3 FLoyds Zombie Dust attempt. Help/info requested

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I have had both, as have a lot of other posters in this thread. It was closer to last years, some people seem to think ZD is not all Citra anymore, I agree (possibly due to hop Citra shortage?) They don't advertise it as all Citra anymore either and it has a little danky/piney note now that I don't remember when it first came out, but that said it is still very close.
 
There are a few side by sides. Have you noticed any difference in the real ZD? I was living up there till last August so drank a lot of it until then. Didn't get it again till Dark Lord Day, and thought it had changed slightly.
 
It's funny you say this.

I personally did not Notice a difference. But then again, I did not have a ton of it last year because it was such in short supply.

A fellow beer fiend absolutely loved last years. But when I got a case of this years, he said he didn't like it and something had changed.

So I'll bet they did something.
 
skeezerpleezer said:
There are a few side by sides. Have you noticed any difference in the real ZD? I was living up there till last August so drank a lot of it until then. Didn't get it again till Dark Lord Day, and thought it had changed slightly.

I just picked up some very fresh Zombie Dust about 10 days ago. I'm not sure how fresh it was the first time I had it, but this new batch didn't seem to have the same sweetness/malty balance as the first one I tried. I love it though. I would say my first batch was darn close to the real thing. 2nd batch, not so much. Still liking it though.This last batch of ZD looks lighter in color than what I remember it to be also. I still have a couple bottles from my 1st batch left. Might have to do a head-to-head-to- head soon.
 
How the heck did you get 65 IBUs for this 6 gallon one? When I enter it into beersmith, it says 108 IBUs. For example .75 oz 12.4% = 26.9 IBUs when i enter it (20 mins). Also 1.25 oz 12.4% @ 15 min = 36.7 IBUs
 
I like my Zombie clone more than 3FFF. Color is exact. Mine is cloudy; theirs is clear. Mine has slightly more body. I'm amazed at how close it is!
Bold statement - I brewed a better beer than Three Floyds.
Too bad it is mostly gone.
 
Well I have to give a big thanks to Skeezer for this recipe, it is fantastic! I'm sure mine turned out a little different than everyone elses because my OG was only 1.057 and my FG was still 1.018, so it came in right at 5.1% ABV. I mashed at 155F but the efficiency wasn't as high as I was expecting. I used the Wyeast 1968, London ESB yeast.

When compared to the real Zombie Dust I'd say mine is just more of a sessionable IPA. It tastes a little too rich to be an American Pale Ale but not quite a full blown IPA. I have to say that it has been quite refreshing during the last 2 days here in Chicago with 90+ degree weather.
 
Just read every post in this thread and immediately ordered the ingredients to brew this. It sounds so delicious and i've never even tried the ZD. Decided on the S-04 yeast because I've never used it before and it sounds like a beast. Can't wait!! Thank you Skeezer!
 
You are welcome. I am brewing up another one this weekend. It has been a hit with all my friends that tried it. Even the ones that "don't like hoppy beers".
 
Skeezer - What yeast will you be using with this next one?

Any tips for using the S-04 as far as rehydration goes? Maybe the instructions on the package are clear enough. I've only used wyeast.

Also, I'm planning on doing the extract version of this. What temp should my water be before I throw in the grains and how much water should I use? Is there an easy way to calculate this somewhere online? Lastly, should I rinse the grains afterwards? If so, how much water should I use and at what temp? FYI-I'll be doing a full boil.

Wow, I just asked a lot of questions (newb here). Please answer them only if you have time. Thank you!!
 
droggo said:
Skeezer - What yeast will you be using with this next one?

Any tips for using the S-04 as far as rehydration goes? Maybe the instructions on the package are clear enough. I've only used wyeast.

Also, I'm planning on doing the extract version of this. What temp should my water be before I throw in the grains and how much water should I use? Is there an easy way to calculate this somewhere online? Lastly, should I rinse the grains afterwards? If so, how much water should I use and at what temp? FYI-I'll be doing a full boil.

Wow, I just asked a lot of questions (newb here). Please answer them only if you have time. Thank you!!

I will probably just use S-04, since I have a bunch of it on hand. When rehydrating I usually just sanitize a small bowl, put the yeast in with about half a cup of h20 (distiller or boiled), then cover it with a piece of sanitized foil. I do this at the start of boil.

For water temp, I would do 2.5g or so at 150-155 degrees or so for 30 minutes, then rinse with 168-172 degree water. The more you rinse the better, just don't exceed your pre boil volume. I don't think there is a calculation for steeping like there is for mashing.
 
Excellent, thanks. How much better is the all grain compared to the extract? Been debating whether or not I should invest in the equip and learn how to brew for real.
 
droggo said:
Excellent, thanks. How much better is the all grain compared to the extract? Been debating whether or not I should invest in the equip and learn how to brew for real.

