Blue Moon Clone

[ScottyDotty]

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to Wayne for a this! I brewed this for the second time today. Only difference is I used fresh orange zest instead of dried sweet peels- zested two oranges for the boil (las 5mins) and a third in the primary. Smells great, but I suspect the orange-ness will fade over time.

 

[BearStein]

Blue Moon Belgian White was first sold commercially as Belly Slide Belgian White at the SandLot Brewery at Coors Field during the 1995 opening season.

We did do a little fine tuning of the recipe, which was developed by Dr. Keith Villa of Coors R&D. Mostly to do with the ratio of Orange Peel to Corriander.

The amounts of grains we used are roughly:
50% 2 row pale malt. (The first couple of batches were made with Great Western)
40% white wheat malt
10% flaked oats.

Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hops were added for a 90 minute boil. Bittering should be around 17.5 IBU. Only one addition.

Blue Moon has always used pre-ground corriander and Valencia orange peel. Keith did not want the bitterness of Curacao oranges. He preferred the sweetness of the ground Valencia.

Try 1.25 tsp of ground corriander added to the kettle 10 minutes before the end of boil. This is for a 5-6 gallon batch.

Add 0.33tsp of ground Valencia orange peel 5 minutes before the end of boil.

The Chico strain would work well in this recipe. You want a neutral taste from the yeast. Keith has said that the flavors that should come through are the orange peel and corriander, not the yeast.

Be careful when lautering. I have made this recipe and some variations of it in three different pubs, with three different systems. I usually have trouble and end up sticking the mash. Run off very slowly.

Ok first off I'm pretty new to brewing. My first batch of beer I made had a kit with instructions, so I followed them, and boom! I made beer! Now I get on here and see these grain ratios and times so I start reading articles and researching. I want to make this recipe next, but my question is: Do I need to build a mash ton and get a grain grinder thing or is it the same thing to put those grains in a steeping bag and do it that way? Is it a preference or I will need those other things to make recipes like this?

Any help or suggestions are appreciated!

 

[sivdrinks]

Ok first off I'm pretty new to brewing. My first batch of beer I made had a kit with instructions, so I followed them, and boom! I made beer! Now I get on here and see these grain ratios and times so I start reading articles and researching. I want to make this recipe next, but my question is: Do I need to build a mash ton and get a grain grinder thing or is it the same thing to put those grains in a steeping bag and do it that way? Is it a preference or I will need those other things to make recipes like this?

Any help or suggestions are appreciated!

Do the extract version of this brew, will save you the headache of taking on all grain right away. By all means though, keep at it and eventually go all grain when you get some more money for equipment and know you got the permanent homebrew bug!

 

[BearStein]

Do the extract version of this brew, will save you the headache of taking on all grain right away. By all means though, keep at it and eventually go all grain when you get some more money for equipment and know you got the permanent homebrew bug!

Has someone posted that already? Sorry I havnt read through all of them yet. Thanks for the help! I'm sure I'll get to the point of being all grain, but extracts will do for now.

 

[Wayne1]

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to Wayne for a this!

You are welcome. Thanks for giving the recipe a couple of tries.

BearStein:

Nilo did convert one of his recipes to extract:

Nilo's extract version

There are no spices listed. Read the entire thread for some variations on what spices to use and when.

 

[BearStein]

You are welcome. Thanks for giving the recipe a couple of tries.

BearStein:

Nilo did convert one of his recipes to extract:

Nilo's extract version

There are no spices listed. Read the entire thread for some variations on what spices to use and when.

Ok cool so just add in the coriander and orange zest like in some recipes?

Thanks guys! Can't wait to brew this!

 

[Wild Duk]

When u use zest, can you throw it right into the fermentor? Do you worry about infection at all??

 

[TimTrone]

When u use zest, can you throw it right into the fermentor? Do you worry about infection at all??

He probably means throwing it in the last 5 mins of the boil, or at flameout.

 

[BearStein]

He probably means throwing it in the last 5 mins of the boil, or at flameout.

Yeah I'm planning on throwing in the coriander at 10 min left and the zest at 5. Sound good?

 

[nilo]

when using fresh peels, I add it to the primary to avoid evaporating the aromas. I give the orange a good wash in soap, skin and add the peels in a bath of vodka before throwing in the fermenter.

 

[Wild Duk]

Thanks. Do u use a zester or just peel.

 

[nilo]

I just Peel. make sure you avoid the white layer under. it is known to give a bitter taste.

 

[Wild Duk]

Hmmm. I thought that that the white stuff always came off with the peel. And therefore zest. But I could have been wrong.

How many oranges have you added.

I'm brewing in the morn...

 

[TimTrone]

If you happen to have a microplane, they are perfect for zesting

 

[eulipion2]

Hmmm. I thought that that the white stuff always came off with the peel. And therefore zest. But I could have been wrong.

How many oranges have you added.

I'm brewing in the morn...

The white part is called the pith (like the helmet). It's incredibly bitter. You only want the thin orange layer layer. Trust me...

 

[Biking_Brewer]

So what has become the general consensus on the coriander and orange peel? I brewed nilo's #4, but the orange flavor seems way to strong.

Boiled at 10 min:
0.375oz - Coriander
2.0oz - Sweet orange peel
1.0oz - Bitter orange peel

I'm thinking about taking it down a bit, possibly eliminating the bitter orange peel all together. This also seems to be against the original 3:1 coriander to orange peel suggestion in the beginning of the thread. Any suggestions?

