Double IPA Pliny the Elder Clone

Williams 728
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arbadarchi said:
So I've had Pliny 3 times now. Had it this weekend, and once again I didn't care for it. It tastes like all pine, no malt, and very dry...

I understand why people think it's so great, the execution is great... You are hit with bitter yet smooth piney hops and it fades fast, however I'm finding I wish it had a touch more malty finish. I'm wondering if i might enjoy it better with us04 or something that will finish less dry?
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Yep, Vinnie's likes it dry, thus the low mash temp and corn sugar. If you sub more grain in for the sugar it would be much less dry.
 
Resonator said:
Just out of curiosity do you live closer to the east coast? I feel like east coast IPAs have a lot more malt flavor than west coast IPAs. It could just be your association/preference for malt in IPAs.
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I think the Midwest ones do (or at least did) but the east coast ones are usually pretty simple malt bills in my experience, maybe with premium products to get a specific malt taste (except DFH 90 - sweet finishing malt bomb there). With that said, west coast IPAs are probably the lightest you'll find as far as malt profile and low FG go.
 
Resonator, ironically I live 3 hours from Russian River brewery. Most of the breweries around here ride a good balance line. Sierra Nevada is my favorite brewery and they usually have good malt character in their hoppy stuff.

I also might add that I'm the kind of person who is usually let down when I try hyped up beers...

That said I think I'll still give this a try.
 
Funny I live on the west coast and I think Pliny the Elder is great. Not the best but still great. I hate malty IPAs so it's just a matter of preference. So back on pliny, I just brewed some over a month ago and the bottles finally finished conditioning today. I used the original recipe the beginning of this thread. Many complained it was too bitter. I think it could be even more. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Very piney with a hint of floral in the nose. Smooth, definitely not dry. One of the best DIPAs I've ever brewed.
 
I have brewed this recipe, or something very close, several times. I love the stuff and I am an east coast boy that likes me some Bells Two Hearted too.
 
Got the goods for next Thursday's brew day. Going all fresh hops. Been using 1lb hop I got late last year. Also had LHBS grind a bit finer. Really curious on any efficiency increase.

Edit: using 16lbs maris otter and increasing corn sugar to 1.5lbs to dry out.

View attachment 1443310206293.jpg
 
PianoMan said:
Got the goods for next Thursday's brew day. Going all fresh hops. Been using 1lb hop I got late last year. Also had LHBS grind a bit finer. Really curious on any efficiency increase.
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Nice. What's the total amount of hops you're using? 13 or 14 oz?
 
PianoMan said:
13 as is. May add 1oz extra Columbus for more bitter..we'll see.
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Nice. I'm probably going to try using 2oz of warrior for my 90min hops next time instead of the cascade. Almost want to try making a younger clone with ~21oz of hops haha. It's never too bitter for me, unless it's tannin bitter/astringent taste
 
Resonator said:
Nice. I'm probably going to try using 2oz of warrior for my 90min hops next time instead of the cascade. Almost want to try making a younger clone with ~21oz of hops haha. It's never too bitter for me, unless it's tannin bitter/astringent taste
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Funny you say that! Just tonight I started monitoring the PTY clone thread. Not sure about 4 dry hop additions. I have 2oz of 1yr old Warrior myself, still in its sealed package. Maybe good time to use it?
 
PianoMan said:
In the picture of mine, one sees the temp controller, SCT1000. The T/C is in kettle with the fermenter bucket and filled to the rim with water. I have a Home Depot bought fountain pump with tubing going in and out of the kettle to an ice water filled cooler with a copper coil. I have to replenish the ice 2x a day with 6 trays or so. I've had no issues controlling to 61F. Lots of words so here's another picture.
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PianoMan, I thought you might enjoy seeing my new setup, inspired by the one you posted above. It's working fantastically, and I'm very thankful to you for steering me in this direction. I posted the following thread to describe how I put it together.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=545149
 
Tx, please post the inside temps during fermentation when your able. I'm very curious the delta to the surrounding water. Looks like you 1 up'ed it! Thanks for sharing!
 
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443558654.475205.jpg
About to start another PTE clone. Third time's the charm.

So pretty much same as MoreBeer! kit, but replaced the 2 oz of magnum with 2 oz of 15% AA warrior.

Only going to add in the DME and maltodextrin at the beginning of boil or possibly @60 min -- trying to keep the color light. May also throw in another pound of briess Pilsen light DME to bump it up a bit, and to make it so it's 2 lbs extract for 2.5 gal water. Also, adding the LME @15 min.

Thinking about adding in an oz of mosaic, but I'll probably save it for my Belgian Tripel IPA. Maybe use the magnum in that one too.

If anyone has any suggestions let me know soon haha.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443559348.183721.jpg
In case someone needs to see the recipe
 
PianoMan said:
Besides beer swapping??
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Like brewing something else? Or trading Pliny?

I brewed a blonde and saison recently, and I'm brewing a Belgian tripel IPA after I bottle one of them.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443583632.879572.jpg
Gravity sample. OG came in at 1.081 with the extra lb of Pilsen DME.

I feel like the LME was a bit burnt or something. It seemed really dark for "ultralight" LME -- its was dark reddish Amber -- and it smelled pretty toasted. I added it at 10 min with the corn sugar.
 
Resonator said:
Like brewing something else? Or trading Pliny?

I brewed a blonde and saison recently, and I'm brewing a Belgian tripel IPA after I bottle one of them.

