Firestone Walker 805 clone?

[doublebogey10]

Has anyone tried or aware of a Firestone Walker 805 clone?

http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/805

 

[Beezer94]

Haven't had the beer, but from the other Firestone Walker threads if you email the brewery they apparently have been open with details of other brews. Could be a good start at least.

 

[JediJoel]

I'm actually working on this right now. I brewed a half batch this weekend and will be tasting it soon to find out if I was close. The big variable for me is the hops. I put Kent Goldings in to 22 IBUs but I'm not sure, that was kind off a guess based of style.

Any help on the hop end would be wonderful!

Keep It Local Clone
Batch Size: 5.5 gal
Target OG: 1.049
Target FG: 1.013
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 22
SRM: 7

8.75# Pale Malt (3 SRM)
1# Gambrinus Honey Malt (23 SRM)

60min. 1.1 oz East Kent Goldings @ 5.8%

Mash
60 min @ 145
15 min @ 155

White Labs English Ale Yeast WLP002

 

[doublebogey10]

I emailed them and they pointed me in the right direction.

Here's what I have:

http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/775-blonde

 

[JediJoel]

Torrified Wheat? Firestone confirmed that?

That surprises me a little bit. The 805 that I have had didn't have the head I would expect from a beer with a little bit of wheat.

Have you brewed it up? How does it compare?

 

[doublebogey10]

Yep, terrified wheat. And Williamette is the only hop at 15 IBUs.

I'm in the middle of a move right now but hope to brew this by the end of the month.

 

[JediJoel]

Thanks dubs! I really appreciate the leg work on this.

Shows you what I know about recipe making. I've never been good at trying to clone.

I order up the goods and am trying to brew next weekend. I've got some 805 and will do a side by side in December some time. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again!

 

[doublebogey10]

Kudos to Firestone Walker for helping out homebrewers.
I've had similar experience with Boulevard and Hangar 24, among others. And Modern Times, from San Diego, friggin links to the their own recipes on BeerSmith. Love that.

Then you get others, like Sweetwater Brewing, who, well, are on the other end of the spectrum.

 

[JediJoel]

I brewed this recipe yesterday. I missed my temp initially but recovered fine. I had more efficiency than expected (perhaps because of Firestone's mash schedule?) so I ran off extra. Ended up with 6 gal rather than 5.5 and hit my OG!

I threw it on the yeast cake from my test batch and it went of like a rocket! I'll let you know how it tastes in a week and then after conditioning. I think it's going to be close.

 

[shadows69]

I think I may brew this one over the weekend. Looking forward to the updates on this one.

 

[WatsonGravy]

Also intrested in this. Lucky for me I'm very close to the brewery ��. But I would like to brew it myself.

 

[doublebogey10]

Brewed on 11/23. Racking to secondary today. Wasn't planning on using a secondary but I don't have a keg open for it right now and I want to use the yeast cake for another batch I have brewing as I write this.

I'll try to remember to get a pic when I move to secondary. It was a tad darker than I thought it would be.
Used London ESB yeast and it fermented in a hurry.

 

[doublebogey10]

10 days since brewing.

 

[WatsonGravy]

Just a bit darker, looks good though. How did you go about the mash schedule in this recipe? I have a cooler I use for mash, never had to bring temps up like this.

 

[doublebogey10]

Just a bit darker, looks good though. How did you go about the mash schedule in this recipe? I have a cooler I use for mash, never had to bring temps up like this.

I do BIAB so was easier for me on a burner, though I got it a bit high when bringing it up the first time. It was also my first brew day in almost six months so a bit rusty.

The sample taste was very promising.

 

[shadows69]

Brewing now. Is the finial product suppose to be clear or cloudy? I never had this be from the store to be able to judge.

 

[shadows69]

Firestone Walker 805 From the website:
brew Notes
style
Blonde Ale
abv
4.7
ibu
20
color
7SRM
fermentation
Stainless Steel
availability
Central Coast and surrounding areas

 

[JediJoel]

Another update from me. I got a little behind on my brewing schedule with the holidays, but I kegged most of this batch yesterday and capped a few bottles. I will do a side by side tonight but it was VERY close to what I remember. The 805 I have was bottled in August so should be reasonably fresh.

Like others I noticed that my batch was darker than what I remember the commercial version to be. Tasted great, though!

Brewing now. Is the finial product suppose to be clear or cloudy? I never had this be from the store to be able to judge.

This beer should be clear. Especially if you use WLP002. The flocculation for WLP002 is very high and will clump up in the beer like cheese curds.

How did you go about the mash schedule in this recipe? I have a cooler I use for mash, never had to bring temps up like this.

Just add an infusion step in the mash schedule and then make sure to calculate your sparging from the total volume rather than the strike volume. I used BeerSmith so it was a lot easier than it sounds. I'll look up my exact numbers but I started with a lower water to grain ratio to account for the step up. I think I stared at 1.15 quarts/pound and ended up at 1.4?

 

[JediJoel]

Here is a side by side. My beer is on the left and the commercial version is on the right.

Like I mentioned before my beer is a little darker than FWs. And FWs is a little clearer.

