Blue Moon Clone

[newtobrew5]

Just realizing I said 6 lbs of late addition dme, when I meant LME. Don't know if that changes the answer. Prolly going to go with the suggestion of only 1 lb.

 

[smokewater]

I brewed this up BIAB this afternoon.

Went with:

6lb 2 row
4.5 lb White Wheat malt
1.25 lb Flaked oats

mashed 60 minutes at 154 in 6 gallons of water
Sparged at 170 in 2 gallons of water in a second pot for 10 minutes
Sparged again in brew pot at 170 for 10 minutes.
Combined for the boil. Wound up with around 6.75 gallons

1 Oz German Hallertau 3.8 60 min
.5 oz German Hallertau 3.0 45 min
.5 oz German Hallertau 3.0 15 min
3 tsp crushed McCormick Coriander 10 min
2 tsp dried sweet orange peal bought from LHBS 10 min

Safeale 05

IBU came in around 19
5.75 gallons in the fermenter

It seemed like I had a lot of particles in the Wort. I am sure it will settle out though. I used a paint strainer in my ale pale and it got clogged up I wound up pouring more of the pellet hop material than normal into the fermenter. Probably should have used a hop bag. All in all my numbers were pretty good. OG came in at 1.055. Pitched at 75F and the fermenter is in a swamp cooler with Ice. It should be in the low 60's by morning.

Looking forward to this one.

 

[Theis]

I've seen a few people mention boiling various amounts of oats in their brewkettle. Can someone who has done this comment on the results (taste, body, and comparison with just mashing the oats)?

I'm a bit worried that actually boiling the oats in the kettle would result in an astringent flavor and clog my counterflow chiller despite using a whirlpool.
Thanks

 

[Nohup]

Boil the oats in a nylon bag or some other straining device. Take them out when you start the chill.
Worked for me.
(Awesome recipe by the way)

 

[Theis]

Brewed Nero's recipe #4 yesterday, boiled 1/2lb oats in a mesh bag for 15 minutes as suggested (thanks for the tip). Dry oats soaked up quite a bit of wort but no problems with clogging. Nice golden orange color and orange aroma of the wort. US-05 is bubbling away at 64 degrees in the swamp cooler. All the work everyone has put into these recipes is really appreciated.

 

[BrewBrain]

Success! I had to improvise here and there, but things turned out fine for my first wheat beer. I didnt have a bag, so took a couple gallons of boiling wort inside to the stove and boiled the oats, orange peel, etc. there, strained, and rerurned to the BK. Not much orange flavor, but i just bought random oranges at Safeway and zested them.

All in all, a very good beer that accomplished the goal.

 

[Theis]

How long are you guys fermenting this? I was planning on 2 weeks primary and bottle conditioning for 4 additional weeks. Don't see much point in a secondary since I won't be adding any dry hops. I used US-05 at 64 degrees and gravity is stable at 1.012 after 10 days.

 

[nilo]

yes, your schedule is pretty much what I do. I usually get a quicker primary using S04 yeast, but I bottle few days after FG is a flat line. 4 weeks in bottles should be plenty.
Remember to report back when you taste it.

 

[Wayne1]

In February I proposed a recipe variant based on reports of thin bodied beers being made from the original recipe I posted.

I made a batch of that recipe, with a few changes, not too long ago. The recipe with the Vienna malt yields a VERY full bodied beer. Too much so, IMHO.

Everyone's system and technique is different and the results of a recipe brewed on one system will be different from almost anyone else.

I have found NO problems, with thin body, mashing the oats with the rest of the grain. I do suggest you give it a try. If, for you, your beer has a thin body, then go for the boiling oats.

The amount of spices used will be different for almost everyone. It appears that no two people are using the exact same spices. Some use pre-ground coriander, some use fresh, some use fresh oranges and zest them, some use pre-ground orange peel. Each variation will require different amounts in the kettle.

I will say that I do agree that 1 ounce of fresh ground coriander is too much.

As a rough guideline, try between 0.25 and 0.5 ounces of fresh ground coriander 10 minutes before the end of the boil. Anything else, you will have to try on your own.

For orange peel, it depends on what state it is in. I used to use very finely ground Valencia orange peel. Perhaps the McCormicks is the closest to that. Other forms of orange peel will require quite a larger amount to get the same amount of flavor. I used a dehydrated, minced orange peel from a local spice shop. Savory Spice

I used 0.3 oz and it was nowhere near enough. I also added about 0.5 oz in a bag in conditioning. It helped, but the amount of orange was quite reduced from Blue Moon. Depending on what form of orange peel you are using, I would suggest starting at 1 oz and adjusting from there.

