Brew dog Sink the Bismarck clone??

[Tilldeath]

Before I get to my post let me start by saying if this is in anyway not allowed someone let me know ASAP and I will edit/remove it.

That being said, I want to do my own version of Brewdogs Sink the Bismarck, meaning an uber hoppy beer that has been freeze distilled to a higher abv. My questions are as follows. 1. How high can I get an abv with the right yeast/yeasts in an IPA? 2. Can I re-dry hop after each freezing and would it do anything as far as aroma? What IBU should I shoot for initially cause the higher alcohol tends to sweeten and over take the bitterness of the hops. I don't want something like DFH120 min. cause it is too sweet. Thoughts??

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

I had this last weekend... the real deal man... the real deal.

All i gotta say if you have even come close, you need to PM the temps and recipe.

 

[dwmcqueen]

I am interested in this - any ideas on the process involved?

 

[JJL]

I'd suggest searching eisbock or freeze distillation or freeze concentration.

 

[Jsmith82]

Subscribing.

Could probably get the same results from brewing a 1 gallon IPA with an insane amount of hops in it, feed it sugar, then dump in everclear to reach your desired ABV, finish by dryhopping the hell out of it. [/joke]

Dr1knBeer - Please describe the beer if you don't mind, I've always been curious to try it. I haven't justified spending 80 dollars (is that where the dollar is now days, 2 to 1?) on a single beer but I do have a buddy getting married next year who is a beer lover, may just give us an excuse.. (I also didn't think they shipped to the US?)

 

[Tilldeath]

Subscribing.

Could probably get the same results from brewing a 1 gallon IPA with an insane amount of hops in it, feed it sugar, then dump in everclear to reach your desired ABV, finish by dryhopping the hell out of it. [/joke]

Dr1knBeer - Please describe the beer if you don't mind, I've always been curious to try it. I haven't justified spending 80 dollars (is that where the dollar is now days, 2 to 1?) on a single beer but I do have a buddy getting married next year who is a beer lover, may just give us an excuse.. (I also didn't think they shipped to the US?)

I can get either Tactical nuclear penguin or Sink the Bismark locally if interested let me know. All I think you need to do is take a pliny the elder clone from AHS, add enough corn sugar/DME to the boil, add a high gravity tolerant yeast strain, and freeze distill finish it off with a good 4-5day heavy dry hop. That's what's got me busted though since I don't have a deep freezer and would likely need an even colder environment to drop it temps. ie L2N. Too much work I decided

 

[Jtc2811]

Subscribing.


Dr1knBeer - Please describe the beer if you don't mind, I've always been curious to try it. I haven't justified spending 80 dollars (is that where the dollar is now days, 2 to 1?) on a single beer but I do have a buddy getting married next year who is a beer lover, may just give us an excuse.. (I also didn't think they shipped to the US?)

I can only describe Tac Penguin, it's slightly weaker older brother. For the penguin, it's basically a Russian imperial super-stout. It pours and tastes much more like a fine, sweet whiskey than a beer. Very malty, very sweet, with a surprisingly small bite for such high abv. Finishes very clean and dry on the back of the tongue. I can't remember what it looked like, but I would venture black as sin and twice as enticing. From what I have heard, Bismark is just more of the same with a harsher bite. As it is, BrewDog only made Bismark as a F* you to the German brewery who broke the Penguin's abv record with a 40%. Bismark is just 1% more.

Unless you are getting Bismark exclusively for the novelty, I would prob take the Penguin instead. It's cheaper by a good bit, and truly a unique experience that every beer snob should try.

Also, both are sold in the US, but only in certain stores. From what I hear from my local commercial beer guy, the people at BrewDog are very approachable, and if your local shop sent them an email, I'm sure they could do business. Otherwise, just get it shipped.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

Sorry guys been buried in work lately... its time to brew actually.

The beer start a slight carbonation... It got legs like a $100 dollar bottle of wine... An Hop aroma like Dog Fish Head 120 X 2... Its got an alcohol smell just like any scotch would at 40%...

Now the drink... Smooth great mouth feel the hops aroma come out through your nose (no joke)... its got oak, caramel, maybe even a slight burnt syrup... The best damn beer i ever had.

Now, i'm an avid Scotch drinker and i had this beer twice now with accompanied cigar and a scotch (its to expensive to have more than two shots at once) and the scotch is starting to not do it for me.. well the lower end $40-$70 scotches i put down with my cigars that is.

Sink the Bismarck is an experience... my buddy said these words and I now believe it "Anything wine can do, beer can do better..."

Save your pennies and buy it, if you dont like it i'll buy the rest.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

Subscribing.

Could probably get the same results from brewing a 1 gallon IPA with an insane amount of hops in it, feed it sugar, then dump in everclear to reach your desired ABV, finish by dryhopping the hell out of it. [/joke]

Dr1knBeer - Please describe the beer if you don't mind, I've always been curious to try it. I haven't justified spending 80 dollars (is that where the dollar is now days, 2 to 1?) on a single beer but I do have a buddy getting married next year who is a beer lover, may just give us an excuse.. (I also didn't think they shipped to the US?)

I'd have to say the partial freezing is the only way to get close... i think you'd need a 10 galon batch (hopped up big time) and you'd be lucky to end up with a few 12oz bottles at the end after you finish removing the H2O...

As for the shipping it took LONG... got caught up in customs... but it made it safe and sound. My box was mangled when it came in. but the bottle had so much bubble wrap that they could have just put a sticker on the wrap and put it in the mail.

Do it for your buddy.. he'd be impressed.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Do you have a freezer that is cold enough for this? To get to 40%, you need to hit something like -16 degrees.

 

[Justibone]

The highest tolerance yeast are 20% ABV capable. It either takes a lot of nursing, with staged pitches and nutrient additions, or there is what I call a "distiller's special" pack in some brew stores that will take any sugar concoction up to 20% but probably tastes like licking behind Satan's earlobes to drink.

So, you can get 40 proof with just fermenting.

To get to 40% you will need to either distill (most likely illegal), add higher concentrated alcohol (will affect the taste), or you need to freeze concentrate. I've done a couple of freeze concentrations, and they are not difficult, but they are difficult to do right.

I've read some brewers will partially freeze a high alcohol liquid and then strain out formed ice crystals, instead of freezing solid. I think you could do it that way.

Good home freezers should be able to manage -20C, which is ~-4F. If you live in Wisconsin or Minnesota or Michigan or God-help-you-Montana, you can get -16F just using the weather. If not, you will need to get creative.

My eisbock was one of the best beers I ever made. The bock was excellent (check my sig) and the eisbock was moreso. It is critical -- SUPER CRITICAL -- to mind the bitterness when freeze-concentrating beer, though. The bitterness ends up being completely out of place when the ABV% gets high enough.

Good luck, and report back!