Prairie Bomb! Clone

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Now fermenting. Still have 2lbs dark DME to add, but tonight after re-oxygenation. Came out a bit lower then desired but still aiming for 11.5%ABV.

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[ThirstyPawsHB]

So adjusted OG was 1.115. FG at 1.026. ABV= 11.7%! Highest yet achieved so far.

Sample is, well, makes your eyes crossed but clean. Just kegged with bourbon soaked with coffee/vanilla bean/coca nibs/ancho chillies.

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[ThirstyPawsHB]

For whatever this is worth, craft beer friends choice this over Bomb in blind taste test. I kinda do too...love this hobby!

 

[brewski09]

Let it age a little and see how it compares to bomb off the shelf that's not super fresh (at least here) and has been exposed to transportation conditions and then retry the taste test. I personally think this is better fresh like an IPA than aged.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Yeah, or I can just make 5gal of this again. 😉

Starting to get tired of the $10-12 12oz'ers.

 

[sillbeer]

Glad I ran across this thread. I had Prairie Bomb this Summer while I was in OKC and fell in love with it. Toured the local breweries as well. The tap rooms where fun and as of August 15th they serve and sell the high gravity stuff straight from the breweries. I even shipped a few samples home to myself. This is definitely on for my next brew. I'll brew up 5 gallons and see how it goes.

 

[brewski09]

Yeah, or I can just make 5gal of this again. [emoji6]

Starting to get tired of the $10-12 12oz'ers.

Totally agree. I was just trying to say that the beer you're buying may not be fresh and if you age yours you may find this clone to be closer than comparing your super fresh brew to the one on a retail shelf.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

They're different character. Mine came out dryer and since bourbon was added, really it's apples and oranges.

 

[sillbeer]

I'm picking up the ingredients for this today and will be brewing it this Sunday. Thanks for posting.

Edit: what is your pre boil gravity reading?

Alright guys, here was my first attempt at a Prairie Bomb clone. It's finished aging now and I can say that this is going to be an amazing beer and very close to Prairie Bomb. I will be bottling it this week and preparing it for at least 6 months of aging before I submit it to a competition. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide you with what I can.


Name: Beanie Bomb!
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.56 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.76 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal


Date: 29 Jul 2014
Brewer: 5 Beanies
Equipment: 15 gal Kettle 10 gal Mash Tun


Ingredients:
1 tbsp - PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Pre-Mash)
1 campden tab (Pre-Mash)
22.1 lbs - Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs - Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
12 oz - Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
12 oz - Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM)
12 oz - Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
3 oz - Horizon [10.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1 tab - Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min
2 oz - Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min
2 vial & 2 Liter starter - California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) ~456 Billion Cells


Mash Profile Total Grain Weight: 26 lbs 13.7 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Water: 30.00 qt of water at 170.0 F (75 Minute mash)
Sparge Water: 3.48 gal Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F


Est Original Gravity: 1.123
Actual Original Gravity 1.093 (Should have mashed longer or in a bigger tun, 10 gal tun didn't cut it for this batch)
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.5 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.6 %
Bitterness: 60.7 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 54.8 SRM

Fermented for two weeks at 68 degrees
Racked into big mouth bubbler containing the ingredients below in a cheesecloth bag (Aged for 3 weeks on ingredients)

6oz Cacao Nibs
2 Cups Espresso Beans (Actual bean used in Bomb! is what I used: Espresso Divino - http://nordaggios.com/coffee-shop/blends/espresso-divino)
3 Vanilla Beans (Cut Long ways)
3 Ancho Chili Peppers (Chopped into thirds)

Aged for three weeks and removed cheesecloth bag and ingredients, ready for bottling.

Notes:
Tasted after one week of aging and coffee was overpowering. Tasted again at three weeks, the coffee flavor had died down and the other ingredients were more pronounced, great balance with the coffee.
As it stands right now I'd say it is very close to Prairie Bomb, however bottling, carbing, and aging will change this beer I'm sure. Whatever it turns out to be it is amazing the way it is right now so I have really high hopes.

I'll keep you all in the loop.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Hey as long as I've got another OKC brewer's attention, a couple of questions.

Are you aware of any groups of homebrewers around here? The only person I am at all acquainted with is Gaile at the brew shop, merely because I buy stuff there for that matter.

Does anybody around here do bulk grain buys? Paying 60 bucks a bag sucks.

The only group I know of in the metro is High Plains Draughters.

Have never heard of anyone putting together a group buy.

 

[bbriscoe]

They do fade over time. Mine had moderate chili flavor when I bottled and now it's very subtle

Not true in my case. Its been 8 months in bottles and the beer is still way too spicy. Next time I will leave the Anchos in for a day or two only.

 

[sillbeer]

Just barely finished brewing this. Came out with an OG of 1.110. I'll do an FG in a few months and check back. I think I'm going to scale the chilis and coffee beans back to 1 cup beans and 2 chilis.

