Smithwick's Irish Ale Clone (all grain) recipe desired

I'm looking for a clone recipe of Smithwick's Irish Ale that has been brewed by others here with more experience than I have. If you are willing to share, please post your recipe and tasting notes. I'm sure someone on here has nailed it dead on (flavor, bitterness, color, head retention, etc) and sure others have come close. If you've come close, please share along with what you would modify for the next try. If you've nailed it - I am confident others would want to try your recipe too!

Thanks in advance. Hoping to brew this sunday and will need to pick up grain, hops & yeast on Saturday.

And I'm ok with someone offering a very good Irish Ale recipe with something that turns out quite red.

Hi,

I've done this recipe a few times and it's pretty close. It might be a bit darker in cooler and flavor. My wife loves this on Nitro.


water prep -
0.50 tsp Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Chalk (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 10.0 min) Misc

8.63 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain
1.26 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain
0.51 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain

Mash In: Add 12.99 qt of water
60 min - Hold mash at 154.0 F for 60 min
2 min Mash Out: Add 7.27 qt of water at 198.5 F
10 min - Hold mash at 168.0 F for 10 min

-- Sparge with 3.80 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 6.82 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.049 SG with all grains/extracts added

Boil for 60 min
Boil Ingredients
60 min 1.03 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops
60 min 0.50 tsp Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
60 min 1.00 tsp Chalk (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
60 min 1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
15 min 1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
15 min 4.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2 min 0.34 oz Goldings, B.C. [5.00 %] (2 min) Hops

1 Pkgs British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) Yeast-Ale

I've also seen this recipe circulated.

Water Prep
0.50 tsp Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Chalk (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 10.0 min) Misc

Mash
7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain
0.38 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain
4.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Mash 60.0 min) Misc

Mash In: Add 11.09 qt of water at 169.4 F
60 min - Hold mash at 154.0 F for 60 min
Mash Out: Add 6.21 qt of water at 198.5 F
10 min - Hold mash at 168.0 F for 10 min
-- Sparge with 4.36 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 6.82 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.042 SG with all grains/extracts added

Boil
75 min 1.03 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (75 min) Hops
75 min 0.50 tsp Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
75 min 1.00 tsp Chalk (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
75 min 1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 75.0 min) Misc
15 min 1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2 min 0.34 oz Goldings, B.C. [5.00 %] (2 min) Hops

1 Pkgs British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) Yeast-Ale

Smithwicks seems to be a lager, and uses mostly roasted barley. If you use a clean yeast and ferment as cool as you can you will get close with mine.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f65/irish-red-1st-place-hbt-comp-141086/

I've had numerous people tell me that this tasted like Smithwick's:

5.0 gallons, 80% efficiency, 1.049 OG.

7.0 lbs Pale malt (UK)
10oz Crystal 40L
10oz Crystal 80L
3.3 oz Chocolate
1.7 oz Coffee malt

0.5 oz Nugget (13.6%) 60m
0.5 oz Goldings (5.50%) 15m
(no finishing hops)

Mash 153

Ferment with Wyeast 1028 around 66F to avoid fruity esters.

Color is 17.7, which is a deep mahogany. Adjust down th Crystal 80L for a lighter color.

M_C

Misplaced_Canuck said:

I've had numerous people tell me that this tasted like Smithwick's:

5.0 gallons, 80% efficiency, 1.049 OG.

7.0 lbs Pale malt (UK)
10oz Crystal 40L
10oz Crystal 80L
3.3 oz Chocolate
1.7 oz Coffee malt

0.5 oz Nugget (13.6%) 60m
0.5 oz Goldings (5.50%) 15m
(no finishing hops)

Mash 153

Ferment with Wyeast 1028 around 66F to avoid fruity esters.

Color is 17.7, which is a deep mahogany. Adjust down th Crystal 80L for a lighter color.

M_C

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I made this recipe yesterday except I used 1 Pkgs British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) Yeast-Ale instead of the 1028. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!

