Pizza Port Swami's Recipe?

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danielratner

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Anyone seen a recipe for this? I have a club brewing completion coming up, and I love this beer. No better excuse to have a couple cases made for a 2 bottle contribution!!!

Thanks in advance!

Dan
 
Don't know the recipe but it tastes like they use lots of pilsner malt in there. The beer is the lightest colored IPA I've ever seen so that suggests no crystal malt and probably just carapils for body. This beer has been around forever so don't bother looking at the new hop varietals. I'd probably start with C hops (cascade, centennial, chinook, CTZ.)

At $12 for a 6 pack of pints it's hands down the best IPA for the money... :mug:
 
no crystal malt and probably just carapils for body. This beer has been around forever so don't bother looking at the new hop varietals. I'd probably start with C hops (cascade, centennial, chinook, CTZ.)

+1

i found this beer with ponto sipa at beer-shop here in north italy. Are delicious. ;)
 
C'mon down to Carlsbad area, we can hit the Bressi Ranch location, just a few miles from my house...Swami's on tap is a bit better than the canned 6 pack, you might even be able to pick the brain of a couple of the guys'gals that work there, they love it when homebrewers come in, they tend to talk brewtalk so you might get a better description from them in person.
 
I'm here near Bressi too and Pizza Port just started canning their "Kook" DIPA. I got the first round and it tasted remarkably like a DIPA version of Swami's. I think they took they Swami's recipe crafted a DIPA version of it. It's very good and actually more drinkable than most double IPA's. Anyhow, my point is.... they were very true to the style of a double IPA, which is to beef up the quantity of the ingredients. It is easier to pick apart the nuances and flavors of Kook than Swamis and I suspect that may give you some clues...:fro:
 
Dunno, but I flew out to LA on Wednesday and was in San Clemente by Thursday. Had a pint of this, the Barney DIPA and Kook. Needless to say, it was a great day :ban:
 
I'm wrong. Listen to the new BN session podcast. 02-22-16. Pizza Port is interviewed and talk about how the hops in Swamis have changed over the years. They mention what's in it in the podcast. Citra and lemon drop among others I think? Don't remember... Just go listen to it.
 
Strangely, I bought a can of Swami's IPA the day this was originally posted. My local Trader Joe's sells them in individual cans, and I grabbed one just to try.

I just tried it. Yum, Frickin', yum!!! In the initial whiff, I got mostly cascade, then pineapple, then mosciac (probably wrong on that one). Grapefruit, lemon, citrus. So, I'm thinking citra and lemon drop are more than likely key to this one as noted above. I think the initial cascade was probably a combination of these and maybe others, but it might actually be there as well.

Malt was subdued. I'm guessing basic 2 row with maybe a smidgen of crystal 10 to help balance the hops. Definitely, the hops are the star of this show.

Loved it, and I'm not even really and IPA guy. Anyway, if someone comes up with a clone please post it. :)
 
Drinking one right now. This from the Pizza Port website that I saved in 2006...don't know how much it's changed over the years, but it may be a good starting point.

Swamis IPA
Great Western Premium Two Row, Carapils, 50-60 and 75L Crystal Malt. The beer is hopped with Galena Centennial and Cascade hops with an additional dry hopping with Cascades in the serving tank. It is served unfiltered with an OG 0f 1.070 and 6.9% ABV. California Ale Yeast.
 
In case anyone lands in this thread looking for a Swami's clone like I just did.....the Pizza Port website says the hops are: Chinook, CTZ, Cascade, Centennial, Citra and Simcoe....

R
 
Sorry to necro this thread, but I did a lot of digging on this. Here are my findings:

First source is this article: Brews that built San Diego Beer which surprisely contains a photograph of the original Swami's 1992 recipe. This isn't the recipe we know today, but some of you may remember it. It's incredibly difficult to read, but after spending a good two hours, here is what I deciphered:

