First brew advice; two Belhaven clones

[poorfatjames]

I'm going to try a Belhaven clone for my first homebrew. I have two recipes I need to choose from:

http://www.hbd.org/hbd/archive/2437.html#2437-6

and

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5418

I'll be at the mercy of my LHBS, since this is my first attempt at brewing, but if you have any comments I'd love to hear them.

James

edit:
here's the Aussie version, but in Imperial (kinda expected it would be in the first place- guess they're converting)

Belhaven 80/- Clone.

Ingredients:

Light Liquid Malt 2kg 4.4 lbs
Light Dried Malt 1kg. 2.2 lbs
Dextrose 500g 1.1 lbs
Crystal Malted Grain 115g 4.1 oz
Black Malted Grain 65g 2.3 oz
Cascade Hops 25g .9 oz
Fuggles Hops 30g 1.1 oz
Goldings Hops 15g .5 oz
Irish Moss 1 teaspoon
Ale Yeast 1 sachet
(susbstitute Wyeast 1087 Ale Blend or 1728 Scottish Ale)

1. Crack grains, place in pot, cover with cold water
(about 3 litres (3 quarts)), bring to boil, strain and save the liquid.

2. Add all malts, both liquid and dried together with
dextrose to the strained liquid. Bring to the boil,
then add the Cascade and Fuggles hops and boil for one hour.

3. Add the Goldings hops and the Irish Moss and boil
for a further 15 minutes (15 minutes - haha).

4. Rehydrate and start yeast.

5. Cool wort down to 30-40C ( 86-104 F) as quickly as possible.

6. Strain wort into fermenter and fill up to the 20 litre (5.28 gal, 21.1 quart)
mark, and pitch yeast at 26C (78.8 F).

7. Ferment out at 22C for (71.6 F) 7-10 days. Bottle.

O.G. 1.041
F.G. 1.010

 

[Walker]

The only one that is going to come close to the mark is the one on this forum from El Pistolero. Belhaven has a distinct peat flavor, so you need the peat smoked malt. That grain is absent from the other two recipes.

-walker

 

[kornkob]

Personally, I'd suggest not trying a clone for the first time out. Getting to the point where you're able to hit an exacting flavor (like you'd be doing tryign to clone a specific beer) takes time and experience.

Just my opinion and I claim that it is worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

[poorfatjames]

Personally, I'd suggest not trying a clone for the first time out. Getting to the point where you're able to hit an exacting flavor (like you'd be doing tryign to clone a specific beer) takes time and experience.

Just my opinion and I claim that it is worth exactly what you paid for it.

Yeah, I understand that. I'm not actually trying to clone Belhaven. I'll be ecstatic if the beer is just enjoyable. Belhaven is just my ballpark target so I have more to ask for than "I wat a beer kit, medium brown, please."

James