Prairie Bomb! Clone

[Texastrendkill]

Sweet think this will def be a trail and error to match. Thinking I might let this batch age a while

 

[Ebrews]

Alright guys, here was my first attempt at a Prairie Bomb clone. It's finished aging now and I can say that this is going to be an amazing beer and very close to Prairie Bomb. I will be bottling it this week and preparing it for at least 6 months of aging before I submit it to a competition. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide you with what I can.


Name: Beanie Bomb!
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.56 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.76 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal


Date: 29 Jul 2014
Brewer: 5 Beanies
Equipment: 15 gal Kettle 10 gal Mash Tun


Ingredients:
1 tbsp - PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Pre-Mash)
1 campden tab (Pre-Mash)
22.1 lbs - Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
12 oz - Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
12 oz - Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM)
12 oz - Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
3 oz - Horizon [10.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1 tab - Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min
2 vial & 2 Liter starter - California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) ~456 Billion Cells


Mash Profile Total Grain Weight: 26 lbs 13.7 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Water: 30.00 qt of water at 170.0 F (75 Minute mash)
Sparge Water: 3.48 gal Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F


Est Original Gravity: 1.123
Actual Original Gravity 1.093 (Should have mashed longer or in a bigger tun, 10 gal tun didn't cut it for this batch)
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.5 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.6 %
Bitterness: 60.7 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 54.8 SRM

Fermented for two weeks at 68 degrees
Racked into big mouth bubbler containing the ingredients below in a cheesecloth bag (Aged for 3 weeks on ingredients)

6oz Cacao Nibs
2 Cups Espresso Beans (Actual bean used in Bomb! is what I used: Espresso Divino - http://nordaggios.com/coffee-shop/blends/espresso-divino)
3 Vanilla Beans (Cut Long ways)
3 Ancho Chili Peppers (Chopped into thirds)

Aged for three weeks and removed cheesecloth bag and ingredients, ready for bottling.

Notes:
Tasted after one week of aging and coffee was overpowering. Tasted again at three weeks, the coffee flavor had died down and the other ingredients were more pronounced, great balance with the coffee.
As it stands right now I'd say it is very close to Prairie Bomb, however bottling, carbing, and aging will change this beer I'm sure. Whatever it turns out to be it is amazing the way it is right now so I have really high hopes.

I'll keep you all in the loop.

 

[tripplehazzard]

Thanks!! How long do you plan to age? Both bulk and bottle? Im assuming you want some oxidation from bulk aging

 

[Ebrews]

I aged the beer in bulk for another month before bottling. It's been in bottles for two weeks now but still needs at least a few more months to a year to age.

When tasting the beer it smells insanely of intense coffee, I'd say too much coffee. When tasting the smooth chocolate hits first, followed by a really nice vanilla, and finishes up with a kick to the back of the throat from the peppers.

This probably isn't as close to Bomb as I would like it to be, but it's a damn fine beer and a little bit of aging could bring it closer to bomb.

 

[J343MY]

Alright guys, here was my first attempt at a Prairie Bomb clone. It's finished aging now and I can say that this is going to be an amazing beer and very close to Prairie Bomb. I will be bottling it this week and preparing it for at least 6 months of aging before I submit it to a competition. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide you with what I can.


Name: Beanie Bomb!
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.56 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.76 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal


Date: 29 Jul 2014
Brewer: 5 Beanies
Equipment: 15 gal Kettle 10 gal Mash Tun


Ingredients:
1 tbsp - PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Pre-Mash)
1 campden tab (Pre-Mash)
22.1 lbs - Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
12 oz - Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
12 oz - Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM)
12 oz - Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
3 oz - Horizon [10.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1 tab - Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min
2 vial & 2 Liter starter - California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) ~456 Billion Cells


Mash Profile Total Grain Weight: 26 lbs 13.7 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Water: 30.00 qt of water at 170.0 F (75 Minute mash)
Sparge Water: 3.48 gal Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F


Est Original Gravity: 1.123
Actual Original Gravity 1.093 (Should have mashed longer or in a bigger tun, 10 gal tun didn't cut it for this batch)
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.5 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.6 %
Bitterness: 60.7 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 54.8 SRM

Fermented for two weeks at 68 degrees
Racked into big mouth bubbler containing the ingredients below in a cheesecloth bag (Aged for 3 weeks on ingredients)

6oz Cacao Nibs
2 Cups Espresso Beans (Actual bean used in Bomb! is what I used: Espresso Divino - http://nordaggios.com/coffee-shop/blends/espresso-divino)
3 Vanilla Beans (Cut Long ways)
3 Ancho Chili Peppers (Chopped into thirds)

Aged for three weeks and removed cheesecloth bag and ingredients, ready for bottling.

