a question, I only have 1 bottle left. However... this batch seemed to have a real funky sediment... almost brown/black like. I had a few friends accidentally pour this into the beer and it darkened them up dramatically. When pouring, it's almost like a dark funky cloud that hovers in the bottom of the bottle. Is this just the yeast? Didn't seem like it would be dark like that.

I think I am gonna brew this up again soon, same recipe... just more grain less extract. Does the recipe i listed above sound right? I'd be willing to alter the munich/vienna if you want.
 
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