American IPA Bell's Two Hearted Ale Clone (close as they come)

[LooyvilleLarry]

Yeah, I am going to do this again, and pitch right onto the yeast cake. The last time, I had some issues with equipment (my electric HLT died right after mash in), so not sure how that beer will turn out.

 

[farmbrewernw]

I just ordered the ingredients for this and they came today. Just my luck, I ordered an extra 1.5lbs of carapils for a total of 2lbs rather than 0.5lb. All the grains are in a single bag mixed together.

I am going to brew with it either way, but am wondering how big a deal this is? I haven't used carapils before so I don't really know its effects.

It's going to be a chewy beer, that's a lot of carapils gonna have a lot of dextrins in that beer.

 

[avaserfi]

It's going to be a chewy beer, that's a lot of carapils gonna have a lot of dextrins in that beer.

That's what I thought would happen. Is there any way to mitigate the problem?

 

[diatonic]

I've never used that much cara-pils, but I think it will turn out good. It is typically used for head retention, and is light in color. Beersmith says you can use up to 20% in a batch, so I wouldn't sweat it too much. You may want to collect a little more water in the boil kettle to offset the gravity boost from an extra 1.5# of malt. That puts you at ~12% of cara-pils in the batch, and will boost the gravity about .006. Beersmith claims 20% is the max in the batch for cara-pils, FWIW.

 

[Homercidal]

This is on my to-do list. I just made an IPA that was very similar, but different. I might go ahead and start pulling yeast from the bottle and build up a starter for the beer when I brew it.

Now to start drinking and giving away the IPA that I just made! I wish someone would post a Hopslam! recipe now!

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

+1+1+1+1 On The HopSlam!!!!

I messed up my first one due to an equipment failure. Brewed a really hoppy NA brew....

So I did this again over the weekend with the yeast cake. This looked amazing and tasted so good already. OG 1.060.

 

[joety]

Just tasted my six week old Two Hearted. Wow, best beer I've brewed so far.

 

[joety]

BTW: Anyone else notice how close this recipe is to Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale (aside from the hop schedule)? 20L instead of 10L along with Carapils added and a couple less pounds of base malt.

 

[MrWhleDr]

I just made this brew as my first all grain. It seems that it worked out well. I pulled a 1063 but was about 3/4 gallons short at the end of the boil. Oh well, it should be a great beer. No turning back now that I brewed all grain. I did notice the pale recipe is very close. I think that may be my next pale recipe.

 

[DubbelDach]

Made this and it's fantastic... I just acquired a bottle of Two-Hearted this weekend, and will try to do a side-by-side test tonight. Adjusted for my 68.4% efficiency:

11 lbs. American 2-row
2 lbs. American Vienna
0.5 lbs. Belgian Cara-Pils
0.5 lbs. Crystal Malt 20°L
1 oz. Centennial (Whole, 10.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
1 oz. Centennial (Whole, 10.00 %AA) boiled 15 min.
1 oz. Centennial (Whole, 10.00 %AA) boiled 5 min.
1 oz. Centennial (Whole, 10.00 %AA) boiled 1 min.
1 oz. Centennial (Whole, 10.00 %AA) used as dry hop.
1 pkg. Danstar Nottingham

Will hopefully post pics and reviews tomorrow!

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

BTW: Anyone else notice how close this recipe is to Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale (aside from the hop schedule)? 20L instead of 10L along with Carapils added and a couple less pounds of base malt.

I happen to have these two beers in my fermenting chamber side by side! I took a hydro sample of the Haus Ale on the same day as the 2Heart was brewed. Very similar.

I can't wait to taste these.

 

[hukdizzle]

I've got mine fermenting right now but I used US-05 instead of an english style yeast. We'll see how it turns out. It's going to be much bigger than the intended clone here at 1.070 and 71 ibu's.