Notes:
Tasted after one week of aging and coffee was overpowering. Tasted again at three weeks, the coffee flavor had died down and the other ingredients were more pronounced, great balance with the coffee.
As it stands right now I'd say it is very close to Prairie Bomb, however bottling, carbing, and aging will change this beer I'm sure. Whatever it turns out to be it is amazing the way it is right now so I have really high hopes.

I'll keep you all in the loop.

you probably couldn't have asked for a whole lot more than 1.093 out of a 10 gallon mash tun. Also as long as you are getting full conversion, mashing longer isn't going to increase your gravity.

Next time, if a larger mash tun isn't an option, you could just add a few pounds of DME, and some simple sugar. I'm willing to bet Bomb uses some (maybe a fair bit) of simple sugar.

As far as aging on the cocoa nibs, vanilla beans and chilis, three weeks is probably a bit excessive. About a week is all you really need to extract all their flavours. 3 weeks is definitely excessive for coffee beans though. I have had good results adding coarse ground coffee beans directly into the fermenter 24 hours before packaging.

And their is no real reason to need to age the beer 6-12 months. A couple months in the bottle is really all you should need.

 

[TrickyDick]

you probably couldn't have asked for a whole lot more than 1.093 out of a 10 gallon mash tun. Also as long as you are getting full conversion, mashing longer isn't going to increase your gravity.

Next time, if a larger mash tun isn't an option, you could just add a few pounds of DME, and some simple sugar. I'm willing to bet Bomb uses some (maybe a fair bit) of simple sugar.

As far as aging on the cocoa nibs, vanilla beans and chilis, three weeks is probably a bit excessive. About a week is all you really need to extract all their flavours. 3 weeks is definitely excessive for coffee beans though. I have had good results adding coarse ground coffee beans directly into the fermenter 24 hours before packaging.

And their is no real reason to need to age the beer 6-12 months. A couple months in the bottle is really all you should need.

Have heard folk say that the chile flavor fades quickly.

If you want more gravity points from your mash, do a finer crush or better yet, do a decoction mash. I normally get approx 80% efficiency but when I did a decoction mash for a dopplebock I hit 90%, which I was not expecting.

TD

 

[Ebrews]

The chili flavor was pretty bold at first and it did fade, I like where it is currently and hope that it doesn't fade further now that it is in bottles.

Appreciate the advice on the gravity boost, I'll give one of those a shot next time.

 

[skunkfunk]

Would a 12 gallon MLT be enough for a 5.5 gallon batch of this? Theoretically 1.3 qt/lb and 27 pounds of grain takes up under 11 gallons head space, but in practice I've found my 48 qt cooler to be awfully damn close to the top at that 1.3 with 21.25 pounds of grain. Must ... stir ... carefully ... ****.

 

[Ebrews]

I was able to do it with my 10 gal mash ton, but it was so close to the top that the lid couldn't fit all the way on without spilling liquid.

 

[skunkfunk]

I was able to do it with my 10 gal mash ton, but it was so close to the top that the lid couldn't fit all the way on without spilling liquid.

Hey as long as I've got another OKC brewer's attention, a couple of questions.

Are you aware of any groups of homebrewers around here? The only person I am at all acquainted with is Gaile at the brew shop, merely because I buy stuff there for that matter.

Does anybody around here do bulk grain buys? Paying 60 bucks a bag sucks.

 

[chopsbrewery]

Hoping someone still keeps an eye on this old thread...

I'm actually looking to do this as a partial mash... (GASP! the Horror!) (I know, but I have my reasons...)

Started a "lab" for experiments recently. I brew 5 gallons at a time of a good beer, split it into a mix of 3-5 separate 1 and 3 gallon carboys, depending on my plans, and then experiment on it with different yeasts and additives. 1 gallon always stays as-is for a good POC, and the other 4 gallons become my Frankenbeers.

In this case, a Russian Imperial Stout is gonna be my base. 3 gallons of it will become either a solid prairie bomb clone or an RIS that tastes a lot like coffee and failure.

