Contract Brews

[Brewsmith]

All of my homebrew up till now has been for myself and family/friends. Within the last week, however, I have had three requests to brew complete batches for a few people, willing to pitch in on costs of course. The first is the Orange Amber I posted a few days ago about orange zest. Then this weekend someone asked me about doing something along the lines of Alaskan Brewing's Amber and their Smoked Porter.

What brews have others asked you to make?

 

[G. Cretin]

I did AHBS' Warrior PA my wife wants that one done again
ASSHAT every body wants that one again
lucky for me I took notes and I did both completly sober.
I have found if I wait to drink until the brewing is done my beer comes out a ton better.

 

[Born Brewing Co.]

Friends have asked me to brew a couple clones:

New Glarus - Belgium Red, Hearty Hop Ale
Blue Moon
Fat Tire Ale
Goose Island - Honkers Ale (My favorite)

 

[olllllo]

Unfortuately, I get the most request for two beers I did for a party on short notice. One was a Belgian and the other was a Bitter.

Both were green, but everybody wants me to brew them.

Brewsmith:
In my sig you'll find the extract recipe I use for Alaskan Amber.
What's yours?

 

[david_42]

Nothing, just about everybody I know is a homebrewer or a pro. I did teach one guy last year by doing a few request brews with him.

 

[Jaybird]

I created an amber recipe that everyone raves about. We had a co worker want a keg of it for his family reunion.. We even got envited. The beer was a huge hit.
JJ

 

[Brewsmith]

In my sig you'll find the extract recipe I use for Alaskan Amber.
What's yours?

I don't have it yet, unless there's a clone recipe in one of my books that I forgot about. But the Alaskan Brewing website says this:

"Water, malt, hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field. The malt is a rich blend of premium two-row Pale and Crystal malts. Cascade hops from the Yakima Valley and imported Czechoslovakian Saaz hops impart bittering flavors and aromas.

Original Gravity: 1.054, ABW 4.0%, ABV 5.0%, Bitterness: 18 IBU, Color 22 SRM"

 

[mysterio]

I'd be impressed if they could get Czechoslovakian hops seeing as there's no such place!

 

[olllllo]

Glacier. My water is from Walgreens.

 

[Brewsmith]

Anyone out there at home, or that brings their recipe books to work, is there a recipe for either of the Alaskan Amber or Smoked Porter in Beer Captured or Clone Brews? I can't remember and I'm too impatient to wait till I get home.

 

[Brewsmith]

Glacier. My water is from Walgreens.

You mean you can't find any glaciers in AZ?

 

[olllllo]

Apparently mine is almost the same as the one in BYO

http://byo.com/recipe/628.html

http://webtrolley.org/mivastore/mer...wandWine&Product_Code=4190&Category_Code=1007
Promash:
http://www.promash.com/recipes/recipes_ales.html

 

[Brewsmith]

That recipe from BYO looks about what I was considering. Just off the top of my head I was thinking:

2-row
Crystal 60
Crystal 90 and possibly 120

Cascade - Bittering
Saaz - Aroma

Using white labs German Ale yeast

The rest was just tinkering with the numbers to make it match Alaskan Brewing's OG, SRM, and IBU's.

Thanks for the recipe.

 

[olllllo]

FWIW, based on the availability here in AZ (bottles and some tap) and the degree with which it sells at bars, most people found the clone superior to the real thing.

I realize that my friends were just stroking me but...







I'll take it.

 

[Brewsmith]

Here's my recipe for the Alaskan Amber "Clone"

9.75 lb. 2-Row
0.5 lb. Crystal 75
0.5 lb. Crystal 120
0.25 lb. Chocolate Malt

0.75 oz. Cascade 60 min
0.75 oz. Saaz 15 min

White Labs 029 German Ale

OG: 1.055
SRM: 18
IBU: 22

To me it seems that SRM of 22 seems like too much. Even at 18 it looks a little darker than what I remember. Whaaddya think?

 

[Brewsmith]

From Alaskan Brewing's website

Alaskan Smoked Porter:
"Water, five types of malt, 2 varieties of hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field. Prior to brewing, selected malts are smoked in small batches under carefully controlled conditions in a commercial food smoker using local alder wood.

Original Gravity: 1.065, ABW 4.9%, ABV 6.5%, Bitterness: 45 IBU, Color: 92 SRM"

 

[Brewsmith]

So I bought some Alaskan Amber just for "research purposes" and was nicely reminded of how "amber" the beer really is. Alaskan Brewing says it has an SRM of 22 but in reality, or my distorted perception of it, it looks closer to SRM 12, going by my experience with brewing software and calculators. How do commercial brewers come up with their SRM numbers? I have seen some that look definately wrong. I've seen stouts sat they're 100+ on the SRM scale! Any stout I ever looked at on brewing software came up around 40, maybe 50 for an imperial. What gives?