For my system and brewing style, I believe the first recipe is pretty darn close to reproducing grain portion of Blue Moon. I might even suggest using Pilsener Malt. The Vienna just added way too much fullness and body.

My current suggestion for a homebrew version of Blue Moon would use.

5.5 lbs Weyermann Bohemian Pils malt
4.5 lbs Weyermann Pale Wheat malt
1.4 lbs flaked oats
0.5 lbs rice hulls

Mash at 154F for 60 min. Add 2 gallons 200 F water for mash out to achieve 168F Hold for 10 min.

1.2 oz Hallertauer (4.3 AA) full length of boil 60-90 min.
0.5-0.7 oz fresh ground coriander (10 min before boil end)
1.0 oz sweet or Valencia Orange Peel (amount will depend on how finely ground the spice is and if it is fresh zest or dried) (5 min before end of boil)

I would currently suggest using either US-04 or Windsor dried yeast (rehydrated according to directions on packet) US-05 or 1056 might finish too dry. You do want a little sweetness to get close to current Blue Moon flavor.

For my system and style, I ferment 2 weeks in one vessel and then transfer to another vessel for an additional week of conditioning. I then transfer to a keg and carbonate cold under pressure.

With this last batch, I found the flavor of the beer to have an upfront bitter edge to it for about a month in the keg. This did finally go away and the end result was very smooth. I also noticed this bitterness in another beer I made with the dehydrated peel I purchased from the spice shop. My guess is that some of the bitter pith was included in the peel.

The end result, after 4-6 weeks, in the keg was very pleasing. The body very big, the orange flavor on the low side and it was drier than the current Blue Moon. I think with the changes I listed above and some experimentation on your part, you can come very close to what is being offered in the bars and stores today.

As I have mentioned through out this thread and especially this post, a lot will depend on the exact ingredients you use. This recipe does call for a bit of individual fine tuning for each person's gear and brewing style.

I hope some more of you try this and report back your results.

Cheers,
Wayne

 

[brewit2it]

In February I proposed a recipe variant based on reports of thin bodied beers being made from the original recipe I posted.

I made a batch of that recipe, with a few changes, not too long ago. The recipe with the Vienna malt yields a VERY full bodied beer. Too much so, IMHO.

Everyone's system and technique is different and the results of a recipe brewed on one system will be different from almost anyone else.

I have found NO problems, with thin body, mashing the oats with the rest of the grain. I do suggest you give it a try. If, for you, your beer has a thin body, then go for the boiling oats.

The amount of spices used will be different for almost everyone. It appears that no two people are using the exact same spices. Some use pre-ground coriander, some use fresh, some use fresh oranges and zest them, some use pre-ground orange peel. Each variation will require different amounts in the kettle.

I will say that I do agree that 1 ounce of fresh ground coriander is too much.

As a rough guideline, try between 0.25 and 0.5 ounces of fresh ground coriander 10 minutes before the end of the boil. Anything else, you will have to try on your own.

For orange peel, it depends on what state it is in. I used to use very finely ground Valencia orange peel. Perhaps the McCormicks is the closest to that. Other forms of orange peel will require quite a larger amount to get the same amount of flavor. I used a dehydrated, minced orange peel from a local spice shop. Savory Spice

I used 0.3 oz and it was nowhere near enough. I also added about 0.5 oz in a bag in conditioning. It helped, but the amount of orange was quite reduced from Blue Moon. Depending on what form of orange peel you are using, I would suggest starting at 1 oz and adjusting from there.

For my system and brewing style, I believe the first recipe is pretty darn close to reproducing grain portion of Blue Moon. I might even suggest using Pilsener Malt. The Vienna just added way too much fullness and body.

My current suggestion for a homebrew version of Blue Moon would use.

5.5 lbs Weyermann Bohemian Pils malt
4.5 lbs Weyermann Pale Wheat malt
1.4 lbs flaked oats
0.5 lbs rice hulls

Mash at 154F for 60 min. Add 2 gallons 200 F water for mash out to achieve 168F Hold for 10 min.

1.2 oz Hallertauer (4.3 AA) full length of boil 60-90 min.
0.5-0.7 oz fresh ground coriander (10 min before boil end)
1.0 oz sweet or Valencia Orange Peel (amount will depend on how finely ground the spice is and if it is fresh zest or dried) (5 min before end of boil)

I would currently suggest using either US-04 or Windsor dried yeast (rehydrated according to directions on packet) US-05 or 1056 might finish too dry. You do want a little sweetness to get close to current Blue Moon flavor.

For my system and style, I ferment 2 weeks in one vessel and then transfer to another vessel for an additional week of conditioning. I then transfer to a keg and carbonate cold under pressure.

