Blue Moon Clone

Yakima 728
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Brewed 3 weeks ago like this:
Planned for 5.5gal into fermenter.
5lbs pale 2-row
4.5lbs white wheat
1lbs flaked oats

Mashed at 154F for an hour. Boiled 60 min with 1.25 oz Hallertau.
1 oz corriander at 10 mins
1 oz valencia orange peel at 5 min.

Messed up my volume calculation somewhere and missed efficiency so ended up with 6 gallons to fermenter with lower OG 1.041 vs planned 1.052. Got distracted and chilled before measured and didn't have time to reboil longer so just filled fermenter.

Fermented 3 weeks at 66 up to 70 fermenter temp with S-05. FG 1.011.

Sample tasted a bit thin and watery with whitish appearance vs regular blue moon. Carbing in keg now, will see how it ends up. Might brew a bigger version to blend if doesn't improve after carbonation. Or will just drink it up with juice or something and brew it again later.
 
I just finished brewing this, I probably messed up the coriander and peel measurements but oh well, that just means I'll have to keep brewing it until I get it right :]
 
BLuck said:
Brewed 3 weeks ago like this:
Planned for 5.5gal into fermenter.
5lbs pale 2-row
4.5lbs white wheat
1lbs flaked oats

Mashed at 154F for an hour. Boiled 60 min with 1.25 oz Hallertau.
1 oz corriander at 10 mins
1 oz valencia orange peel at 5 min.

Messed up my volume calculation somewhere and missed efficiency so ended up with 6 gallons to fermenter with lower OG 1.041 vs planned 1.052. Got distracted and chilled before measured and didn't have time to reboil longer so just filled fermenter.

Fermented 3 weeks at 66 up to 70 fermenter temp with S-05. FG 1.011.

Sample tasted a bit thin and watery with whitish appearance vs regular blue moon. Carbing in keg now, will see how it ends up. Might brew a bigger version to blend if doesn't improve after carbonation. Or will just drink it up with juice or something and brew it again later.
Click to expand...

I use 10 grams of corriander. I think 1 Oz is way to much. Next time I make this I'm going to crush the oats with the grain, I was just throwing the oats in without crushing them. There is a thread on here about crushing the oats.
 
BLuck said:
Brewed 3 weeks ago like this:
Planned for 5.5gal into fermenter.
5lbs pale 2-row
4.5lbs white wheat
1lbs flaked oats

Mashed at 154F for an hour. Boiled 60 min with 1.25 oz Hallertau.
1 oz corriander at 10 mins
1 oz valencia orange peel at 5 min.

Messed up my volume calculation somewhere and missed efficiency so ended up with 6 gallons to fermenter with lower OG 1.041 vs planned 1.052. Got distracted and chilled before measured and didn't have time to reboil longer so just filled fermenter.

Fermented 3 weeks at 66 up to 70 fermenter temp with S-05. FG 1.011.

Sample tasted a bit thin and watery with whitish appearance vs regular blue moon. Carbing in keg now, will see how it ends up. Might brew a bigger version to blend if doesn't improve after carbonation. Or will just drink it up with juice or something and brew it again later.
Click to expand...

I use 10 grams of corriander. I think 1 Oz is way to much. Next time I make this I'm going to crush the oats with the grain, I was just throwing the oats in without crushing them. There is a thread on here about crushing the oats.
 
It took about 5 days of reading but I made it through all 109 pages !! I think I should have a home brew as a victory toast.

I was looking for a good Blue Moon clone to make for my Cousins Birthday next august and it appear I've found the Holy Grail for said beer.

I will be trying a few of the recipes as I have about 6 months to get it nailed down
MANY thanks to Wayne and Nilo for all of the valuable information !
 
We brewed a 15 gallon batch of this on Sunday and it went great. Here's what we did...