Here's the plan...
Steep:
2 lbs CaraMunich III
2 lbs UK Roasted Barley
1 lb Special B
1 lb Chocolate Malt
Boil:
9 lbs Light LME
2 lbs dextrose (don't hate me...it's an underrated staple of brewing)
2 oz of horizon hops go in at 60 min.
1 oz of East Kent Golding at 15 min. and another 1 oz at 10 min.

3 gallons of this will be fermented with 3 proofed US-O5 packets. I've had trouble with smackpacks lately, but I won't name names or point fingers. Good ol' US-05 never seems to fail.

I'm thinking its gonna bubble for 14 or so days. Then rack it to secondary and use the exact same things Ebrews used but in the right amounts (thanks for that all grain recipe!).

I think I have my bases covered. If all goes well this should be about a 12%-12.5% beer that's blacker than my ex-wife's soul. Unlike her, however, I am a bit concerned about the body being thin and not giving enough head.

Thoughts, ideas, and even criticisms of the recipe are welcome. I'll try to remember to let this thread know how it goes...

 

[Texastrendkill]

Are you using the same coffee beans they use?

 

[chopsbrewery]

yes, i'll be ordering from nordaggios before i buy the grains. i'm also looking forward to drinking the coffee i won't be using in secondary.

 

[skunkfunk]

Considered pale chocolate and split crystal? I did a very similar recipe without the caramunich and my one complaint was that it lacks complexity. I wonder if it matters with how much stuff you'll throw in the one but the base RIS may be a bit plain.

 

[TrickyDick]

How are you handling the mash? Adding the dark grains to steeping liquor added to boil or just putting all the dark grains into the mash? Didn't see if you'd planned to use any flaked barley. Might consider a blend of base malt English:domestic. I like M.O. For base malt in a stout personally.
DOH! I see you're doing a steep and extract brew. Let us know how this turns out. Hard to get this beer to try a clone.

 

[acarter5251]

Alright guys, here was my first attempt at a Prairie Bomb clone. It's finished aging now and I can say that this is going to be an amazing beer and very close to Prairie Bomb. I will be bottling it this week and preparing it for at least 6 months of aging before I submit it to a competition. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide you with what I can.


Name: Beanie Bomb!
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.56 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.76 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal


Date: 29 Jul 2014
Brewer: 5 Beanies
Equipment: 15 gal Kettle 10 gal Mash Tun


Ingredients:
1 tbsp - PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Pre-Mash)
1 campden tab (Pre-Mash)
22.1 lbs - Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
12 oz - Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
12 oz - Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM)
12 oz - Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
3 oz - Horizon [10.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1 tab - Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min
2 vial & 2 Liter starter - California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) ~456 Billion Cells


Mash Profile Total Grain Weight: 26 lbs 13.7 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Water: 30.00 qt of water at 170.0 F (75 Minute mash)
Sparge Water: 3.48 gal Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F


Est Original Gravity: 1.123
Actual Original Gravity 1.093 (Should have mashed longer or in a bigger tun, 10 gal tun didn't cut it for this batch)
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.5 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.6 %
Bitterness: 60.7 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 54.8 SRM

Fermented for two weeks at 68 degrees
Racked into big mouth bubbler containing the ingredients below in a cheesecloth bag (Aged for 3 weeks on ingredients)

6oz Cacao Nibs
2 Cups Espresso Beans (Actual bean used in Bomb! is what I used: Espresso Divino - http://nordaggios.com/coffee-shop/blends/espresso-divino)
3 Vanilla Beans (Cut Long ways)
3 Ancho Chili Peppers (Chopped into thirds)

Aged for three weeks and removed cheesecloth bag and ingredients, ready for bottling.

Notes:
Tasted after one week of aging and coffee was overpowering. Tasted again at three weeks, the coffee flavor had died down and the other ingredients were more pronounced, great balance with the coffee.
As it stands right now I'd say it is very close to Prairie Bomb, however bottling, carbing, and aging will change this beer I'm sure. Whatever it turns out to be it is amazing the way it is right now so I have really high hopes.

I'll keep you all in the loop.

I gave this a shot today with a 1.5 gallon batch size. Got an OG of 1.104 in my stock pot BIAB, so I'm pretty happy. It looks and smells great and hopefully it turns out really well after fermenting!

 

[christobrew]

I gave this a shot today with a 1.5 gallon batch size. Got an OG of 1.104 in my stock pot BIAB, so I'm pretty happy. It looks and smells great and hopefully it turns out really well after fermenting!

keep us updated! i hope you scale back on the coffee, though. the original recipe definitely called for too much. i can't speak to the other adjuncts, though.