With this last batch, I found the flavor of the beer to have an upfront bitter edge to it for about a month in the keg. This did finally go away and the end result was very smooth. I also noticed this bitterness in another beer I made with the dehydrated peel I purchased from the spice shop. My guess is that some of the bitter pith was included in the peel.

The end result, after 4-6 weeks, in the keg was very pleasing. The body very big, the orange flavor on the low side and it was drier than the current Blue Moon. I think with the changes I listed above and some experimentation on your part, you can come very close to what is being offered in the bars and stores today.

As I have mentioned through out this thread and especially this post, a lot will depend on the exact ingredients you use. This recipe does call for a bit of individual fine tuning for each person's gear and brewing style.

I hope some more of you try this and report back your results.

Cheers,
Wayne

Thanks for the updates Wayne. I made one batch loosely based on your original recipe and it actually came out darn good. I didn't have a problem with thin body at all but then again I changed the ratio of wheat/malt/oats somewhat since I was doing a partial mash recipe.

Basically if anyone is interested in a partial mash recipe that is tested and darn good you can go 2.5# 2 row 2.5# white wheat and 14 oz quick oats in the mash 70 minutes at 154. Then add 2 lbs light DME in the boil. I think a point wayne is making again in this post and which he made in previous posts is there is only one hop addition in this brew and that is pretty important for the final flavor if you are trying to match the original. The orange and coriander was very understated with Waynes original recipe amounts but I actually don't have a problem with that. I will probably try 0.25 oz coriander and 0.5 oz McCorrmicks sweet orange peel in the next batch. I actually used Notty for the yeast which worked out well and is probably pretty similar to using the dry Windsor that Wayne mentions.

 

[KirkD]

Has anyone tried to alter this recipe to create a clone of Blue Moon Summer?

 

[xyxysdaddy]

I'm very new to the homebrew scene--and can't believe I waited this long. I did a Red Hook ESB clone for numero uno, jumping right into all grain brewing, and then was planning on a Portsmouth Brewery Oatmeal Stout yesterday but did my wife a favor and read through this thread and decided I'd give a simplified version here a go. Basically used 1.5lbs oats, .5lbs rice hulls, in addition to the grains recipe here... I did decided to save 1/4lb of my oats for the boil, no clue why or if it'll change things... stuck with the standard Halltertauer hops pellets, but did 2 oz at 60 minutes... looked awesome by the end. Saw some action about 16 hours later in the airlock, now I'll just let her sit for two weeks or so.

 

[Theis]

Tried my first fully carbonated bottle of Nilo's recipe 4, it's been in the bottles for 2 weeks and the coriander flavor has really mellowed and let the orange peel come through. I did 1 oz dried sweet orange peel from Midwest and the zest of 3 navel oranges. Other posters nailed it on the head when they said that you can't add too much orange. The brew is a big hit, thanks for the great recipe.

 

[nilo]

Tried my first fully carbonated bottle of Nilo's recipe 3, it's been in the bottles for 2 weeks and the coriander flavor has really mellowed and let the orange peel come through. I did 1 oz dried sweet orange peel from Midwest and the zest of 3 navel oranges. Other posters nailed it on the head when they said that you can't add too much orange. The brew is a big hit, thanks for the great recipe.

Did you do recipe #3 or #4?

 

[Theis]

On review it was recipe #4 with substitution for some of the dried orange peel with fresh orange zest (that stuff is expensive). Boiled the 1/4# oats with no problems but some of the orange zest escaped my nylon hops bag and wreaked havoc on my counterflow chiller clogging it a couple times

 

[nilo]

On review it was recipe #4 with substitution for some of the dried orange peel with fresh orange zest (that stuff is expensive). Boiled the 1/4# oats with no problems but some of the orange zest escaped my nylon hops bag and wreaked havoc on my counterflow chiller clogging it a couple times

I was hoping you did #4, by far the best to date. I just tried my #6, a re-do of #4, and it proved to be a winner.

 

[Theis]

My wife and in-laws, who are big Blue Moon fans, couldn't pick out which was the clone. This is definitely going in the rotation of regular brews. I might try to mash the oats next time because the boiling bag with 1/4# oats was a royal pain to clean out, we'll see how it affects the body.

 

[labarr12]

Hey! I'm in the minority here and don't have an AG system at home. I'm trying to make a Blue Moon clone for my dad's birthday (unfortunately, its the only "real beer" he will drink), and I was hoping to do a PM version. Has anyone tried to turn Nilo's 3rd or 4th recipe into a PM?I'm not even sure how I would go about trying to convert this recipe myself...

 

[nilo]

I have not brewed extract for a while, but this is what I would do, assuming that I could get extra light and wheat DME.