View attachment 306592
Gravity sample. OG came in at 1.081 with the extra lb of Pilsen DME.

I feel like the LME was a bit burnt or something. It seemed really dark for "ultralight" LME -- its was dark reddish Amber -- and it smelled pretty toasted. I added it at 10 min with the corn sugar.
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Be cool have others' clones.

I'd send that pic to the suppler maybe get a refund.
 
PianoMan said:
Be cool have others' clones.

I'd send that pic to the suppler maybe get a refund.
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Yea, I may send an email to MoreBeer! about the LME.

Haha, I'm just using PTE to fine tune my brewing process. Plus, it makes it a lot cheaper than actually buying Pliny. I plan on making other clones once I have had them and have something to compare it to.

Plus, I have to decide if I could drink 5 gallons of the stuff I make. I thought about making a hard root beer, but after having 4 of them back to back the other day, I don't think I could stomach all that sugar.

I need to get some heady topper, zombie dust, gum ball head, and some others to try. Or just start making some SMaSH beers and figure out which hops I really like.
 
Good plan. Lots of those guys on Drinking Now forum trade. Did 1st with Bucknuts in Ohio. Need someone close to Vermont for HT for sure! 🍻
 
PianoMan said:
Good plan. Lots of those guys on Drinking Now forum trade. Did 1st with Bucknuts in Ohio. Need someone close to Vermont for HT for sure! [emoji482]
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Haha yea @finsfan hit me up looking for a trade. He wants 6 for him and some for a trade he's doing with @patrickgoss. I think 77 wanted some and one other person.

Not sure how many I'll be able to save until I get a 12 pack from the brewery one week. After walking a couple miles around the city to a few different places within an hour or two, all I want to do is drink them once I finally get home haha.
 
Resonator said:
Haha yea @finsfan hit me up looking for a trade. He wants 6 for him and some for a trade he's doing with @patrickgoss. I think 77 wanted some and one other person.

Not sure how many I'll be able to save until I get a 12 pack from the brewery one week. After walking a couple miles around the city to a few different places within an hour or two, all I want to do is drink them once I finally get home haha.
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I offered a guy I know in the area $125 to send me a 6 pack, but no go. If there's anything in Austin/Texas your interested in, PM me anytime.
 
Regarding the More Beer Pliny kit. Move the Cascade from mash to dry hop.

Russian River does not mash hop and I feel that any potential benefits of mash hopping will be lost in the massive kettle and dry hop additions.

I split the 2 ounces and double-dose during dry hop, one ounce each turn.
 
brewski09 said:
Someone said no to $125 for a six pack of beer shipped? Wow
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It's like ~$40-48 for 6 -- buying bottles at different stores (since there's usually a 2-4 bottle limit, and range from $6-8). At the brewery it would probably be way cheaper.

Still a great offer for the trouble of getting them :D
 
Resonator said:
View attachment 306468
About to start another PTE clone. Third time's the charm.

So pretty much same as MoreBeer! kit, but replaced the 2 oz of magnum with 2 oz of 15% AA warrior.

Only going to add in the DME and maltodextrin at the beginning of boil or possibly @60 min -- trying to keep the color light. May also throw in another pound of briess Pilsen light DME to bump it up a bit, and to make it so it's 2 lbs extract for 2.5 gal water. Also, adding the LME @15 min.

Thinking about adding in an oz of mosaic, but I'll probably save it for my Belgian Tripel IPA. Maybe use the magnum in that one too.

If anyone has any suggestions let me know soon haha.

View attachment 306469
In case someone needs to see the recipe
Click to expand...

Just, y'know, for science & all... what yeast is packed with this kit? What would be some good substitutions, too???

:)
 
So earlier I said that after trying Pliny 3 times I didn't like it, with the last time being from a keg and too bitter. So I got a couple more bottles and tried it tonight and it was incredible. It was a totally different experience than before. The date on the bottle was the 21st of September so it was 12 days out. Very smooth and complex. Whereas the glass I had earlier was all bitter with little aroma.

I think I'll give it a shot.
 
arbadarchi said:
So earlier I said that after trying Pliny 3 times I didn't like it, with the last time being from a keg and too bitter. So I got a couple more bottles and tried it tonight and it was incredible. It was a totally different experience than before. The date on the bottle was the 21st of September so it was 12 days out. Very smooth and complex. Whereas the glass I had earlier was all bitter with little aroma.

I think I'll give it a shot.
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Living in Texas, we don't get Pliny. Have a friend to has brought it back twice. Last summer, it was the most incredible drink I've ever had, bitter (not too), very floral...music to the taste buds. They brought back 9/3/15 batch a couple weeks ago, it was grassy/salty, like an amped up New Belgium Ranger, even she complained about the flavor....that's why we clone! :) Make our own consistently, hopefully, flavor beer.
 
PianoMan said:
After this last 9/3 batch we've had, rather spend $75 on 5 gallons of my own. Be curious if Pliny experts in the area, had same experience with that batch.
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They are always making this stuff. I had some of the 9/10/15 batch on 9/12 and it was the best Pliny I've ever had.
 
Trying a clone of this tomorrow. Bought the Pliny hop pack from farmhouse and kind of butchering the grain bill 8lbs 2 row, 4lbs Vienna and 1 lbs Pilsner, .6lbs carapils, .6lbs crystal 40 And .75lbs dextrose
 

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