 

[diatonic]

I really need to get mine bottled. I brewed it nearly 2 months ago, and it's been cold crashing in a bright tank for the past week. Perhaps I'll get the energy tonight. I don't want to put it in a keg, because I fear it will go too fast. Took a sample when I transferred it out of the dry hop secondary, and in to the bright tank and it was fantastic—Even warm & flat .

 

[joety]

I've got mine fermenting right now but I used US-05 instead of an english style yeast. We'll see how it turns out. It's going to be much bigger than the intended clone here at 1.070 and 71 ibu's.

Funny, I thought I undershot the OG but I ended up with awesome attenuation (down to 1008 using the bottle harvested yeast) and my ABV was nearly spot on.

 

[DubbelDach]

Mehhhhh.... Crying baby = no comparison last night! Will try tonight, I didn't actually forget this time!

 

[bzomerlei]

I wanted to chime in here. I brewed this back in February using harvested yeast from two bottles of the Two Hearted. I used a smallish starter, only a cup of DME, and did not step it up beyond that. My OG was 1.062, FG 1.011

The brew turned out awesome, the only think I will change the next time I brew this is to use leaf hops instead of pellet to see if I get better aroma.

Brent

 

[diatonic]

I'll chime in as well. I brewed this in march. 1 packet of Notty, no starter. OG 1.067, FG 1.013. Dry hopped (too long) 14 days with 3/4 oz of leaf centennials (9.2% alpha). Sitting in a bright tank for the past week. Want to bottle, but waiting on iodaphor. LHBS ran out and won't have it for a week, so I ordered 32oz from BMW for half the cost. Might keg it this week instead and use Star San... but I digress. Anyhow flavor/aroma was awesome when I racked to the bright tank to cold crash. Warm flat beer is starting to grow on me . Seems to have a bit of chill haze @34F after sitting on the leaf hops for 2 weeks.

 

[DubbelDach]

Wow... eschatz knocked this recipe out of the park... See my post above for the slight change to counter my efficiency, but here's the comparison:

Aroma: Both have overwhelming aroma of grapefruit, slight citrus. Slight maltiness, but hops are the star in both. Near identical aroma... Scary close.

Appearance: Almost identical... Hoof Hearted might be 1 SRM darker. It's SO close. Both beers crystal clear, no filtering on HH, but has been cold for 6 weeks. More head on the HH, but came from draught system. Both laced well. Pics below...

Flavor: Again, very close. Beginning to think this is the best beer I have ever made, and thank eschatz again for the recipe! Bell's comes out with a slightly deeper flavor profile. Sweeter with more of a juicy citrus taste on the mid bottom of the tongue. HH is a touch breadier, which may only be evident since the juiciness is missing. HH comes off slightly more bitter. Trying hard to describe the difference may make it seem like a large disparity, but I stress it's very close. Bell's wins for slightly more depth.

Mouthfeel: Identical. Both have light mouthfeel until the hops make you pucker. I really can't tell a difference there.

Overall: Again, very close. This is an AWESOME clone recipe. I give the slight edge to the Bell's, but my Hoof Hearted is super good for having been made in a garage and not a fancy brewery. Add the fact that this clone is much cheaper, and wow.

Make this clone! Thank you eschatz!!! All pics are here.

 

[BrewBrain]

LOL!

I keep hearing about 2 hearted and keep wanting to try it, but can't get it here. Turns out I've brewed it twice and never knew it. My favorite IPA is almost this exact recipe. It started out an EdWort, then it became my house centennial pale ale, then it sort of kept growing

 

[eschatz]

Make this clone! Thank you eschatz!!! All pics are here.

Thanks for the awesome review DD. I'm glad you like it. It's quickly becoming my house IPA. I agree that it needs to be lightly sweeter. Maybe bump the mash a little. I'll try that with my next batch.

Thanks for brewing it!!!!

 

[scopey]

heh, nice label for your "Hoof Hearted IPA" there, DubbelDach. Strange, but pretty funny. Guess one has to have kids to understand fully...

