Maritime pacific Brewery Jolly Roger Christmas Ale Clone

[humann_brewing]

I kegged/bottled this last night, I think I kegged about 3.5 - 4 gallons and bottled the rest. Man was the hydro sample tasty, fresh out of the dry hop, it is tasting fantastic. I will do some comparing soon when it is carbed up. The gravity wasn't as low as I thought from the refractometer, it was 1.017 so that is right in the range I wanted.

 

[NYCHomebrewer]

I'm sorry I didn't see this thread earlier! Man I miss Jolly Roger, I haven't had any in like 6 years (since I moved to NYC). George is a great guy and crafts some awsome beers. When I lived in Seattle I spent many a saturday eating sliders and deep fried pickles in his tap room, all accompanied with some great NW brew.

He is the uncle of a good friend of mine, and when I graduated from lawschool they gave me a keg of beer for my party. Just thinking about it makes me miss the NW.

I've long wanted to brew this clone too and your recipe looks great. If you brew it a second time though, you might want to add some malted wheat which is that brewery's sort of signature ingredient. From the Maritime Website:

The Maritime Pacific "signature" is largely derived from the use of malted wheat in all the recipes. The wheat adds complexity, body, and a dry, nut-like quality to the traditional combination of yeast, malted barley, hops, and water.

I still think your beer is going to taste great, just consider it a beer inspired by Jolly Roger.

nate

 

[humann_brewing]

I'm sorry I didn't see this thread earlier! Man I miss Jolly Roger, I haven't had any in like 6 years (since I moved to NYC). George is a great guy and crafts some awsome beers. When I lived in Seattle I spent many a saturday eating sliders and deep fried pickles in his tap room, all accompanied with some great NW brew.

He is the uncle of a good friend of mine, and when I graduated from lawschool they gave me a keg of beer for my party. Just thinking about it makes me miss the NW.

I've long wanted to brew this clone too and your recipe looks great. If you brew it a second time though, you might want to add some malted wheat which is that brewery's sort of signature ingredient. From the Maritime Website:



I still think your beer is going to taste great, just consider it a beer inspired by Jolly Roger.

nate

Thanks for the info, I will definitely consider that, I plan on having this every winter once I nail the recipe. It is funny they didn't mention the wheat in the emails I sent back and forth with them So would white wheat malt be a good option and what percentage do you think?

 

[NYCHomebrewer]

I don't really know. I am just starting to formulate my own recipes using Beersmith as my crutch, but I happened to remember that wheat trivia from back in the day.

I have been trying to clone a Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter, and most of the recipes I've seen (based on Jamil's recipe I think) include about 8-11% wheat malt. If I were going to brew this recipe, I think thats about where I would start. You have about 16 lbs of grain in your recipe, so I think I'd target about 1-1.5 lbs of wheat malt. I'd probably get there by reducing the 2row by 1-1.5 and replacing it with wheat.

Is this the correct answer? I don't know, but that recipe looks similar to the Porter I'm making, just stronger and without the dark malts. One nice thing, the wheat will give you a nice head.

Maybe I'll give it a try after my black butte!

nate

P.S. I don't know why the brewery wasn't more forthcoming, maybe they were being perfectly honest and the Jolly Roger is one of the few beers they brew without wheat malt?

 

[humann_brewing]

I don't really know. I am just starting to formulate my own recipes using Beersmith as my crutch, but I happened to remember that wheat trivia from back in the day.

I have been trying to clone a Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter, and most of the recipes I've seen (based on Jamil's recipe I think) include about 8-11% wheat malt. If I were going to brew this recipe, I think thats about where I would start. You have about 16 lbs of grain in your recipe, so I think I'd target about 1-1.5 lbs of wheat malt. I'd probably get there by reducing the 2row by 1-1.5 and replacing it with wheat.

Is this the correct answer? I don't know, but that recipe looks similar to the Porter I'm making, just stronger and without the dark malts. One nice thing, the wheat will give you a nice head.

Maybe I'll give it a try after my black butte!

nate

P.S. I don't know why the brewery wasn't more forthcoming, maybe they were being perfectly honest and the Jolly Roger is one of the few beers they brew without wheat malt?

Thanks, I have heard of breweries that always use about 5% wheat for the head retention etc... When I emailed they said that the primary malts were 2-row and crystal. In fact this is what I had to go on "Jolly Roger is based on a traditional English Strong Ale style. We use a ton of malt (mostly crystal and pale) to make the end result 9% alc./vol. The hops are a blend of fresh Northwest Chinook and Cascades. " along with my memory and tasting the real thing.

 

[NYCHomebrewer]

Yeah, I think I'd go a little higher since they add it for their signature flavor rather than just head retention. I'll see what Beersmith says when I get home.

 

[khiddy]

I really am looking forward to hearing your result, humann. Jolly Roger is my favorite beer, too - I've lost many an evening to that holiday brew! Keep us posted (though, as you say, it might have to be a Holiday 2010 opening - at 9%+, I doubt it will be ready to drink by Christmas if you just kegged last night).

 

[humann_brewing]

I really am looking forward to hearing your result, humann. Jolly Roger is my favorite beer, too - I've lost many an evening to that holiday brew! Keep us posted (though, as you say, it might have to be a Holiday 2010 opening - at 9%+, I doubt it will be ready to drink by Christmas if you just kegged last night).

I will let you know, I am thinking I will save quite a few of the bottles for next year buy I plan on having the keg over the next few months. I was thinking it wasn't going to be drinkable yet either but the taste at bottling/kegging time changed my mind. Mine came in around 8.7% too so it is a little shy in that aspect.

 

[humann_brewing]

well, I have been sipping off the tap on this one and am very pleased. I am waiting a little bit to pull out one of the few bottles of the real thing I have left to compare but even if it is not close in taste it is still a d@mn good beer. I will definitely be making this for next winter again.

 

[cjwilson]

Just chiming in to say thanks for taking the leap on this one, gotta get a bigger kettle... My mom had this in the house constantly when I was in High School and I miss going to the Jolly Roger Tap House more then anything, well Issaquah Brew House maybe, just due to proximity... Nothing really compares to the NW brew house experience. SF Public Ale House kinda cuts it, but you can't beat sitting at Diamond Knot while waiting for a ferry to Whidbey!

 

[BigJerk]

Subscribed, Cause I'm gonna brew a winter warmer soon and this one looks good!