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Firestone Walker Easy Jack

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How'd the English vs the California yeast compare?

Among the group we were 50/50 on which we liked better. The California was sweeter than the British yeast. I thought the CA one tasted more like Easy Jack. But also over the past 2.5 weeks the British one has changed quite a bit, in a good way. Seems like the flavors are coming out more.

I will say this recipe was good but it didn't have the aroma that Easy Jack has. So we added an ounce of Citra to the American Keg and that really added some aromas I was shooting for.
 
Subscribed. Love this beer. Let us know if u get any closer with this recipe! This ones been added to my brew list.
 
I have brewed easy jack clone and beer turned out amazingly awesome, was wondering if anyone fermented with another yeast, was thinking of ferment with belgian strain for a session belgian ipa
 
Sorry to dredge up an old thread but I'm wondering if anyone had success with this. I love this beer and would love to hear how future attempts turned out.
 
Here is what I eventually did:

Recipe: Mandarin Melon APA
Brewer: CWP
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 14.05 l
Post Boil Volume: 11.18 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.00 l
Bottling Volume: 8.80 l
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 5.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 46.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 86.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.800 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (Rahr) (1.7 SRM) Grain 1 80.4 %
0.120 kg Munich Malt, Light (Weyermann) (6.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.4 %
0.100 kg Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.5 %
0.100 kg Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 4 4.5 %
0.060 kg Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.7 %
0.060 kg Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (1.5 SRM) Grain 6 2.7 %
8.00 g Huell Melon [4.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 7.0 IBUs
8.00 g Mandarina Bavaria [7.20 %] - Boil 30.0 m Hop 8 11.2 IBUs
8.00 g Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.30 %] - Boil 30.0 m Hop 9 19.2 IBUs
0.84 g Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
8.00 g Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool Hop 11 1.9 IBUs
8.00 g Mandarina Bavaria [7.20 %] - Steep/Whirl Hop 12 2.7 IBUs
8.00 g Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.30 %] - Steep/Whirl Hop 13 4.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124 Yeast 14 -
8.00 g Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
8.00 g Mandarina Bavaria [7.20 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
8.00 g Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.30 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
8.00 g Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
8.00 g Mandarina Bavaria [7.20 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Hop 19 0.0 IBUs
8.00 g Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.30 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Hop 20 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: 01b. Single Infusion BIAB, 150F, Full volume
Total Grain Weight: 2.240 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 15.12 l of water at 156.2 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------
Based somewhat on Firestone Walker Easy Jack clone recipes.

I fermented on the cold side, starting at 62F at pitching and allowing it to rise to 66F over the first five days. Finished up at 66F for 10 days before crash cooling at 42F.


I did a side-by-side tasting this last weekend and my comparison notes are as follows:

Aroma: a bit stronger in the clone, other than that, pretty close
Color: much too dark, I will probably switch the C-40 for C-20
Clarity: A bit more hazy than the original.
Malt flavor: clone has a touch more caramel presence, but pretty much there
Hop flavor: Needs a little more bitterness, maybe switch a couple of grams from whirlpool/steep to a 5 minute addition
Body: nailed it
Finish: pretty much nailed it, crisp dry finish with the need for a bit more hop bitterness.
 
Going to give this a shot this weekend. Here is what I'm going with.

Batch Size: 10 gal
Estimated ABV: 4.41
Estimated OG: 1.044
Estimated FG: 1.010
Estimated IBU: 50
Estimated SRM: 5.2
Estimated Mash Efficiency: 80
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
10 lbs Pale Malt – 2 Row
1 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine
1 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L
1 lb Munich Malt
1 lb Oats, Flaked
1 lb Malted Wheat
1 oz New Zealand Hallertauer Boil 30 min
1 oz Hull Melon Boil 30 min
1 oz Mandarina Bavaria Boil 30 min
1 oz Mosaic Boil 30 min
.5 oz New Zealand Hallertauer Boil 0 min
.5 oz Hull Melon Boil 0 min
.5 oz Mandarina Bavaria Boil 0 min
.5 oz Mosaic Boil 0 min
1 oz New Zealand Hallertauer Dry Hop 7 Days
1 oz Hull Melon Boil Dry Hop 7 Days
1 oz Mandarina Bavaria Dry Hop 7 Days
1 oz Mosaic Dry Hop 7 Days
 
O.G: 1.042 (10.5-11P)
F.G: 1.007-1.008 (1.8-2.0P)
B.U: 45 IBU
ABV: 4.5%
Attenuation: 82%
Boil: 75 (min.)