I have never done the extract, but those who have seem to have enjoyed it.

All grain allows for more flexibility and control (mash temps, grains, etc). If you can already do a full boil, all you really need is a mash tun ($20 cooler, a garbage disposal hose, a cable and a fitting or 2.) I would go for it if i were you. I did 2 extract kits before diving in and making my own all grain recipes so i could learn the basic process.

Oh- and all grain can be much cheaper, especially if you buy base grain in bulk. I can make this recipe for around $25 AG, which is probably cheaper than the extract alone.
 
Sold. With those savings, a mash tun should pay for itself after a single all-grain brew! I spent $60 on the ZD extract ingredients, including shipping. Thanks again.
 
Yeah, I have a crusher, so do it the night before or day if brewing. You can buy pre crushed, just try to keep it out if the heat and sealed till using
 
I brewed the extract version and screwed up. I ended up only using .5 lbs of Munich instead of the full pound. Then during steeping, the thermometer was getting close to 160 so I moved the pot and the thermo was stuck because it shot up to 172~.

Ended up keeping fermentation around 64-66 with S05, before letting it warm to 70 at the end before the dry hop.

First tasting a week in, it seems far too hoppy and I am getting some off flavors. Any thoughts on what would be the most significant factor? ZD has to be my favorite all-time brew, kind of bummed at early tasting. I'm sure it'll get better, but I dont think time will fix this one...
 
Off flavors could be tannins from the grains in the high temp. How long has it been since brewing? Is it carbed? Mine usually get real good at around 4-5 weeks.
 
I wouldn't worry about it if only a week in. The bitterness and malts will calm down in a couple weeks. Dry hop adds a lot also.
 
I wont disagree that it has a good name and label, but can say it was good before it had a label, and before it was called zombie dust.
 
MisterTipsy said:
I brewed this beer back when it was called Cenotaph, but didn't make a thread.:)

(Sarcastic remark in 3...2...1...) Wow! You are the coolest person ever! :) (/Sarcastic remark).

I plan to brew this within the next week or so, and am really looking forward to it! Thanks for the recipe Skeezer!
 
Skeezer, you inspired me to give all-grain a try. I fabricated a mash-tun yesterday and brewed up the all-grain zombie dust today. Had a few problems though. My OG was very low (~1.046) and my mash-tun seemed to clog up during the sparge. The first runnings flowed out nicely but this was not the case during the sparge. It took almost an hour to rinse the grains with 3 gallons of water (1 x 3 gal). So I think the reason why my OG was so low is because first I mashed too low (149) and second because my sparge water cooled significantly while waiting for the incredibly slow sparge runnings. I guess I just need more practice with this technique, and I hope this just means that I'll get a lighter and hoppier version of the ZD. Thanks for the encouragement to try all-grain!
 
About to brew my second batch of this ZD clone! This time I'll be doing FWH now that I understand how to do it with extract. Should be a fun experience. It was tasty last time but hoping for even better results this go round. What temps do you suggest for fermentation ?
 
Droggo- How big of stainless braid did you use for the mash tun? I haven't had a problem with anything other than wheat or rye beers sticking. Were the grains crushed very fine? As far as the gravity goes, did you hit your post boil volume? It could have been affected by the sparge also. It takes a few batches to figure out the process and your system, so no worries there.

Gigan-I ferment in the low 60s now. The first batch I did I didn't have the fermentation chamber though, so it was probably around 69-70 in a swamp cooler. I would try to go with the lower end if you can, but both make a good beer.
 
Hey Skeez, Ya first batch I did was about 65-70, looking to try to keep it in the lowers 60's this time around. Thanks
 
The braid is probably about 1in in diameter and I think I crushed the grains too fine. Didn't really know what I was doing at the lbs and there wasn't anybody around to help me. My post boil volume was actually short by ~2 gals. I deviated from the online calculations because I didn't think I would actually loose as much volume as what was suggested. I've since watched some more vids on batch sparging and I think next time will go much smoother. Do you batch or fly sparge? If you batch, do you mix the sparge water into the grains with a paddle before draining? I've read that this can release tannins and such but I feel like it would help to avoid a stuck sparge.
 
Sparge water = 170 deg F? Also, do you mash out by adding a bit of boiling water?

I replaced the blow over hose with a standard bubbler on my ZD fermentor this morning. It smelled like bananas. Hopefully that mellows out.
 
How is everyone dry hopping the beer? Warm or during cold crash time frame? I just dry hopped with Citra at 38F. Amazing aroma! (3 oz Citra for 5.5 gallons)

Also, I have a new bottle of ZD and I do not pick up the Melanoiden. I'm betting there's now a fair amount of Amarillo in the beer too. Your thoughts?

Brew on!
 
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