Row 1Row 1 NotesRow 2Row 2 Notes
? ???: 1I presume this is batch number.Date Brewed: 10/14/92Not sure which date is which. Presumably one is the brew date. Thanks fuzzybee!
Name: IPALooks like they didn't have a name yet.Date Conditioned: 11/4
2 Row ???: 575Hard to make out the last word, but "Pale" or "Malt" works here.Date ???:
Crystal: 75This is likely 80L crystal malt (see below).
Dextrin(?): 75This is likely Carapils (see below).
Chocolate:
Other:
Strike Temp: 172??? Time: 45 minMaybe someone can figure this one out?
Mash Temp: 153Time: 60 minPresumably this is the mashing time.
Sparge Temp: 167Mash Volume: 240Likely gallons based on their system size.
??? Volume: 300 gI think the ??? is "Kettle" but I can't be sure.
Hop 1: 3.75 # GalenaThis one is clear... (# means lbs)Add Time: At BoilBoil time is likely 60 minutes.
Hop 2: 2.75 ? CentennialThis one less so...Add Time: 30 min
Hop 3: 3.?? CascadeAnd this is nearly indecipherable. My best guess is 3.75 or 3.15Add Time: Whirlpool
Pitching Temp: 75Oxygen: 13ml/minMaybe someone can figure this one out? Thanks fuzzybee!
Original Gravity: 1062

In summary, the '92 Swami's Recipe is roughly:
OG: 1.062
FG: ~1.009 (7% ABV)
Mash: 153F for 60 min
79.3% 2-Row
10.3% Carapils
10.3% Crystal 80L

Rough IBU Range: 60 - 80
Galena @ 60 min
Centennial @ 30 min
Cascade @ Whirlpool

Now, this isn't the recipe most of you are probably familiar with. What's in the can today is quite different. We get some really valuable hints from this interview: Riding the Party Wave — Pizza Port Brewing Company’s Swami’s IPA — Good Beer Hunting when the recipe was tweaked in 1997. Excerpt:
According to Gina, the earliest version included two-row, Carapils, and 80L crystal malt, with Galena, Centennial, and Cascade hops, and was fermented with California Ale Yeast. “It was a beast of an IPA with robust bitterness and over 7% ABV,” she says. “Tomme [Arthur, former Pizza Port head brewer and now co-founder and CEO of The Lost Abbey] tweaked the recipe a little bit when he arrived in Solana Beach in 1997. He dropped the 80L crystal to 60L, lightening the color slightly, and emphasized a bit longer time on the dry hops, which remained a mix of Centennial and Cascade.”
From this, we can sketch the following recipe of the '97 Swami's:
OG: 1.062
FG: ~1.009 (7% ABV)
Mash: 153F for 60 min
79.3% 2-Row
10.3% Carapils
10.3% Crystal 60L

Rough IBU Range: 60 - 80
Galena @ 60 min
Centennial @ 30 min
Cascade @ Whirlpool
Centennial @ Whirlpool

Lastly, we come to more subtle hints about the modern version. Excerpt:
The recipe remained the same until 2013, when Farrell launched the Bressi Ranch brewhouse and realized the beloved brand badly needed an update to make the beer crisper, drier, more hop-forward, and with a slightly lower ABV. “You get there by simplifying the grain bill [now almost all two-row] and using a lower mash temp,” he says. “Because there was no rich caramel flavor to balance the hop bitterness, bittering levels were brought down to balance the beer. We knew we had to keep the classic Cascade and Centennial in there, but decided to add some newer, ‘brighter’ hops, Citra and Simcoe. Both Citra and Simcoe have citrus and pine elements, but also bring in some tropical, brighter, and [more] modern elements. There is also little bit of Chinook [and CTZ] in the current beer.”
From this, we know the following about the 2013 Swami's recipe:
OG: 1.060
FG: ~1.009 (6.8% ABV)
Mash: 149 - 151F for 60 min
88.5% 2-Row
11.5% Carapils

Rough IBU Range: 55 - 70
Chinook @ ? (my guess is 60 min)
CTZ @ ? (my guess is 60 min)
Simcoe @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool)
Citra @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool)
Centennial @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool, possibly both)
Cascade @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool, possibly both)

My guesstimates for the hop schedule was aided by this interview: Can You Brew It: Pizza Port Shark Bite Red - The Jamil Show 09-12-11 | The Brewing Network where the Pizza Port Shark Bite Red recipe was discussed in detail. There seems to be a theme where the head brewer liked whirlpooling both Cascade and Centennial.

When I find some time to brew these, I'll post my results. But until then, maybe someone else can try these out side-by-side with Swami's and provide feedback on a proper clone.
 
Last edited:
???: 13ml/minMaybe someone can figure this one out?