20 lb Pale Ale
16 lb White Wheat
4 lb Flaked Oats

1 oz Nugget 60 min
6 oz sweet orange peel 10 min
1 oz Whole Coriander crushed in coffee grinder 10 min
2 oz lemondrop whirlpool
1 oz Jarrylo whirlpool

My twist was adding aroma hops at the end to see if I could get lemon and some orange or citrus out of them. My family is split 50/50 on putting orange in, or lemon, so I wanted to see if we could incorporate the aroma of both, and accentuate the flavor when adding an orange or lemon. It smells amazing at this point, but ended up quite a bit darker than Blue Moon. I was worried about it ending up lighter with 2 row, so I went with pale ale malt. I couldn't attach the photo for some reason, I'll try again later. I can't wait to try this beer.
 
After months I was finally able to read through this entire thread. This is my first post as a result :) Thank you so much for everyone that has contributed to this thread and shared their knowledge thus far.

I've brewed Wayne's original recipe twice now but still haven't been able to get the body quite right. I'll keep working on it, perhaps mashing at the higher temps (~158F) as others have suggested.

I did happen to come across this article from May of last year in which Keith Villa was interviewed. In it he says something really interesting - "The next big difference is that we use steel-cut oats in our beer that give a nice, nutty flavor to the beer and a chewy, creaminess to the body. A lot of craft brewers inspired by Blue Moon who now make Belgian whites use pre-gelatinized oat flakes, which gives it a completely different taste."

Perhaps this is the secret to achieve the balance and the body that we've all been searching for?

Here is a link to the entire article - How Blue Moon made ‘craft beer’ meaningless
 
So where in this thread is the actual recipe that people are using? Don't want to have to read the whole thread.
 
jjw5015 said:
Here's the page with a bunch of different versions. I believe 8 was picked to be the closest.
Click to expand...

Actually, I believe Nilo states that he believes #12 is the closest, but a lot of people have said the flavor profile is a little off due to the use of the Crystal.

I would be interested to find out what the results would be like if using a similar recipe to Wayne's original with perhaps the Steel Cut Oats as Keith Villa claims they use to make Blue Moon. Nilo used starch to obtain the body, haze and mouthfeel but I'm thinking that the use of Steel Cut could deliver similar results.
 
shadows69 said:
Toasted oats = steel oats? Maybe?
Click to expand...

I definitely don't think toasted oats are the same thing as steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are whole oat groats which have been chopped into two or three pieces... they don't go through the pre gelatinization process so they require more work. They can be found at any regular grocery store.
 
shadows69 said:
I was just wondering. We have quaker steel oats at our stores. I use the quick 5 mins oats in my Blue Moon clone.
Click to expand...

Yep, the quick oats are the pre-gelatinized... basically the same thing that you get at the brew shop sold as "Flaked Oats"... but the steel cut oats are what Keith Villa claims they use. I've been reading up on it and it will likely require some pre-cooking to prepare them... perhaps a cereal mash. But since I've done Wayne's recipe twice now and haven't really seemed to get the body or mouthfeel, I'm hopeful this will make the difference. I will also be bumping up the oats to about 14% based on some of the research I've done...
 
I saw in the store yesterday... steel cut oats quick oats made in 3 mins according to the label. Made by Quaker oats. This maybe a better option if it doesn't require pre-cooking.
 
Brentk14 said:
We brewed a 15 gallon batch of this on Sunday and it went great. Here's what we did...

20 lb Pale Ale
16 lb White Wheat
4 lb Flaked Oats

1 oz Nugget 60 min
6 oz sweet orange peel 10 min
1 oz Whole Coriander crushed in coffee grinder 10 min
2 oz lemondrop whirlpool
1 oz Jarrylo whirlpool

My twist was adding aroma hops at the end to see if I could get lemon and some orange or citrus out of them. My family is split 50/50 on putting orange in, or lemon, so I wanted to see if we could incorporate the aroma of both, and accentuate the flavor when adding an orange or lemon. It smells amazing at this point, but ended up quite a bit darker than Blue Moon. I was worried about it ending up lighter with 2 row, so I went with pale ale malt. I couldn't attach the photo for some reason, I'll try again later. I can't wait to try this beer.
Click to expand...

