I left it there. Ugh.
Fat Tire - New Belgium ditches classic recipe
- Thread starter DoctorDuvel
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This is my feeling exactly, this will be the last thing I ever buy from New Belgium. They used to be one of my favorites back in the day too. I also think Bell's is on the way down too, same owner...
meh.
With regard to home brewing, as of today, Bell's General Store (link) has for sale
- home brew kits for the beers they brew and sell
- their "house yeast": Imperial Yeast A62 Bell's House Yeast
- "Select Hops" : from the web site (link) "These are the same hand-selected hops we use to make our own beers in the brewery."
Have you used it? Just wondering how important it is since they basically say that US-05 is an acceptable substitute.
Not yet.
shifting the topic slightly:
I have brewed with their "Select" hops in the past and enjoyed the difference. For me, it's probably time to order from "them" (Bell's General Store) again.
YMMV.
So you've brewed their kit with their hops and US-05? Because that's what I'm thinking about doing soon.
I have, it's more of an English yeast than US-05, it's a good one too.
No idea about their home brewing store, the actual beer though, specifically 2 hearted has changed a bit this year, it's has that sweet malty thing going on all the time, I loathe to say oxidation but similar. Although that could be a hop year or even a distribution issue.
hout17
Crush it REAL Good
This was the same sentiment that was expressed about New Belgium after they were purchased that nothing would change and in fact be better. Huge misnomer it's only a matter of time for Bells better get it before things change.
Seeing the new Fat Tire for the first time today really broke my heart. I’m going to really focus on perfecting a clone now. It’s sad.
In silent protest, I’m drinking a screwdriver out of a Fat Tire shaker I bought at the brewery on a tour.
In silent protest, I’m drinking a screwdriver out of a Fat Tire shaker I bought at the brewery on a tour.
Is there spelling error in the thread title?
Didn't you mean to write Flat Tire [...]
meh.
Over the past 5+ years, I have order occasionally from Bells General Store.
When Bells was purchased, I saw a reduction in what was available to purchase at the General Store
Recently, at the General Store, there has been a return to much of what was available before the purchase.
And the web site "look and feel" appears to have been "refreshed".
To me, this suggests a continued commitment to home brewers.
Things are always changing.
Enjoy the moment.
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I have brewed with the "Select" hops (centennial, cascasde, golding), but not the kit.
Well that's a bummer. My next brew after getting back from vacation was going to be a Fat Tire clone. Now how am I going to know if it's close?
wdavis2003
Well-Known Member
Gotta love 'carbon neutral' branding. Isn't that just recycling their CO2? What about the rest of their energy consumption? You can definitely tell they are trying to attract the younger crowd.
They might be referring to the solar power - see this article: New Belgium Brewing adds solar to North Carolina facility
It includes this: "New Belgium Brewing has a goal to become net-zero by 2030. It's flagship Fat Tire beer became America's first carbon-neutral beer in 2020, the company said."
redrocker652002
Well-Known Member
Very disappointing, just like when Lagunitas sold out to Heineken. I have also heard that Bear Republic has sold out to Drake's. I have not had many beers from Drake's so I am not sure what to expect, but damn Racer 5 was my go to. I still like RR Blind Pig, but the supply has been limited here. I am going to try and do a Racer 5 clone again and see if I can get close. Too bad, I wanted to go check out their brewery.
mashpaddled
Well-Known Member
I had the new recipe last week. It's...fine. It still has some of that biscuit malt taste but it's toned down and a less interesting beer. I tried it out of curiosity but I bet I'll buy it as often as I did the old recipes these days, which is once every few years. Fat Tire was one of the few craft beers I could find regularly for a long time when I first got into beer where I lived. I've drank a lot of it but don't tend to pick it up anymore.