Oxygen

I think the first date is 10/14 (Brew Date) and the second is 11/4 (Conditioning Date)
 
Sorry to necro this thread, but I did a lot of digging on this. Here are my findings:

First source is this article: Brews that built San Diego Beer which surprisely contains a photograph of the original Swami's 1992 recipe. This isn't the recipe we know today, but some of you may remember it. It's incredibly difficult to read, but after spending a good two hours, here is what I deciphered:

Row 1Row 1 NotesRow 2Row 2 Notes
? ???: 1I presume this is batch number.Date Brewed: 10/14/92Not sure which date is which. Presumably one is the brew date. Thanks fuzzybee!
Name: IPALooks like they didn't have a name yet.Date Conditioned: 11/4
2 Row ???: 575Hard to make out the last word, but "Pale" or "Malt" works here.Date ???:
Crystal: 75This is likely 80L crystal malt (see below).
Dextrin(?): 75This is likely Carapils (see below).
Chocolate:
Other:
Strike Temp: 172??? Time: 45 minMaybe someone can figure this one out?
Mash Temp: 153Time: 60 minPresumably this is the mashing time.
Sparge Temp: 167Mash Volume: 240Likely gallons based on their system size.
??? Volume: 300 gI think the ??? is "Kettle" but I can't be sure.
Hop 1: 3.75 # GalenaThis one is clear... (# means lbs)Add Time: At BoilBoil time is likely 60 minutes.
Hop 2: 2.75 ? CentennialThis one less so...Add Time: 30 min
Hop 3: 3.?? CascadeAnd this is nearly indecipherable. My best guess is 3.75 or 3.15Add Time: Whirlpool
Pitching Temp: 75Oxygen: 13ml/minMaybe someone can figure this one out? Thanks fuzzybee!
Original Gravity: 1062

In summary, the '92 Swami's Recipe is roughly:
OG: 1.062
FG: ~1.009 (7% ABV)
Mash: 153F for 60 min
79.3% 2-Row
10.3% Carapils
10.3% Crystal 80L

Rough IBU Range: 60 - 80
Galena @ 60 min
Centennial @ 30 min
Cascade @ Whirlpool

Now, this isn't the recipe most of you are probably familiar with. What's in the can today is quite different. We get some really valuable hints from this interview: Riding the Party Wave — Pizza Port Brewing Company’s Swami’s IPA — Good Beer Hunting when the recipe was tweaked in 1997. Excerpt:

From this, we can sketch the following recipe of the '97 Swami's:
OG: 1.062
FG: ~1.009 (7% ABV)
Mash: 153F for 60 min
79.3% 2-Row
10.3% Carapils
10.3% Crystal 60L

Rough IBU Range: 60 - 80
Galena @ 60 min
Centennial @ 30 min
Cascade @ Whirlpool
Centennial @ Whirlpool

Lastly, we come to more subtle hints about the modern version. Excerpt:

From this, we know the following about the 2013 Swami's recipe:
OG: 1.060
FG: ~1.009 (6.8% ABV)
Mash: 149 - 151F for 60 min
88.5% 2-Row
11.5% Carapils

Rough IBU Range: 55 - 70
Chinook @ ? (my guess is 60 min)
CTZ @ ? (my guess is 60 min)
Simcoe @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool)
Centennial @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool, possibly both)
Cascade @ ? (my guess is between 30 min and whirlpool, possibly both)

My guesstimates for the hop schedule was aided by this interview: Can You Brew It: Pizza Port Shark Bite Red - The Jamil Show 09-12-11 | The Brewing Network where the Pizza Port Shark Bite Red recipe was discussed in detail. There seems to be a theme where the head brewer liked whirlpooling both Cascade and Centennial.

When I find some time to brew these, I'll post my results. But until then, maybe someone else can try these out side-by-side with Swami's and provide feedback on a proper clone.

you forgot about citra? What are your thoughts on this ? :)
 

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you forgot about citra? What are your thoughts on this ? :)
Thanks for catching that. From the interview, I would treat the Citra similarly to the Simcoe. I've edited the post.

I like your rendition of it. I'm not a huge fan of Carapils, so replacing some of it with wheat sounds great and shouldn't alter the flavor too much. Also, I think your dry hop might be too large for a Swami's clone, but it will probably come out delicious either way.
 
Thanks for catching that. From the interview, I would treat the Citra similarly to the Simcoe. I've edited the post.

I like your rendition of it. I'm not a huge fan of Carapils, so replacing some of it with wheat sounds great and shouldn't alter the flavor too much. Also, I think your dry hop might be too large for a Swami's clone, but it will probably come out delicious either way.
Ok, thank you!
 
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