Haven't seen Two Hearted beers around these parts, so I'll have to attempt this clone. For those who've had it, is it kinda similar to Stone's Ruination? Both rely heavily on centennial hops (exclusively for Two Hearted, Ruination uses Magnum for bittering).

 

[joety]

To me it tastes a lot more citrusy than Ruination, but I'll crack open a bottle of both now and compare.

 

[DubbelDach]

heh, nice label for your "Hoof Hearted IPA" there, DubbelDach. Strange, but pretty funny. Guess one has to have kids to understand fully...

2 words: Family Guy!

Hulu - Family Guy: Crack Licker

Hulu - Family Guy: The Horse Is Here

Haven't seen Two Hearted beers around these parts, so I'll have to attempt this clone. For those who've had it, is it kinda similar to Stone's Ruination? Both rely heavily on centennial hops (exclusively for Two Hearted, Ruination uses Magnum for bittering).

Two Hearted is made by Bell's... There aren't "Two Hearted beers". Just so you're not barking up the wrong tree!

 

[scopey]

To me it tastes a lot more citrusy than Ruination, but I'll crack open a bottle of both now and compare.

oh no you di'int! Or, if you did I wanna hear about it!

 

[joety]

oh no you di'int! Or, if you did I wanna hear about it!

I went to try and I'm out of Ruination.

 

[DubbelDach]

Thanks for the awesome review DD. I'm glad you like it. It's quickly becoming my house IPA. I agree that it needs to be lightly sweeter. Maybe bump the mash a little. I'll try that with my next batch.

Thanks for brewing it!!!!

Bumping the mash may just do it... Hope I wrote down what temp I locked in at! Would a touch of malto-dextrin do anything positive?

As I think more about perceived "juciness" I had when tasting the Bell's, compared to the slight "harshness" of my hops... I am thinking I might back slightly off the 60 minute bittering addition, and dry hop more... Or maybe do the bittering addition at 30 instead of 60... Thoughts?

I am so scared everytime I pull one... I have to be very close to finishing it...

 

[hukdizzle]

So I have mine kegged and will be putting it on gas and trying it in about 2 weeks, did an ounce of dry hop in the secondary and it came down to 1.013 so it's around 7.6% abv which is a bit high.

 

[Homercidal]

Darn it, I went to LHBS this weekend and picked up a few pounds of grains. I didn't make a list because it was a spur-of-them-moment kind of thing (needed a car part that I felt I was lucky to find in-state).

Anyway, I didn't get any vienna, and so that is the only thing I am missing to do this recipe. I better order it online and I can harvest some two-hearted while I'm waiting for it!

On a plus note, I DID pick up some two-hearted and Ruination while I was there, so I can do a comparison. Scratch that. I picked up some Ruination and some HOPSLAM!

I'm a wimp, so I better get some help comparing or I'll be in trouble.

 

[dmaher]

Brewed eschatz recipe yesterday. While buying my supplies at the store yesterday the owner of the store told me to use SF-05 rather than Danstar Nottingham. He said the yeast counts were much greater. Nevertheless I used Nottingham. I have always used Wyeast or WL so this was my first venture with dry. Eschatz, any reason that you chose Nottingham over a traditional American Ale yeast like a WLP001 or WLP051 or the Wyeast 1056? Seems like a lot of the TH clones call for one of these America Ale yeasts. Just asking. I noticed you started with SF-04 and switched to Nottingham so maybe you have already been down this road.

I to am a huge TH fan and I'd love to nail this recipe. I have a TH extract clone on tap that turned out fair. I have a TH all grain on secondary. Used the same grain bill as eschatz but used a mix of Cent and Cascade hopes and WLP051. I got the Cent/Casc hop schedule from a post here that claimed they had talked to someone at the Bell's store.

Let's all continue to fine tune the TH until we really nail it. I'd love to have this on tap 365.

 

[joety]

If you want to truly nail it, just propogate the yeast from a couple bottles of the real thing. That's what I did and I am very happy with the results.