Mini-mash Recipe for Sam Adams Ale

[Hardball]

Anybody have one of these or if not then maybe an all-extract? Thanks in advance.

 

[mgt2000]

Last night I started one based on a recommendation from the guy at my LHBS. Its a can of the John Bull Amber Extract, 1 oz of cascade hops, and I'm using California Ale Yeast. It looked a little darker than I expected, but we'll see. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[RoaringBrewer]

I don't think your recipe is going to turn out anything near Sam Adams Stock Ale. Their website has some great info on brewing it. Here is some of it. First thing I noted is the cascade hops are very out of place when you see the hops they use...

Color: Red to Amber
5.1% ABV
Grains: Pale Malt, Caramel 60L
Hops: Spalt/Spaltner Noble, East Kent, Fuggles
Yeast: Top Fermenting Ale Yeast - Proprietary Strain gives off fruit and ester notes in the nose and taste.
Other: Boston Ale is fermented at "near-lager temperatures" and conditioned much longer than most ales. It is also krausened and dry-hopped.
Taste: Complex caramel palette with spicy and herbal hop notes

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Anybody have one of these or if not then maybe an all-extract? Thanks in advance.

are you talking the Pale Ale or the Boston Ale?

I have a Boston Ale Clone thats really good:

3 lbs dme
5 lbs 2-row
1 lbs crystal 40L

2 oz spalt 60 min
.5 oz E kent gold 30 min
.5 oz E kent gold 10 min
1 oz fuggle 0 min

east coast ale yeast
ferment >65

og 1.048
ibu 37

 

[RoaringBrewer]

Ivan - Is that clone close to the original? Just curious as they say its fermented much cooler than 65?

Otherwise, looks like a good clone!

 

[RoaringBrewer]

Back to which ale he is talking about though, neither of the Sam ales use cascase. Even the pale ale is an english pale with ekg and fuggles hops again. So the LHBS dude who said to use john bull and cascade was a bit off the money.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Ivan - Is that clone close to the original? Just curious as they say its fermented much cooler than 65?

Otherwise, looks like a good clone!

Yeah I thought it was pretty close. As far as fermenting cold, I dont have the ability, but you're right the OG is apparently fermented pretty cold. I think what theyre after is diacetyl which If you use an irish ale (stout) yeast might get you the same effect.

 

[RoaringBrewer]

Cool. May need to try this sometime...

 

[Hardball]

are you talking the Pale Ale or the Boston Ale?

I have a Boston Ale Clone thats really good:

3 lbs dme
5 lbs 2-row
1 lbs crystal 40L

2 oz spalt 60 min
.5 oz E kent gold 30 min
.5 oz E kent gold 10 min
1 oz fuggle 0 min

east coast ale yeast
ferment >65

og 1.048
ibu 37

Great thanks, I'll give it a try. My father-in-law likes Sam Adams so I told him I would try and brew something for him.

What dry yeast is equivalent to an east coast ale yeast?

 

[RoaringBrewer]

I think he is talking about Wyeast/White Labs, specifically formulated for East coast ales...

White Labs 008 Specifically although I'm not sure it will produce exactly what the Sam Adams strain does. It says low esters, although SA makes it very clear its an estery beer. I'd look and read some descriptions of the whitelabs/wyeast ale yeasts until you find something that looks like it might work best.

If all else fails Safale 56 will work for american ales. Again, this is a very clean/crisp yeast which might not be exactly what SA designed, but should get you close...

EDIT: Looks like this might work well. White labs london ale - This is a dry, malty ale yeast that provides a complex, oakey ester character to your beer. Hop bitterness comes through well. This yeast is well suited for classic British pale ales, bitters, and stouts. It does not flocculate as much as WLP002 and WLP005. Or if you are insistent on dry, Nottingham might work, but again less of this estery character.

 

[mgt2000]

"So the LHBS dude who said to use john bull and cascade was a bit off the money."

...Just a little bit!!!! I'll let you guys know how it turns out!!

 

[Ivan Lendl]

"So the LHBS dude who said to use john bull and cascade was a bit off the money."

...Just a little bit!!!! I'll let you guys know how it turns out!!

sam Adams website tells you what they use for each beer. I think for the Boston Ale they just say 2 row, some crystal, fuggle, spalt, and ek gold hops. They probably use crystal 60L becuase that is the standard english crystal, I use 40L for the partial mash to keep it light.

Thier Ibu and Og is 37 and 1.048

They dont say what order the hops go, but it makes sense (to me) to bitter with spalt, then falvor/aroma w/ ekgold and fuggle.