Still can't figure out how to attach images on here. I try to add the attachment and it comes back with an error every time I try to upload. Any ideas or tips?
Anyways, I'm here to give an update on my first attempt at this beer. To start with, I made 15 gal, and it is almost gone. Everyone really likes this beer. The late hop additions worked perfectly in my opinion, and everyone who has tried it plain, and then with their choice of fruit (Lemon or Orange) preferred the plain, as it had enough flavor and aroma.
As for me, I am never satisfied with what I've made, so I pick little things out to tweak next time. I used sweet orange peel on this, but I definitely taste bitter, and it is that citrus bitter that you get from rinds, not hops. I think I'll try to find a better source for the sweet orange peel going forward. Also, I feel like the coriander is a little stronger than I'd like. I am going to cut it in half next time, and still grind it in my coffee grinder. I'll also probably switch to the 2row next time instead of the pale malt, just to lighten it up a bit (I wish I could post the picture to show what I am talking about here).
All in all, I am super happy with how this turned out. I am going to be making another 15 gal batch of this end of May, early June for our 4th of July family reunion, and I am sure it will be consumed quickly.
 
Just for fun here is a photo of a wit I made at work.
13124610_993755190720266_4269881732585209799_n.jpg


This is made with the same ratio of grains and spices I first posted about.

This is a bit different in that I used a wit yeast and used a large amount Lemondrop hops in the whirlpool and dry hopped.

If any of you are around Denver, stop in at Station 26 Brewing Co and try a glass.
 
Wayne1 said:
Just for fun here is a photo of a wit I made at work.
13124610_993755190720266_4269881732585209799_n.jpg


This is made with the same ratio of grains and spices I first posted about.

This is a bit different in that I used a wit yeast and used a large amount Lemondrop hops in the whirlpool and dry hopped.

If any of you are around Denver, stop in at Station 26 Brewing Co and try a glass.
Click to expand...

Looks and sounds delicious! I need to find some time to make it down that way.
I've brewed your original with great results, and also brewed it with t-58 which was also mighty tasty.
 
Wayne1 said:
Just for fun here is a photo of a wit I made at work.
13124610_993755190720266_4269881732585209799_n.jpg


This is made with the same ratio of grains and spices I first posted about.

This is a bit different in that I used a wit yeast and used a large amount Lemondrop hops in the whirlpool and dry hopped.

If any of you are around Denver, stop in at Station 26 Brewing Co and try a glass.
Click to expand...

Lemondrop hops in this beer are amazing. We loved what it did to our batch.
Do you serve it with an orange or lemon, or just as is?
 
Wayne1 said:
Just for fun here is a photo of a wit I made at work.
13124610_993755190720266_4269881732585209799_n.jpg


This is made with the same ratio of grains and spices I first posted about.

This is a bit different in that I used a wit yeast and used a large amount Lemondrop hops in the whirlpool and dry hopped.

If any of you are around Denver, stop in at Station 26 Brewing Co and try a glass.
Click to expand...


Sounds and looks awesome.
 
Wayne1 said:
Just for fun here is a photo of a wit I made at work.
13124610_993755190720266_4269881732585209799_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Wayne, that looks amazing. It looks like it has some nice body to it.

Have you given any thought to my findings earlier that Keith apparently uses steel cut oats, and do you think that would make any difference?
 
sfouant said:
Actually, I believe Nilo states that he believes #12 is the closest, but a lot of people have said the flavor profile is a little off due to the use of the Crystal.

I would be interested to find out what the results would be like if using a similar recipe to Wayne's original with perhaps the Steel Cut Oats as Keith Villa claims they use to make Blue Moon. Nilo used starch to obtain the body, haze and mouthfeel but I'm thinking that the use of Steel Cut could deliver similar results.
Click to expand...

Both are actually correct. #8 was the most voted in a pool I started on my blog, however, #12 was "to my taste" the better one.
I'm still dry but pick here once in a while to see where this thread is heading.
I still have all records of all batches, in case someone needs any details. Doing some electronics to keep busy, but all brewing gear is safe and stored. Gotta get back brewing someday:mug:
 
sfouant said:
Wayne, that looks amazing. It looks like it has some nice body to it.

