DFH 120 knockoff

I used the groundwork laid by scottland here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/dfh-120-minute-clone-259314/

17# US 2-row
1# Victory
1/3# 60L (I used up what I had laying around rather than 1/4#)
baggies & baggies of 8 oz dextrose
6oz Amarillo ->used an extra ounce because I like easy even number hop additions, see below.
4oz Simcoe
3oz Warrior
Waiting for fermentation to complete before dry hopping 3 oz Simcoe & 3 oz Amarillo.

Hops mixed together & divided into thirteen 1 oz additions, one every 10 minutes and one at flameout. I mashed with 1.5 qts/# @ 152F, 2 batch sparges with 1.25qts/# total (split half & half). Wound up with 10 gallons total, boiled down to 4.8ish gallons @ 1.090 on Sunday evening the 4th. Pitched onto cake of 007 that had just finished a similarly hopped big IPA & went to bed around 20:30. I have an oxygen setup, but decided to just use a drop of olive oil & 50% more energizer/nutrient than I normally use (normally 4 teaspoons so I used 6) because it worked so well for scottland. I may never buy another oxygen cylinder if it works... Woke up Monday & it was going gangbusters, perfect. 73F in the swamp cooler.

Wednesday AM it was 1.024, popped the lid & whisked in 8 oz dextrose. 72F

Wednesday PM it was 1.026, decided to let it ride out overnight. 69F

Thursday AM it was 1.023, added 8 oz dextrose ->not bubbling quite so much. 70F

Thursday PM it was 1.024, fermentation has definitely slowed as it was ~10% ABV at this point & the fact that it already had another boozy IPA under its belt. Reconfirms my findings that well treated yeast will ferment above what they're advertised to tolerate. I took the 2G starter of 099 that I made on Monday, decanted, pitched, added 8 oz dextrose & stirred it all up. 70F Starter used olive oil & 2 tablespoons energizer/nutrient.

Friday (today) AM it was 1.022 & its cranking along again, added 8 oz dextrose. 70F

For those keeping score, it is >10% ABV this AM. Very strong hop aroma, starting to get a boozy smell also.

007 is nasty like cottage cheese:


Hoptastic:

Looks awesome, you've already got the gravity right where you want it. Just keep feeding it as much sugar as it will eat =)

Thanks bud! I just wish I made 10 gallons...

Sweet. I've never had the real deal but I might have to jump on the bandwagon and try this. Sounds yummy.

I've been following the other thread on this and I look forward to seeing how this goes. When I eventually move to kegging, you can bet I'll follow in step.

Also, I had never thought of using the hydrometer by just tossing it in the bucket... Brilliant! that's one less thing to sanitize/less beer wasted if you *forgot* to sanitize the test tube.

jeburgdo said:

I've been following the other thread on this and I look forward to seeing how this goes. When I eventually move to kegging, you can bet I'll follow in step.

Also, I had never thought of using the hydrometer by just tossing it in the bucket... Brilliant! that's one less thing to sanitize/less beer wasted if you *forgot* to sanitize the test tube.

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I minimize handling points in order to minimize risk. Gotta open the bucket anyway, ya dig? I also just whisk in the dextrose right into the bucket.

1.022 this morning, added another 8 oz dextrose. OG=1.120
Holding steady about 72F

Also, this batch puts me at 100 gallons brewed this year, wanted to go out on a bang!

1.023 yesterday PM, stirred, added 8oz. Stirring really woke it up. I'll be doing this every other day now.
1.020 today AM, added 8oz.
1.020 today PM, added 8oz.

Oh so close to 15% ABV, and the 099 is still rocking hard.

1.022 this morning, stirred it, added 8 oz dextrose. I'm now >15%

mxracer652 said:

1.022 this morning, stirred it, added 8 oz dextrose. I'm now >15%

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looks yummy...

Nice!

I did a one gallon batch of 120. I was really stoked with how it turned out. Very interesting. Mine crapped out around 22abv

trent said:

I did a one gallon batch of 120. I was really stoked with how it turned out. Very interesting. Mine crapped out around 22abv

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Cool. What were your methods?

1.022 last night added 8 oz
1.023 this morning added 8oz, stirred, added 1 drop olive oil & 1 teaspoon energizer/nutrient
1.026 this evening, no sugar added. I've been feeding the beast a pound a day and this is the first day it didn't take a whole pound. It's 16.2%, hopefully it keeps it up, I'd love to get 18% & still be 1.020-1.025 FG

alright, what's the olive oil for and how does it not ruin the beer?

Long story short the yeast use oxygen & else to make mono unsaturated fats, so why not just give them the fats (olive oil) and skip potential oxidation. New Belgium & some Brussels university confirmed on a large scale & beer shelf life increased due to less oxygen exposure.

1.023 this am, added 4oz, it's definitely slowed. 16.8%abv

i'm not quite getting it, because i thought oxygen is beneficial for yeast, especially in a heavy duty beer like this - does the olive oil help focus the yeasts' efforts somehow? ...do you have a link to an in-depth explanation?...btw, awesome thread

When you read your gravity in the bucket do you stir first then put in the hydrometer?

DoctorDuvel said:

i'm not quite getting it, because i thought oxygen is beneficial for yeast, especially in a heavy duty beer like this - does the olive oil help focus the yeasts' efforts somehow? ...do you have a link to an in-depth explanation?...btw, awesome thread

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Here's the in depth stuff:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/using-olive-oil-instead-oxygen-47872/

There's also tons of other threads on here about it, just search for olive oil.

When you read your gravity in the bucket do you stir first then put in the hydrometer?

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Not each time. Horseshoes & hand grenades.

1.022 this AM, added 4oz (the last I had bagged), stirred, I think it's darn close to petered out. Brings OG up to 1.155, 17.1% ABV. I will probably let it sit til Sunday, if it doesn't move any more, it will go to secondary & dry hopping.

mxracer652 said:

I think it's darn close to petered out.

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You'd be surprised. Mine slowed down a lot from about 18% on, but it just kept marching up to 21%

scottland said:

You'd be surprised. Mine slowed down a lot from about 18% on, but it just kept marching up to 21%

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That's pretty interesting, I'll keep checking it then. I figured with the exponential decay that's been going on it would be done by tomorrow. 1/2^n anybody?

Any updates? My brother in law and I just brewed a 120 min clone today from yours and scottland's threads.

The only difference with our was that we used the san diego super yeast and the guy at my store talked be into eventually using champagne yeast, which it looks like will die at about 18%. I was hoping to top the 20% mark...

I kegged it last weekend, it dry hopped a month because I wasn't home. Finished at 17.5%. I bought a bottle of 120 to compare it to when I racked to keg. It is definitely drier & thinner mouthfeel, with waaaaaay more citrus/floral aroma. The 120 was 2 months older but it was way more green than I expected, and not the same as I remembered it (haven't had one in over a year). Honestly, I don't think I'll buy another 120 because this recipe is miles better.

Glad it worked out well! I'm slowly digging into my batch.

mxracer - what was your FG?

1.022