I wonder if this is just a marketing move to try to get people excited about Fat Tire. According to their market research Fat Tire was still a huge seller before the recipe change. I could see them running this recipe for a year or so and then bringing back the old one like public outcry made them do it. NB tried to break out Fat Tire as a string of beers like Voodoo Ranger with a lot less success. I wonder if this is an attempt to refresh the whole brand concept.
I wonder if this is just a marketing move to try to get people excited about Fat Tire. According to their market research Fat Tire was still a huge seller before the recipe change. I could see them running this recipe for a year or so and then bringing back the old one like public outcry made them do it. NB tried to break out Fat Tire as a string of beers like Voodoo Ranger with a lot less success. I wonder if this is an attempt to refresh the whole brand concept.
I ordered the ingredients today for the fat tire clone, but I probably won’t get around to brewing it until late April.
I can't believe I have like 16 left to drink of both versions... They are just sitting in the back of the fridge like the 5 cans of sunny little thing and shiner holiday cheer. How do I get suckered into these things?
I tried it on Sunday, and this was my take: it's "fine." It's a very non-descript beer now. There's nothing that sets it apart.
I wonder if New Belgium is going to go "New Coke vs. Old Coke" on us in a year or two.
Sam Adams Boston Lager also got a recipe change.
www.americancraftbeer.com
Samuel Adams Beer Remasters Its Iconic Boston Lager - American Craft Beer
What does a brewery do when its flagship beer is falling by the wayside? Is changing its recipe really the way to go? Here’s the deal...
Seems a bit better than what fat tire did.Sam Adams Boston Lager also got a recipe change.
Samuel Adams Beer Remasters Its Iconic Boston Lager - American Craft Beer
What does a brewery do when its flagship beer is falling by the wayside? Is changing its recipe really the way to go? Here’s the deal...
And according to Boston Beer this beer’s revamp is more about the brewing process rather than a pronounced recipe change. Samuel Adams remastered Boston Lager still uses Founder and Brewer Jim Koch’s great-great grandfather’s mid-19th century original recipe, but they’ve added a process to reduce filtration using a traditional German practice of biological acidification, resulting in a brighter, easier-drinking beer.
The article does bring up a good point, are these beers just a name?
I am going to get a case of SN Pale right now just in case...
Does anyone understand what they mean by this?
rmr9
Well-Known Member
I’m wondering if they mean sauergut?
OP
OP
DoctorDuvel
Well-Known Member
I picked up a half case of Boston Lager, the old version. It's been a long time, and I think I like it more now than I ever have, really lovely brew.
I was unfamiliar with sauergut, but if that's all they're doing differently then I suppose it's an acceptable tweak - the change may not even be perceived by all, but it generates some new buzz for the beer. Clever.
I was unfamiliar with sauergut, but if that's all they're doing differently then I suppose it's an acceptable tweak - the change may not even be perceived by all, but it generates some new buzz for the beer. Clever.
I haven't tried the new version yet. I was at a restaurant last week and ordered 2 Sam Adams for my wife and me thinking they with bring us Boston Lager but they brought us Cold Snap. Still a good beer, but not was I was expecting.
Okay so I finally did pick up a six pack of remastered Boston Lager and it's very good. It's definitely brighter, cleaner tasting and very close to some of the better German lagers that I enjoy. I don't think this was a marketing gimmick or a way to appeal more to BMC drinkers, but likely a true improvement to an already good beer.
I'm finally about to brew my Fat Tire clone. I made some changes to accentuate the nuttiness (hopefully). Here goes round one.
www.brewersfriend.com
Fat Tire Clone Beer Recipe | All Grain American Amber Ale by Airborneguy | Brewer's Friend
"Fat Tire Clone" American Amber Ale beer recipe by ME. All Grain, ABV 5.79%, IBU 24.24, SRM 14.08, Fermentables: (Finest Maris Otter, Barke Munich Malt, Caramel Malt - 60L, Victory Malt, Pale Chocolate) Hops: (Target, Willamette, East Kent Goldings) Other: (Lactic acid)
www.brewersfriend.com
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