Have you given any thought to my findings earlier that Keith apparently uses steel cut oats, and do you think that would make any difference?
Click to expand...

Personally, I do not think Steel Cut Oats make much difference. At SandLot and at other breweries where I have made this beer, I have mostly use Briess Flaked Oats. I have also used the OIO brand from Canada. I could not tell much difference.

I have heard a rumor that when Blue Moon was brought into the main Coors plant to be brewed in 2,000 bbl batches, the yeast was changed to a lager yeast fermented at around 57. Maybe that was to reduce the flocculation and give a bit hazier product. I will be trying to track this down a bit more.

Coors did remove most of their cereal cookers from the main brewhouse and changed the rice and corn adjuncts to syrups to reduce total cost.
 
Hello. I am looking to brew this for summer enjoyment. I’m aiming to approximate a clone to Blue Moon. My question is: should I go with fresh orange zest, or dried orange zest (either McCormick or Frontier), and what is the approximate equivalence between the two?
Thanks,
 
mike_g08 said:
Hello. I am looking to brew this for summer enjoyment. I’m aiming to approximate a clone to Blue Moon. My question is: should I go with fresh orange zest, or dried orange zest (either McCormick or Frontier), and what is the approximate equivalence between the two?
Thanks,
Click to expand...

I think that several factors will play, imho:
-How fresh the dry orange peel is;
-Which type of fresh orange you use
-How you use the fresh orange peels, how small you chop it, when in the process you add it;
-Your taste buds;

My experience with fresh orange peels is, using long strings as peeled, it takes a considerable amount to impart flavor. I think that chopping it in small pieces or even crushing will improve efficiency but, doing this will release all that oily substance and I'm not sure how that could affect head retention. Also, I assumed fresh peels should never be boiled, may be I'm wrong, but a major difference on using fresh to dry peel is the great aroma, and you don't want all that to evaporate away. I used the peels during fermentation. Perhaps added to the keg, like dry hopping, would also work.
I noticed that beers using fresh peels would have stronger aroma when green, but both aroma and flavor changed a lot over time as the beer ages.
Dry peels, in other hand, impart stronger flavor in my opinion which doesn't change much with time.

Hope that helps, make your experiments and compare.
 
Thanks Nilo. There are a lot of variables related to orange peel! By the way, in reading your recipe #12 it looks like both coriander and orange peel are placed in the boil 10 mins before flameout. Is this correct?
 
mike_g08 said:
Thanks Nilo. There are a lot of variables related to orange peel! By the way, in reading your recipe #12 it looks like both coriander and orange peel are placed in the boil 10 mins before flameout. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.
 
I brewed Nilo #12 and was amazed at the feedback I got. I did a blind taste test with 6 people vs Blue Moon and all 6 picked mine over BM as the preferred taste. One did say mine seemed a little over-carbonated, which I agree with. Overall though it was pretty close in taste and vision to the real deal. Its a keeper recipe. They went pretty quick.

Few small notes on my experience with Nilo #12; The taste altered a bit the more it conditioned in the bottle. The first 3-4 weeks tasted smoother than the bottles opened since then. Also the head on the beer no longer looks creamy and smooth. It looks more like soda fizz and dissipates almost instantly. In less then 30-45 seconds the beer is foamless. Wonder why that is?
 
Did you use the carapills? That supposelly help head retention. One other possible culprit is the orange peel. Not sure which one you used, oils from the peels may work against you.
 
I followed #12 grain bill and recipe as exact as I could. I did use McCormick Valencia Orange peel though. Its all I could find locally. Thanks for the feedback. Not complaining about it. It was excellent. Just looking for answers. Im still a newb to brewing.

beer1.JPG


beer2.JPG
 
Some of you guys have committed on the coriander being too strong. I have found that the crush makes a big difference on the stuff.

I was using a coffee mill to grind the coriander for a Belgian Wit I make. It always seemed that the coriander was over powering. Someone said not to grind but crush it with a rolling pin. I did, and it made a big difference.

So the question now is what is done on these recipes with respect to the coriander... is it ground or crushed?
 

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