 

[acarter5251]

keep us updated! i hope you scale back on the coffee, though. the original recipe definitely called for too much. i can't speak to the other adjuncts, though.

It fermented down to 1.027 after a week. It's sitting on the coffee, nibs, vanilla and peppers now

 

[acarter5251]

I just bottled mine this weekend after three weeks on coffee, nibs, vanilla and peppers. Tasted a little bit and it was amazing! Can't wait to crack one during the winter

 

[suprchunk]

Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide you with what I can.

What was your mash temp? You only stated what the water temp was at dough in.

 

[bbriscoe]

Name: Beanie Bomb!
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.56 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.76 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal


Date: 29 Jul 2014
Brewer: 5 Beanies
Equipment: 15 gal Kettle 10 gal Mash Tun


Ingredients:
1 tbsp - PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Pre-Mash)
1 campden tab (Pre-Mash)
22.1 lbs - Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
12 oz - Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
12 oz - Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM)
12 oz - Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
3 oz - Horizon [10.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1 tab - Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min
2 vial & 2 Liter starter - California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) ~456 Billion Cells


Mash Profile Total Grain Weight: 26 lbs 13.7 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Water: 30.00 qt of water at 170.0 F (75 Minute mash)
Sparge Water: 3.48 gal Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F


Est Original Gravity: 1.123
Actual Original Gravity 1.093 (Should have mashed longer or in a bigger tun, 10 gal tun didn't cut it for this batch)
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.5 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.6 %
Bitterness: 60.7 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 54.8 SRM

.

I brewed this Saturday, but I backed off the grain bill to 80%, aiming for a 4 G batch since I only have the 10G cooler mash tun. Then I increased the mash water to 1.25 Q/lb, or 27 Q for the 22 lb mash. For sparge water I also backed off to 80% of what was called for.

I did add 1 lb LME to the boil since I usually get awful conversions on high gravity brews. This is the biggest one I've done yet.

But I must have gotten a pretty good conversion ratio, because I got over 1.11 OG on 4.75 G of final volume (overshot on volume due to the 1.25 Q/lb adjustment I guess?), and there was still nearly a gallon of very dark 2nd runnings from the sparge water that I never added to the boil.

 

[kempshark]

I just bottled mine this weekend after three weeks on coffee, nibs, vanilla and peppers. Tasted a little bit and it was amazing! Can't wait to crack one during the winter

So, how did this turn out?......I love Bomb and would like to try brewing something very similar.

 

[acarter5251]

So, how did this turn out?......I love Bomb and would like to try brewing something very similar.

It turned out really good. Not quite bomb but still really good. Still have a few bottle sitting around somehow

 

[bbriscoe]

Should I be concerned that my gravity is over 1.04 when racking to secondary? Its been 15 days.

 

[bbriscoe]

Just tasted mine after 2 weeks on the coffee/nibs/chili vanilla. Chili is by far the strongest flavor - I only used the 3 dried anchos. And its a bit too spicy at this point. Should I try to pull the chilis out of the carboy early?

How much will the chili flavor moderate after bottling?

 

[brewski09]

Just tasted mine after 2 weeks on the coffee/nibs/chili vanilla. Chili is by far the strongest flavor - I only used the 3 dried anchos. And its a bit too spicy at this point. Should I try to pull the chilis out of the carboy early?

How much will the chili flavor moderate after bottling?

I've found chilies to fade pretty quickly. Beers like this tend to settle into themselves over the course of a few months in my experience. I did a bomb inspired addition and thought I had the chilies spot on at bottling (so a little bit over where we actually wanted) and got about 1/2 our desired chili characteristics at about 4 months of age. If it's too spicy though I'd pull them now.

 

[acarter5251]

They do fade over time. Mine had moderate chili flavor when I bottled and now it's very subtle

 

[TexasHopHead]

I'm going to keg mine. Should I keep it fridge temp in 40's or inside room temp to age?

 

[brewski09]

I'm going to keg mine. Should I keep it fridge temp in 40's or inside room temp to age?

I like 55ish but between 40s or ~70 I'd choose 40s myself

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Thanks for the recipe, updates, and information. Looking at a 2.5gallon batch this week. Done a few stouts with chilies, just not this one. My challenge is getting past the 10% ABV threshold, but got a plan..