Double Diamond clone

[starrfish]

Found a Double Diamond English Pale ale recipe on Cats Meow. Used to really like Double Diamond when I could get it in PA. Haven't had it in years, so I will have no comparison except for old fond memories....

I'm going to post suggested recipe (all grain), and my take on a partial mash version. I've also removed the brown sugar and replaced it with a 1/4 lb of honey malt for residual sweetness, upped OG and target FG to take care of some of the body issues noted in original . Take a look and see what you think. any suggestions welcome.


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Double Diamond (my partial mash) See Below for original

4lbs Maris Otter
3lb LDME
1lb 20LVB Crystal malt
.25lb Corn Sugar
.25lb Honey Malt
.25 Dextrine
2 ounces, Williamette (60m)
1/2 ounce, Williamette (10m flameout)
Irish moss + Gel Finnings

Safale # S-04 (whitbread)
Corn sugar prime 3/4+ (I recall DD to be pretty effervescent for an english pale and very clear)


Specs:
1.055 OG
1.014 FG
45 IBU
7 SRM
5.3 ABV

Procedure:
This is an infusion mash 1.6 Gallons at 158 degrees. Sparge w/ 2 gallons to get boil volume to 3.3 gallons. Add DME, corn sugar, dextrine, and 2 oz Willamette, boil 60 min. Steep 1/2oz willamette for 10min @ flame-out.

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Double Diamond (Cats Meow post all grain)
Classification: pale ale, all-grain,
DoubleDiamondSource: Brian Glendenning([email protected]) Issue #581,2/14/91
My notes say that it was close in flavour but a bit light in both colour and body com-pared to the real thing.

Ingredients:•
9 pounds, Pale ale malt•
1 pound, crystal malt•
3/4 pound, Brown sugar
1/2 pound, malto-dextrins ( or 3/4# carapils)
2 ounces, Williamette (60m)
1/2 ounce, Williamette
Whitbred dry yeast

Procedure:
This is an infusion mash at 156 degrees.
Sparge, and add brown sugar, and malto-dextrins.
Bring to boil and add 2 ounces Williamette hops. After 60 minutes,
turnoff heat and steep 1/2 ounce Williamettehops for 10-15 minutes.
Specifics:•O.G.: 1.051•F.G.: 1.010

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Gearing up to brew this weekend, depending on ambition and weather may brew 2 this weekend. On deck: Hopless Olde ale, Double Diamond clone, OR HCl = Honey Coriander Lager.

Don't want to do Olde ale and Corriander at same time as they both will need secondary to dry hop herbs... and both need a LONG TIME in the bottle to blend and mellow. Need a quickie to drink while other 2 are aging out! LOL Don't we all need a quickie!

 

[Revvy]

Oh MY GOD!!! I totally forgot about this beer, I haven't had it in close to 20 years...It was one of the first imported beers I ever had...Back when there weren't many imported beers to be had...and microbrews were just coming out.

WOW.

Thanks for triggering a memory.

 

[starrfish]

Yeah man, it's been since the early/mid 90s since I had a DD... seems like yesterday sitting in a cool old bar in Reading Pa, shooting darts and drinking DDs, dating a cool chick who liked beer.... Like I said only have old memory to compare to, but hopefully it'll come close.

 

[Revvy]

Yeah man, it's been since the early/mid 90s since I had a DD... seems like yesterday sitting in a cool old bar in Reading Pa, shooting darts and drinking DDs, dating a cool chick who liked beer.... Like I said only have old memory to compare to, but hopefully it'll come close.

SO is it no longer made or available in the states????

I really wanna know how this turns out...if it reminds you of it, I will add it to my to brew list...

 

[Revvy]

What grade brown sugar you think it uses? Dark or Light?

 

[starrfish]

I saw it wasn't being made anymore ANYWHERE as of 2003. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2732021/Diamond-delisted-Carlsberg-Tetley-discontinues.html

I'm taking the brown sugar out and replacing with 1/4lb honey malt. Do remember a bit of residual sweetness (but not molasses, more grainy sweet like honey malt... maybe), a maris otter maltiness, moderate hops, unusual aroma, and a pretty aggresive carbonation

3/4 lb of brown sugar seems wrong to me... If I did decide to change my mind and put it back in I'd go with the light. But Don't remember any molasses character, or cider like quality that I would think that much brown sugar might add.

Got my OG & FG a bit higher than the recipe I found to help with the noted body lightness.

 

[starrfish]

Looked through my ingredients last night for this recipe...

made another edit.

4lb Maris Otter
2 lbs Light DME (Ordered 2lb bag instead of 3lb.. DOH)
1Lb amber DME (had left over need to use up)
.25 lb Corn sugar
.25 lb Honey malt
.25 lb Dextrine
.75 lb 20lvb crystal (backed off .25 lb to compensate for using 1lb amber DME)

Worked it up on TastsyBrews Calculator (TastyBrew.com | Recipe Calculation) color looks GREAT 8srm and a nice light AMBER

1.053 OG • 1.013 FG • 46IBU • 8SRM • 5.2% abv

Any input or suggestion would be greatly appreciated. No Home brew stores close by, but will be in Columbia SC on Thurs at a Conference, one block from LHBS... Could stop by on Lunch break if needed.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

What!? DD!!??? Are we talking about the same thing as I am thinking? English BMC from the 70's?

I need a lie down in a dark room.

 

[starrfish]

What!? DD!!??? Are we talking about the same thing as I am thinking? English BMC from the 70's?

I need a lie down in a dark room.

YUP! Classic Double Diamond (Defunct, as John Cleese's dead parrot in Monty Python skit, as of 2003) LOVED The Stuff! Bottled version was reported to be stronger for export than pub draft version (never had Draft version). Drank tons of it in the mid 90s in PA.

 

[starrfish]

Re- brewing this april 10th. Last one became a sour-beer... which is aging nicely. should be perfect by summer.

Will repost when I get a nice clean one in april. looking forward to this again.

 

[RandyAB]

Any update on this recipe? How did it turn out?

 

[starrfish]

close as my taste buds can remember... I brew this 2x a year still playing... it's close but not dead on... i've played with yeast, i've played with mash temp... none have hit my foggy memory of the defunct brew I wish I had one to compare against.

best has been with a bit of honey malt BUT I know they didn't use honey malt...

w/o honey malt the wyeast whitbread has been close. added corn sugar to boost alcohol came close abv was too high but taste was close on taste.... next step adding corn to mash... will post on next batch there is a weird sweetness that i remember

i'm all grain now so I can do some corn

play with it! send back your results! I miss this BMC of Britan crap beer by our standards but lots of good memories!

esb yeast has been too rich... whitbread yeast seems to be the best, but haven't nailed it yet....
recipe is close... mash high it had some mouth feel but fizzy... slightly sweet.

 

[RandyAB]

Thanks Starrfish. I'll give this a try and let you know. I wish they still made the stuff. Its been so long the only thing I remember is that it was very tasty.