Attempting a Blue Moon Clone - need help

[Sollozzo]

I recently completed my first brew, which was done with a Brewer's Best American Cream Ale kit. Moving forward, I want to complete another brew in 3 weeks once this first brew is bottled and my carboy is free. I decided I'm going to go for something similar to Blue Moon.

Since I've only brewed using a kit, I was hoping you guys might help me to better understand the brew process for this recipe.

This is the recipe (posted by wild):

-5 lbs. Extra Light DME
-2.5 lbs. Orange Blossom Honey
-1 oz. Hallertauer Pellet Hops
-1/2 oz. Hallertauer Whole Hops
-1 oz. Coriander Seed
-1 oz. Orange Peel
-Wyeast #1214 Belgian Abbey

When I made the Brewer's Best Kit, I followed the directions carefully, so I'm a bit lost when it comes to making something that isn't spelled out for me. The kit also came with LME and DME. The LME was added first to boiling water, then the DME was added later with Corn Sugar.

I'm hoping someone can give me a detailed list of instructions that I can use as guidance while completing this brew.

A couple of questions to go with this request:

1. What other ingredients will I need? Does the honey replace the need for corn sugar?

2. What's the difference between using only a DME for a brew, as opposed to a combination of LME and DME?

3. Do I need priming sugar in addition to the ingredients listed in order to carbonate the beer once bottled?

4. What other supplies might I want to pick up at my LHBS to prepare for this brew? The only thing that came to mind was a brew net for the whole hops.

5. What's your recommendation for preparing the orange peel? Am I using something fresh or just using the dried additive that is sold at LHBS?


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[prpromin]

1. You should be fine without other ingredients. Not every beer uses a pure sugar addition. In this case, the honey doesn't really replace the sugar, it's simply a different addition.

2. Not much. A lot of people prefer DME to LME since it is more stable and doesn't go stale as quickly as LME.

3. Yes, you'll need priming sugar in addition to these items. If you have a scale, just buy a pound and weigh it for what you'll need to prime. Use an online calculator to figure out how much you'll need based on style and volume (tastybrew is a good calculator).

4. A sack for the whole hops would be good. I assume they are for dryhop, but I don't know. Make sure the recipe has the hop addition times.

5. The orange peel will be dry and just added per the recipe. The last time I used orange and corriander, it was just added to the boil.

Good luck!

 

[GrogNerd]

the brewer who worked for Coors as the Brewmaster of SandLot Brewery from 1995-1997 has posted on this before

Blue Moon is not fermented with a Belgian yeast, they use Chico

 

[Sollozzo]

the brewer who worked for Coors as the Brewmaster of SandLot Brewery from 1995-1997 has posted on this before

Blue Moon is not fermented with a Belgian yeast, they use Chico

Really good info there. Thanks for that. I didn't see any step-by-step instructions though. Any idea where I might instructions that pertain specifically to this recipe?

 

[prpromin]

Which recipe do you want instructions for? The one in your original post, or the one in the link?

 

[Sollozzo]

Which recipe do you want instructions for? The one in your original post, or the one in the link?

The original I posted. Thanks.

 

[prpromin]

OG - 1.061
Est FG - 1.007 - Though, with extract, this might be higher.

Boil 6.5 Gal of water
Add 1/2 DME at boil
Add Hop pellets when DME returns to boil.
After 50 minutes of boil, add crushed coriander, orange peel, and honey.
at 60 minutes, at rest of DME.
End boil after DME is dissolved.

Chill to 60 degrees, take gravity reading, and pitch yeast. You should have 5 gal in the fermentor.

Ferment at 68-70 degrees for two weeks. Check gravity. Leave in primary for up to another week or two. Bottle with 5oz of dissolved priming sugar and condition at 70 for 3 weeks. Chill one for 48 hours and sample. If they're done, chill and drink.

Notes - I wouldn't bother with the leaf pellets. I'd up the initial hops to 1.25 oz. Your beer, though.

 

[funkphiler]

Make sure to aerate your wort before pitching yeast to insure you reach you FG. I went to Pet Smart and bought their fishtank aerator for thirty bucks and an airstone for five. The one I got there was somekind of weird pumice texture yet it works just fine. I also have one from NWB but you cant touch that one because your oils will plug up the holes. I aerate for twenty or thirty mins. Good brewin!

 

[Sollozzo]

OG - 1.061
Est FG - 1.007 - Though, with extract, this might be higher.

Boil 6.5 Gal of water
Add 1/2 DME at boil
Add Hop pellets when DME returns to boil.
After 50 minutes of boil, add crushed coriander, orange peel, and honey.
at 60 minutes, at rest of DME.
End boil after DME is dissolved.

Chill to 60 degrees, take gravity reading, and pitch yeast. You should have 5 gal in the fermentor.

Ferment at 68-70 degrees for two weeks. Check gravity. Leave in primary for up to another week or two. Bottle with 5oz of dissolved priming sugar and condition at 70 for 3 weeks. Chill one for 48 hours and sample. If they're done, chill and drink.

Notes - I wouldn't bother with the leaf pellets. I'd up the initial hops to 1.25 oz. Your beer, though.

Thanks so much. One last question.

I don't have a pot big enough to brew all in one. Is it okay to boil in two stove-top pots, with 3.25 gallons of water in each, and just split everything down the middle?

 

[prpromin]

Thanks so much. One last question.

I don't have a pot big enough to brew all in one. Is it okay to boil in two stove-top pots, with 3.25 gallons of water in each, and just split everything down the middle?

You could do that, or just do a partial boil with the 3 gallons and top up to 5 with water in the fermentor.