 

[sillbeer]

A little off schedule but I transferred today after about 6 weeks in primary. I used 1 cup Star Bucks Espresso Dark Roast beans, 3 vanilla beans, and 2 ancho chilies. I'll pull the bag of ingredients out in about a month and let it continue to age until about May and check on it.

 

[sillbeer]

I transferred this to a keg on Monday and started carbonating it. I took a reading with my refractometer and had 1.060. My neighbor told me I should have used the hydrometer but oh well. Is this on par with what other people see or is it off a bit? Last night I had a small sample and it was surprisingly good. I'll let it carbonate till Saturday and have a glass.

 

[acarter5251]

I transferred this to a keg on Monday and started carbonating it. I took a reading with my refractometer and had 1.060. My neighbor told me I should have used the hydrometer but oh well. Is this on par with what other people see or is it off a bit? Last night I had a small sample and it was surprisingly good. I'll let it carbonate till Saturday and have a glass.

Mine finished down at about 1.027 for the FG

 

[acarter5251]

Thinking about brewing another batch of this but switching out the adjuncts for something more like hunahpu with a prairie bomb base

 

[sillbeer]

I've been drinking mine for a couple days now. I left the ingredients in for two weeks. I will go just over a cup of coffee beans next time, add one more vanilla bean, and maintain the two ancho chilies. I like the taste over all and will be doing this again.

 

[hafmpty]

I know this is an old thread, but figured I’d resurrect it. I just got all the ingredients for this beer. I’ll be brewing it this coming Monday. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Got the same brand of coffee Prairie uses even. I hoping it’s tasty...even if it’s not an exact clone.

For yeast I’m using the Darkness from Imperial Yeast. A high alcohol tolerance yeast that from the description says it’s good in dark beers.

 

[paarman]

I'm curious to hear your results. I would love to brew this, but would like to see/hear more results on how it turned out.

 

[Br3w4u]

I know this is an old thread, but figured I’d resurrect it. I just got all the ingredients for this beer. I’ll be brewing it this coming Monday. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Got the same brand of coffee Prairie uses even. I hoping it’s tasty...even if it’s not an exact clone.

For yeast I’m using the Darkness from Imperial Yeast. A high alcohol tolerance yeast that from the description says it’s good in dark beers.

Good luck! I will skip the clone process and just go have one at the Prairie tap room

 

[toddo97]

I know this is an old thread, but figured I’d resurrect it. I just got all the ingredients for this beer. I’ll be brewing it this coming Monday. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Got the same brand of coffee Prairie uses even. I hoping it’s tasty...even if it’s not an exact clone.

For yeast I’m using the Darkness from Imperial Yeast. A high alcohol tolerance yeast that from the description says it’s good in dark beers.

I did a Xocoveza a few weeks ago with Darkness and was generally happy with it--I wish it had ended up a bit lower in gravity, but I'm chalking it up to the lactose I have in there (1.104-1.031)

 

[hafmpty]

Brewed my batch today. It went well. Hit 1.106 into the fermenter. I’ll be monitoring with my Tilt. I haven’t received my coffee yet (haven’t heard a peep from the company actually) but I’ll get that squared away in due time.

Made a big starter and then prior to pitching decanted and then added wort from the batch to the flask and put it back on the stir plate to get the yeast woken up and ready to go. It was on the stir plate for about 4hrs and then pitched. I’ll be surprised if it’s not ripping when I wake up.

Looking forward to tasting it in 3 months!

 

[paarman]

Brewed my batch today. It went well. Hit 1.106 into the fermenter. I’ll be monitoring with my Tilt. I haven’t received my coffee yet (haven’t heard a peep from the company actually) but I’ll get that squared away in due time.

Made a big starter and then prior to pitching decanted and then added wort from the batch to the flask and put it back on the stir plate to get the yeast woken up and ready to go. It was on the stir plate for about 4hrs and then pitched. I’ll be surprised if it’s not ripping when I wake up.

Looking forward to tasting it in 3 months!

Did you pull wort pre-boil or post-boil for this? Just curious, I've never done a delayed pitch post-boil.

 

[hafmpty]

Did you pull wort pre-boil or post-boil for this? Just curious, I've never done a delayed pitch post-boil.

Post boil and post chill. Look up vitality starter. Kristen England has talke about it in a few places. Also, I know Brulosophy talks about it and I think there’s something about it in the last BYO issue (just got the newest one today).

 

[hafmpty]

This was brewed, kegged and is now on tap. It is tasting really nice. I took it to my brew club meeting and folks were really enjoying it. I brew 2.5 gallon batches with 3.25 gallons going into the fermenter. After adjustment with my brewing software I feel like a little bit more vanilla and a little bit more ancho chili is in order. I may still do that with the beer that I have remaining in the keg. But then again I may just drink it as it is because it is pretty tasty. It does not taste like prairie bomb because of the lack of sufficient spice. But it is still a very good beer.