 

[eulipion2]

I used as close to Wayne's recipe as possible, making exceptions for water chemistry and spicing. Also, I BIAB and No-Chill, so some adjustments for that. Still turned out almost spot-on. Here's what I did for 6 gallons.

5.25 lb US 2-row
4.5 lb malted White Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oats
4 oz Acid Malt
2 tsp Calcium Choloride

1.325 oz Hallertau (3.9% AA) 70 min (same as a 90 minute addition in a traditionally chilled beer)
1 oz McCormick's Valencia Orange Peel, added to no-chill cube
.325 oz fresh ground Coriander, also added to no-chill cube

US-05 yeast

OG: 1.049
FG: 1.009
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 16.4
SRM: 5.8

 

[mredge73]

The original recipe is (3)coriander : (1)orange
Nilo4 is (1)coriander : (6)orange

I have them both on tap right now; waiting for the original to carb up before passing judgement. I expect them to be very different beers.

 

[nilo]

The original recipe is (3)coriander : (1)orange
Nilo4 is (1)coriander : (6)orange

I have them both on tap right now; waiting for the original to carb up before passing judgement. I expect them to be very different beers.

I'm sure it will be different beers. Make sure you have a commercial BM to compare these to.

 

[Wayne1]

The original spice ratio was based on weight of ground, dry spices in a 465 gallon batch. Using fresh zested peel and fresh ground coriander seeds in 5 gallons will yield different results.

Use the ratio as a guideline to find out what works best for the spices you use in your system. Expect it to be different for everyone.

 

[nilo]

Wayne, is it absolutelly required not to have late hop additions?
I was wondering is some aroma from a citrusy hops wouldn't be good for this beer.
I know that we are trying a clone and if you say no way, I'll stick to it (although I may try just to see what happen )
I'm brewing #4 as I type. Forgot the carapills

 

[Wayne1]

Hello Nilo,

Sorry, I just noticed your question.

For an exact clone of the original recipe no late hops should be used.

For something a bit different, I think a small amount of some citrus leaning hops, say Sorachi Ace, might add a bit of personality. I would use them right at knockout or during whirlpool.

For fun, you might try adding a small amount of your hop of choice to a French Press coffee maker and put the beer on top of it. Let it sit for a few minutes and push down the plunger and pour. You could also add some fresh grated orange peel to turn up the flavor one serving at a time.

Here is a post I made about using a French Press French Press

 

[nilo]

thanks.
I'll definitely try the French press idea.
Another question, do you have a recommendation on volumes of CO2 for this beer?

 

[Wayne1]

Try somewhere in the 2.5-3 volumes range.

 

[wolfpack94]

Just brewed extract recipe on page 44 using orange peels. I will et everyone know how it turns out. Quick question - How long should I keep in primary b/f transferring to secondary?

 

[mredge73]

@ wolfpack
I would just leave it in there 1.5 - 3 weeks and skip the secondary
(unless you plan to add spices to the secondary)



I currently have Nilo4 and Wayne Original recipes kegged and carbed.
I have to say that I do like the Wayne's more but that is because I feel like Nilo4 is over spiced. As compared to the commercial version; Nilo4 has the appearance and aroma pretty close. But Wayne's recipe has the taste and texture. They both are terrific brews for Spring/Summer.

One more note:
I brewed both with S-04 dry yeast; (the same yeast cake). I don't really think this is the correct yeast for the clone. The Kolsh that I made last year has a flavor close to the commercial version of the Blue Moon and it does not have any added spices. My next attempt will be Nilo4's grain bill with Wayne's spices and a WLP029 yeast. If anything it will taste like beer!

 

[nilo]

Just brewed extract recipe on page 44 using orange peels. I will et everyone know how it turns out. Quick question - How long should I keep in primary b/f transferring to secondary?

it shouldn't be taken off primary until gravity flats out. many leaves for a week or two after that. no secondary is needed for this recipe. beer will be cloudy and that is desired.

 

[Wayne1]

mredge73,

Thanks for your comments on comparing different recipes. The more info everyone has, the better the end results will be.

S04 is a very estery yeast. I love it in English Ales and certain American Pale Ales to give a bit more character. For your tastes, to get closer to the Blue Moon taste, I suggest a more neutral yeast such as S05/1056.

It really depends on your system and tastes. I love that nilo stretched things a bit to hit the target with his system. In another system, it WILL be a bit different. That is why you need to brew and rebrew until you meet your goals.

wolfpak94,

As mredge73 suggests, the only way to know for certain is to check the gravity of the beer. when you get the same reading 3 days in a row, you should be fairly well certain primary fermentation in finished. You can then transfer to a conditioning vessel, if you so desire. It has become popular in homebrewing to not transfer. This is really up to each brewer. There is no universal "best" way to treat your beer.

I tend to be a bit "old school" in that I usually let the beer ferment for two weeks in primary and then transfer to a conditioning vessel for at least another week or until a keg opens up. After a week in conditioning, you can then drop the temp to 40F, if possible. This will may carbonating in the keg a bit easier.

Good luck on your beer.

 

[BearStein]

Just brewed extract recipe on page 44 using orange peels. I will et everyone know how it turns out. Quick question - How long should I keep in primary b/f transferring to secondary?

How much coriander and orange peel did you use? I'm going to brew this weekend.

 

[wolfpack94]

I used peels from 3 oranges and around 0.375 oz of whole corriander crushed in coffee grinder. Be sure to get all the whilte off of the orange peel. I also soaked the peels in vodka liked someone suggested b/f I put them in the fermenter. My batch has been fermenting for almost a week and has a huge orange smell.