Malts
6.5 lb. two row pale malt
0.5 lb. Munich malt 10L
0.5 lb. wheat malt
0.5 lb. light crystal
0.5 lb oats

Hops
0.5oz. German Magnum (14%) @ 60
0.5oz. Amarillo (9.2%) @ 10
0.5oz. Amarillo (9.2%) @ whirlpool
0.5oz. Simcoe (13%) @ whirlpool
1.5oz. Mandarina Bavaria (8.5%) (dry hop)
1.0oz. Huell Melon (7.2%) (dry hop)
0.5oz. Mosaic (12.25%) (dry hop at end of fermentation)

Yeast
Wyeast 1968 or WLP 002

This is the recipe from Jennifer Talley's "Session Beer" book. I remember reading an article when Easy Jack came out & Matt Brynildson said that Citra and a hop from New Zealand was used on the first batch of the beer brewed, & he had to trade Amarillo to get the hop, which I'm guessing was Nelson Sauvin. He said that the Citra & New Zealand hop played supporting roles. If I was to make the beer I would add a half ounce of each as part of the dry hop.
 
That's what she says Easy Jack is? Hm. If that's the case it doesn't really correlate with the below?

This is the recipe from Jennifer Talley's "Session Beer" book. I remember reading an article when Easy Jack came out & Matt Brynildson said that Citra and a hop from New Zealand was used on the first batch of the beer brewed, & he had to trade Amarillo to get the hop, which I'm guessing was Nelson Sauvin. He said that the Citra & New Zealand hop played supporting roles. If I was to make the beer I would add a half ounce of each as part of the dry hop.

Referring to this?: https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/firestone-walker-easy-jack-ipa-mandarina-hops-hallertau

"Mandarina is Easy Jack’s defining hop, while Brynildson calls Melon the “rhythm guitar.” But Firestone Walker always uses a variety of hops for depth and balance. American Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo were procured fairly easily, but Brynildson also wanted to add Nelson hops from New Zealand, which are as scarce as the German newcomers. To get enough Nelson hops to fuel that first run of Easy Jack (well, almost fuel; the beer’s sales basically depleted the world supply, which also contributed to them having to halt production), the Paso Robles men had to trade an equal amount of Centennial and Amarillo to NZ’s 8 Wired Brewery."
 
Thanks, that was the article that I had read about easy jack. Jennifer Talley was given the recipes in the book from the brewers of the respective breweries, in this case Matt Brynildson. I don't think she altered the recipes except to scale them to a 5 gal. format. I looked at Firestone Walker's website & they now have the ingredients listed for Easy Jack, which they didn't the last time I looked, & they're different then the recipe I posted. I personally like the reciped I posted better for my personal tastes, but I would change the Munich dark to light Munich. I am guessing Firestone Walker has changed the recipe to match their hop contracts.
I have never tasted Easy Jack, unfortunately it's not distributed in Michigan, but I'm wondering if there is a difference between the first batch & the later batches?
 
With all these late additions and whirlpool hops, aka the so called “New England IPA” technique, doesn’t that process produce a hazy beer? FWEJ is clear as a bell...
 
With all these late additions and whirlpool hops, aka the so called “New England IPA” technique, doesn’t that process produce a hazy beer? FWEJ is clear as a bell...
Clearly old school ipa as EJ is. To make it more NEIPAs triple the wheat/oat combo. Ax the boiling hops. Quadruple the WP/DH. Finally use another yeast 1318 or Connan strain.
 
Clearly old school ipa as EJ is. To make it more NEIPAs triple the wheat/oat combo. Ax the boiling hops. Quadruple the WP/DH. Finally use another yeast 1318 or Connan strain.

If you’re trying for a clone, you wouldn’t want it to be hazy. Makes me wonder if maybe they are using distilled hop oils or some form of hop oil concentrate. Breweries are doing this now.
 
I brewed this a few years back and forgot about it. I can remember I liked it a lot.
I feel a re-brew coming on.....
 
So I'm going to brew this on the weekend. Going to be my first attempt at water treatment.
Any suggested water profiles for it?
I was thinking 230 ppm Sulphate and 55 ppm Chloride or should the sulphate be lower for a session IPA than a ''normal'' one?
 
It turned out pretty good but could be bit more bitter from what I can remember. It is 2 years ago since I had an easy jack though so just going on memory. Anyway still happy and it it's not fully carbed yet so it might get a bit more bite to it yet.

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