The nose is very similar. A little sweet with notes of flowers and grass. The nose of my brew is a little more yeasty and not quite as sweet.

The mouthfeel is pretty spot on. The commercial version is carbed and mine is not but the same body is there.

Taste: things are the same up front and in the middle (sweet, honey). The backend is where my brew deviates from the commercial version. Firestone's beer has a sweeter finish with a little bit of hop presence. The finish on my beer has more hop bitterness with notes of earth and wood. It is sweet but the sweetness is hidden in the hops.

All and all I think it's a decent clone. It might taste more like the finished product in a month or so. My beer is fresher which could lead to some of the differences. As it stands, if I were to brew it again I would lower the 60 min addition.

Everyone else, let me now how your brew turns out!

 

[shadows69]

Im on my second week in the primary, so I have a ways to go. Thanks for the updates. The downside is I wont have nothing to compare to. I looked in the stores and they dont carry it here in PA. I aso ended up using Wlp001, thats all I had on hand.

 

[doublebogey10]

Jedi,

Looks pretty good. Mine is still in fermenter as a feverishly try to finish my keezer. I've never kegged before, always bottled. But with my recent move, I recycled all empties and made the commitment to kegging. Now I just need to get this done. This one will be the first to go on tap and then i'll post my results.

 

[doublebogey10]

Im on my second week in the primary, so I have a ways to go. Thanks for the updates. The downside is I wont have nothing to compare to. I looked in the stores and they dont carry it here in PA. I aso ended up using Wlp001, thats all I had on hand.

Shadow,
If you get any Firestone Walker in your area, keep an eye out for their mixed 12-packs. They have three bottles each of four different things (DBA, Pale 31 and Union Jack, I think, are the others in addition to 805). I could be wrong but I believe this is the first time they have distributed 805 outside of the Central Coast (namesake area code) area. I only live a few hours from there (but in Nevada) and have never seen 805 here until they showed up in the mixed 12-pack at Costco last month.

 

[Derp]

The mixed 12-packs are all over L.A. and Orange County at the moment. I bought one just for the 805; I've never had one before.

 

[shadows69]

The mixed 12-packs are all over L.A. and Orange County at the moment. I bought one just for the 805; I've never had one before.

Can you tell us how it tastes?

 

[doublebogey10]

Can you tell us how it tastes?

The couple of times I've had it...
Nice, mild sweetness from the malt. Hop presence is there but just enough to be there. Nice dry finish. It's a really awesome easy drinker.

 

[doublebogey10]

Finally got the keezer done. First pull of the 805 "Clone". As mentioned before, a tad darker than I expected and a little cloudy. But it's only been on gas for a couple days.
It's not a clone, per se, but it's a damn nice beer.
Looking forward to a few more of these and generate some thoughts on how to refine it for the summer.
I have a bomber of 805. At some point, will pull that out and do a side by side.

 

[doublebogey10]

Side by side comparison. 805 is on the left.
Had some beer-savvy friends over to help with comparison.
Obviously, mine is a touch darker and cloudier (I forgot whirlfloc addition on brew day).
Our consensus was that 805 is drier and has some fruitier characteristics that mine is lacking, to some degree. Mine is a bit sweeter.
Want to brew this again. Might dial back the honey malt a touch and need to decide how to get mine to get a better dry finish. Am guessing Firestone's house yeast is bringing the fruitier notes.

 

[FuzzBeckersHB]

Hey DB, you want some 805 delivered to you, hit me with a PM and I will send you a 6er....
FBHB
Happy Brew Year

 

[shadows69]

Side by side comparison. 805 is on the left.
Had some beer-savvy friends over to help with comparison.
Obviously, mine is a touch darker and cloudier (I forgot whirlfloc addition on brew day).
Our consensus was that 805 is drier and has some fruitier characteristics that mine is lacking, to some degree. Mine is a bit sweeter.
Want to brew this again. Might dial back the honey malt a touch and need to decide how to get mine to get a better dry finish. Am guessing Firestone's house yeast is bringing the fruitier notes.

View attachment 169543

Almost sounds like notty yeast at the higher end temp wise when fermenting. Still have mine in the primary, real life getting in the way. Almost at 4 weeks and hope to keg it on friday.

 

[artyusmc]

Here is a side by side. My beer is on the left and the commercial version is on the right.

Like I mentioned before my beer is a little darker than FWs. And FWs is a little clearer.

The nose is very similar. A little sweet with notes of flowers and grass. The nose of my brew is a little more yeasty and not quite as sweet.

The mouthfeel is pretty spot on. The commercial version is carbed and mine is not but the same body is there.

Taste: things are the same up front and in the middle (sweet, honey). The backend is where my brew deviates from the commercial version. Firestone's beer has a sweeter finish with a little bit of hop presence. The finish on my beer has more hop bitterness with notes of earth and wood. It is sweet but the sweetness is hidden in the hops.

All and all I think it's a decent clone. It might taste more like the finished product in a month or so. My beer is fresher which could lead to some of the differences. As it stands, if I were to brew it again I would lower the 60 min addition.

Everyone else, let me now how your brew turns out!

Jedi Joel
please post your 805 clone BS recipe my wife is a big fan of 805 and I want to do the clone for her birthday beer
thank you