Just thought I'd chime in here and resurrect an old thread in case anyone is researching a smithwicks clone in the future - I don't know that much about it really but I visited the factory where smithwicks was brewed and one thing I remember about it is that there was definitely sugar in the recipe - not very much I think - but it was there - no idea about the percentage, sorry - it was a liquid sugar and I guess it was just dextrose - other things I remember is there might have been a bit of chocolate malt in it - can't really remember - but I think I remember there were three or maybe even 4 hops varieties - think there were williamettes in there - might have been magnum but I could just have the names mixed up. There may have been golding and/or nugget but I'm fairly sure there were no fuggles in it. Think there were just 2 additions a 60min and a 10 or 15. There was possibly mash gypsum in it too, don't think there was boil gypsum or any other salt additions.

byronyasgur said:

Just thought I'd chime in here and resurrect an old thread in case anyone is researching a smithwicks clone in the future - I don't know that much about it really but I visited the factory where smithwicks was brewed and one thing I remember about it is that there was definitely sugar in the recipe - not very much I think - but it was there - no idea about the percentage, sorry - it was a liquid sugar and I guess it was just dextrose - other things I remember is there might have been a bit of chocolate malt in it - can't really remember - but I think I remember there were three or maybe even 4 hops varieties - think there were williamettes in there - might have been magnum but I could just have the names mixed up. There may have been golding and/or nugget but I'm fairly sure there were no fuggles in it. Think there were just 2 additions a 60min and a 10 or 15. There was possibly mash gypsum in it too, don't think there was boil gypsum or any other salt additions.

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I think, but I'm not sure that this will well might be very or kind of helpful.

glick said:

I think, but I'm not sure that this will well might be very or kind of helpful.

Click to expand...

Hope it's helpful. I know it's not very definite but it's mostly accurate AFAIK - if you're cloning I suppose you want every bit of info that might be pertinent, the whole thing is pretty oblique in the first place, so ...

I was at smithwicks this summer and did the tour in Middleton Ireland. Definitely and ale not a lager and served on 25/75 nitro. Do remember 2 things from the tour. Actually took notes. There are only 2 grains. Pale and crystal and no sugar and the hops was fuggles and east Kent goldings. Not sure on quantities or crystal color but did get that info from the tour guide that used to be a brewer.

Izzie1701 said:

I was at smithwicks this summer and did the tour in Middleton Ireland. Definitely and ale not a lager and served on 25/75 nitro. Do remember 2 things from the tour. Actually took notes. There are only 2 grains. Pale and crystal and no sugar and the hops was fuggles and east Kent goldings. Not sure on quantities or crystal color but did get that info from the tour guide that used to be a brewer.

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you're correct it's definitely an ale not a larger but I know for a fact that it had sugar in it - - wrt the head are you sure you're not thinking of Kilkenny Cream Ale which is a different beer which has a nitro head - last time I checked Smithwicks didn't have a nitro head - btw I think youre mixing up middleton and kilkenny - smithwicks tour is in kilkenny

byronyasgur said:

you're correct it's definitely an ale not a larger but I know for a fact that it had sugar in it - - wrt the head are you sure you're not thinking of Kilkenny Cream Ale which is a different beer which has a nitro head - last time I checked Smithwicks didn't have a nitro head - btw I think youre mixing up middleton and kilkenny - smithwicks tour is in kilkenny

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Sorry you are correct about the city. Went to Middleton to see the Jameson distillery and Kilkenny to see smithwicks. When did you go. Smithwicks was bought out about 2 years ago. I want to say by Guinness but I think that's wrong. Wonder if they changed there recipe a bit. I know I am 100% positive it's poured on nitro on the tour. The tour started in a smaller cave like room that had all there old oak barrels in it and talked about the cooperage. Then went into the tour. Pictures talked to you and then so did the tour guide. Gave you a sample of the wort half way through the tour.

Izzie1701 said:

Sorry you are correct about the city. Went to Middleton to see the Jameson distillery and Kilkenny to see smithwicks. When did you go. Smithwicks was bought out about 2 years ago. I want to say by Guinness but I think that's wrong. Wonder if they changed there recipe a bit. I know I am 100% positive it's poured on nitro on the tour. The tour started in a smaller cave like room that had all there old oak barrels in it and talked about the cooperage. Then went into the tour. Pictures talked to you and then so did the tour guide. Gave you a sample of the wort half way through the tour.

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Kilkenny's my home thats how i twigged LOL - I was in the brewhouse a few times before the brewery closed down - never did the tour - yes i'm told they have changed their recipe alright - havent tried it lately but i'd be surprised at a nitro head like its sibling brew 'Kilkenny cream ale' - because there are lot of traditional drinkers who would be a bit put out by a change like that but I can't say for sure they didn't change it - see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithwick's#Variations -

actually Smithwicks brewery was bought by Guinness c. 1965 along with a lot of the smaller irish brewery's, many of them were shut down but smithwicks was kept open until around 2 or 3 years ago when production moved to either dublin or dundalk not sure