Steep:
2.0lb crystal 10L in 2gals of water at 155F for 30min

For boil (assuming 5gal batch and 6.5gal boil):
2.0 lb wheat DME
3.0 lb extra light DME
1/2lb flaked oats for last 15min
1oz hallertauer 4% for 1h
Ferment at 67F with S04

OG=1.047
SG=1.012
ABV%=4.4
IBU=14

Of course FG is sometimes hard to predic with extract beers, but I would give it a shot. I remove the dextrin since extract usually provide more un-fermentables.
If you do brew this, report back.

 

[xyxysdaddy]

Well, being new to homebrewing I made a mistake--I lost a lot in my boil, and decided to simply replace that with water, so my Blue Moon clone turned out almost like a BM light. I don't do light beers, but I tell you what, my wife and her girlfriends love the stuff. Guess it's time to buy a larger boiling pot!

 

[golphur]

Just brewed this recipe last Friday night. Pitched US-05 after rehydrating and it has been really slow starting. Also brewed an IPA on the same night and it took off like normal. Very active and blowing out of the blowoff tube.

The Blue clone is barely chugging along after 3 days. Very small Krausen, maybe 1/4 inch, and it has some orange looking goo on top of it. I plan on riding it out, but curious if anyone else has seen a really slow ferment on this one, or even the orange goo on top of the Krausen?

 

[Theis]

I pitched rehydated Us-05 for the Blue Moon clone. No airlock activity after 24 hours so I sprinkled another package right on top- had krausen in 2 hours. Don't know if I jumped the gun or had some weak yeast on the first pitch but was happy with the result. I also had the orange goo on the top pf the krausen. I attributed it to the orange zest that I added to the boil kettle and probably got into the fermentor. What temp are you fermenting at?

 

[nilo]

I usually let my fermenter at 70F until the fermentation starts, about 12 to 24h, than lower to 67-68F for the rest of the primary.
Also, I always oxigenate with pure O2 prior to pitching.
My latest recipes used just dried orange peels, I boiled it inside a hop bag along with the coriander so it doesn't carry to the fermenter. When I did use fresh orange peels, I added it to the primary rigth at pitching time to avoid evaporating the aromas and I didn't have much trouble. Usually, the peels sink after fermentation is completed and don't cause any racking problems.

 

[Theis]

Good call on the hop bag for coriander and orange peels. I put the majority of mine in a hop bag but tossed a little zest directly in the boil pot at flame-out for a little extra flavor. Bad idea- clogged my CFC, but hey the beer tastes great. Next time everything is going in that hop bag.

 

[golphur]

I was fermenting at 68 degrees but with the slow activity I bumped it up to 73. Krausen stuck around for a full two weeks and finally fell. Still have some orange goo and yeast rafts floating around. I'll take a gravity reading in another week or so when I start dry hopping my other batch. Hopefully it was just a slow burner. I've never had to repitch to date. Fingers crossed I keep it that way.

 

[Lurch69]

Nilo,

I'm planning on making recipe #4 soon so I plugged it into Beersmith and it shows an estimated OG of 1.060 for a 5gal batch. Do you know what your efficiency is? I'm trying to nail down why these #s are off from the 1.049 you listed. Thank you!

 

[nilo]

Nilo,

I'm planning on making recipe #4 soon so I plugged it into Beersmith and it shows an estimated OG of 1.060 for a 5gal batch. Do you know what your efficiency is? I'm trying to nail down why these #s are off from the 1.049 you listed. Thank you!

65%. Note that I intentionally reduced my efficiency by collecting less wort during sparging (fly sparging) so my last running is over 1.020. That seemed to have improved my beer quality in general.
I have added the efficiency to the shared recipe file at
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BxL7TXS8tHPsNWM2YmQ1YTYtMGY1YS00YjJjLWE5ZDktMmQ2ODdmMzljNDUz&hl=en

 

[nilo]

Just sharing a new experiment, where I bottled my blue moon clone (recipe#4) with some fresh orange peels in the bottle. I have 4 bottles with different amounts of orange peels. Just popped open the first bottle now which used a peel about 5in long (like 3/4in wide). IT TASTES AWESOME! The fresh orange aroma and flavor is amazing.
For those jumping in now, recipe available at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BxL7TXS8tHPsNWM2YmQ1YTYtMGY1YS00YjJjLWE5ZDktMmQ2ODdmMzljNDUz&hl=en_US&pli=1

 

[Wild Duk]

That's great. I keg and always wondered why I couldn't just dry hop it with orange peel.

Did you still use dry peel in the boil???

 

[nilo]

That's great. I keg and always wondered why I couldn't just dry hop it with orange peel.

Did you still use dry peel in the boil???

Yes