Founder's Dirty Bastard Clone attempt

[theseeker4]

Hello,
I brewed a beer in May, that was supposed to be a Dirty Bastard clone. I based my recipe off of the recipe in post #41 of this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=170732&page=2 and it didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to. My recipe is as follows:

Target OG: 1.086
Target FG: 1.021
Target ABV: 8.6%
Target Boil Gravity: 1.069
IBU 50

Actual OG: 1.086 (64% efficiency)
Actual FG: 1.012
ABV: 9.7%

17 lbs 2 row 86.1%
1 lb Special B 5.1%
0.5 lb cara-pils dextrin 2.5%
0.5 lb Cara-Munich 2.5%
0.5 lb Cara Vienna 2.5%
0.25 lb Chocolate 1.3%

Hops:
EKG 5.7% Alpha 1 oz at 60 minutes
Fuggles 4.3% alpha 1 oz and EKG 5.7% 1 oz at 30 minutes
Fuggles 4.3% alpha 1 oz 20 minutes
EKG 5.7% alpha 1 oz 10 minutes

Yeast: Wyeast Labs 1728, stepped up 3 times in 2L starters

So setting aside the fact that the yeast over-attenuated, I was wondering how to get the beer to taste more like Dirty Bastard based on the ingredients above. This beer is sweeter than DB, and a bit harsher, though that might be due to fermenting at too high a temperature (ambient was in the mid-60's, but I didn't use anything to cool as I do now). Mainly, the beer came out more cloying and sweet tasting than DB, and I was wondering what the best choice for altering the recipe above would be to fix this? Thanks in advance!

 

[theseeker4]

Bump! What I am looking for is not so much someone who necessarily knows what Founders DB tastes like as much as someone who can look at the recipe, and tell me the best adjustments to make to reduce the sweet, raisin characters I am tasting in this beer. Thanks!

 

[A2HB]

My suggestion is to let it sit for a few more weeks to a month and then try it again. My experience is that homebrew tends to taste a lot better the longer I let it sit (within reason) and that includes with IPA's. With something with that high of an ABV I think it really needs time to condition before you make any kind of solid opinions on the flavor profile. YMMV of course.

 

[theseeker4]

My suggestion is to let it sit for a few more weeks to a month and then try it again. My experience is that homebrew tends to taste a lot better the longer I let it sit (within reason) and that includes with IPA's. With something with that high of an ABV I think it really needs time to condition before you make any kind of solid opinions on the flavor profile. YMMV of course.

Well it has been in the bottles for a couple months now, but I guess giving it more time might have a bigger effect on it than I expect. Thanks

 

[Weizenstein]

If you want to reduce the raisin character I'd drop the Special B, that malt creates a lot of raisin character. I'd try some British dark crystal malt, or American 120 and 90, if you need more color use debittered black malt.

 

[backsideslash]

I just pitched the yeast into the first recipe on that same thread. I scaled it down to a 4 gallon batch so I could use an empty 5 gallon carboy I had sitting around, but with my horrible efficiency scaling down just meant using the same amount of grains with less water. I'll let you know how it turns out after it is ready. I will be adding some oak chips soaked on Glenlivet though, so it will be more like the Backwoods Bastard hopefully.

 

[BrianGee]

Subscribing.

I'm new at this but a DB clone is the first thing I started researching after equipment. It's my go-to usually-have-on-hand favorite beer. Not that it's rare or even very expensive but if I could make my own that was close that would be great.

I'll be interested to know what your Backwoods-ish attempt is like. It's already mostly sold out in bottles over here in the Detroit suburbs but several bars still have it on. I'm actually going to Grand Rapids next weekend and will be on the Saturday tasting tour. I'm hoping they still have it on in the taproom.

 

[hottpeper13]

I would reduce the special B to .5 lbs and add .5 to 1 lb of rye malt and 2-4 oz of roast malt to help dry it out a bit.