Mill Street Tankhouse Ale Recipe

[stanzela]

Very interesting that this comes back into discussion today, as, in another forum I follow *gasp* somebody was asking about a Tankhouse recipe. Most of the posts were for recipes I'd seen floating around the net already, but there was also this post:

A CABA newsletter from a number of years ago contained a 5gallon homebrew recipe in it that was the precursor to the commercial version of TankHouse, as follows:

73.6% 2row
9.6% UK ?Medium crystal
9.6% wheat malt
6.4% flaked barley
0.8% black

60mins@ 154F

31IBU Cascade @60
3.7IBU Cascade @30
2.9IBU Cascade @20
1oz Cascade @flameout

Wyeast #1028

OG: 1.044
FG: 1.011
37IBU
10SRM​

I don't know how close this will get you, but I thought it was interesting both because - if the poster is correct - this may have been a stepping stone on the path towards the actual recipe, and because none of the other recipes I've seen called for the wheat or flaked barley additions. I'm not enough of a reverse engineer to say with confidence if I can detect either of those in Tankhouse, but I figure maybe someone will see this and something will click.

Either way, it's a damn fine beer, so I wish anyone going for it the best success.

 

[paulster2626]

I didn't. Made an extract version that came out too dark. Should've added it all near the end of the boil.

Plus, I got the stupid banana smell again - too high fermentation temps. I have since fixed this problem, but it's a bummer with these past couple of batches.

What would I do differently? I'd make it all-grain. Goign to try this again early in the new year.

EDIT: Just read the recipe above more closely. THAT is what I'll be trying. In my head, it looks way closer than what I did.

 

[stanzela]

EDIT: Just read the recipe above more closely. THAT is what I'll be trying. In my head, it looks way closer than what I did.

Sweet! Glad to hear that it helped. I'm actually really curious about this one. I'd try it myself (and likely will at some point) but my carboys are full to the teets right now.

Would love to hear how it turns out if you try it!

 

[paulster2626]

Well, I'll let ya know. But I won't be brewing anything new until the New Year. Have some cold-fermenting stuff in my primaries right now, and busy with Christmas and finishing the basement, yadda yadda.

 

[stanzela]

Oh sh*t, that's right. It's December now!

 

[paulster2626]

Well, I'll let ya know. But I won't be brewing anything new until the New Year. Have some cold-fermenting stuff in my primaries right now, and busy with Christmas and finishing the basement, yadda yadda.

So.... this beer has finally come around. The weird fruity taste has subsided enough that I can barely notice it, and other people cannot at all. The head on it is nice and thick, and then sort of dies down a bit after a minute or so.

Anyway the big test came on Friday night. I was at a buddy's place, and we were playing some NHL 09 (yes, 2009 - WTF) before heading out. His neighbor stopped by and my buddy offered him one of my beers. I poured it for him, and he started drinking it. He says "what is this, Tankhouse? I love Tankhouse". I said "sort of - I made it but that's what its supposed to taste like". The guy didn't believe me, especially when he saw that it came from an actual Mill St. Tankhouse bottle that I reused. I had to show him the cap to prove it. He was shocked, in a good way.

The extract version I made is too dark, but an AG version would be spot-on.

 

[birvine]

He says "what is this, Tankhouse? I love Tankhouse". I said "sort of - I made it but that's what its supposed to taste like".

The extract version I made is too dark, but an AG version would be spot-on.

Great news! Depending on the weather I am heading to TO/Oakville on the coming weekend so I'll be able to pick up some AG supplies.

My last 2011 or first 2012 will be a Tankhouse Ale clone.

B

 

[Rainhard]

I'm currently drinking the following brew that I have in my Kegerator. It is inspired by Tankhouse. Besides using a little bit of Columbus hops, this came out really great and resembles tankhouse

76% 10lb 0 Pale Malt (Maris Otter)
6% 0 12oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
5% 0 10oz Caramunich I
3% 0 6oz Carafoam
3% 0 6oz CaraWheat
2% 0 3oz Chocolate Malt (US)
2% 0 3oz Briess Special Roast


HOPS
60 mins 1.0 Magnum

boil 50 mins 0.25 Magnum

boil 40 mins 0.125 Columbus

boil 15 mins 0.5 Cascade

boil 10 mins 0.125 Columbus

boil 5 mins 0.25 Cascade

boil 1 min 0.25 Cascade

boil 1 min 0.25 Columbus

post-boil 1 min 0.125 Cascade

post-boil 1 min 0.125 Columbus
Original Gravity
1.057 / 14.0° Plato

Final Gravity
1.012 / 3.8° Plato

Color
16° SRM

Mash Efficiency
75%

6% ABV
60 IBU


Hint of floral at first, with a nice citrus flavor that lingers. The chocolate malt adds a nice roast flavor that is not overwhelming (just enough to know that it is there).

If i were to try and match Tankhouse EXACTLY, I would take out the 40 min and 10 min columbus hop additions, and go a little heavier (5 oz) with the Special roast malt.

Overall, this is one of my best batches. I would definitely make this again.

 

[CanaBeer]

Guys, I decided to make up a Tankhouse type recipe for a buddy of mine, based on all I've ready here and all I've tasted of it. I live around the Toronto area so I'm no stranger to Mill Street's beers, including Tankhouse, which is a wonderfully sessionable not-even-pale ale. Now, I should say that my attempt here is not the Pepsi Challenge of clones...my friend just wanted something very similar to Tankhouse, and close enough is good enough for us. Here's what I came up with:

34 IBU
14 SRM
OG 1.050
FG we'll see

Maris Otter 68%
Biscuit (Weyermann Abbey Malt) 11.3%
Munich 11.3%
Crystal 80 8.2%
Chocolate 1.1%

Mashed @ 66C
Boil one hour

11 IBU Cascade FWH
19 IBU Magnum FWH
25g Cascade @ 10 minutes
25g Cascase @ flameout and steep 5 minutes

S05

Today was brew day. I'll let everyone know how it turns out once it's drinking. I filter and force carb, so it'll be as close to Mill St's process as possible.

Cheers!