American Pale Ale Russian River Row 2 Hill 56 Clone

[brew2enjoy]

Brewing this one now. First time using Pilsner malt.

 

[brew2enjoy]

Had a sample while I kegged today. My goodness! This is delicious!! Something tells me I'll be brewing a 10 gallon batch very soon.

 

[Jukas]

Glad you liked the sample. I bet you'll like it even more once it's carbed and at serving temp

 

[crusader1612]

Brewed this up on the weekend but subbed the pils out for standard pale malt. And used carahell for crystal. I also had 1pz of mosaic so threw it in at 10 mins.

 

[tmm0f5]

Has anyone tried this exact recipe with Mosaic? I have a bunch of mosaic around and understand it is similar in some respects to Simcoe. Will probably brew it next week, but just wanted some feedback.

Tasted this over the weekend. Did the recipe in the original post but subbed with Mosaic. Pretty tasty beverage! Mosaic is rife with cat piss aroma, but not necessarily offensive. Mine has a hint more bitterness than R2H56, but definitely not terribly over the top.

Great beer! Will definitely use this recipe again as my single hop recipe.

 

[HopheadNJ]

Put this into the fermentation fridge earlier this evening - gravity came out a little higher than original recipe. 5.5 gallons of 1.058 - pitched a healthy starter of wlp001. Looking forward to tasting this one.

 

[crusader1612]

Must be time for a new thermometer check just now. It's at 1.014 instead of the expected 1012. 10 days in the barrel. Nevermind tastes awesome and dry hopped tonight

 

[Jukas]

Must be time for a new thermometer check just now. It's at 1.014 instead of the expected 1012. 10 days in the barrel. Nevermind tastes awesome and dry hopped tonight

Give it a few days and check again. I've had it drag on especially if temps are cooler than normal. I've hit FG in as few as 4 days before, and been within a few points after only 3 days, but these days if I keep temp at 68 and pitch appropriate I'm usually at FG by 6-7 days. By the 14 day mark I'd expect it's as low as it's going to get.

I'm also not familiar with Carahell. Do you know the fermentability vs crystal/caramel malts as that may account for some or all of your 2 point differential.

 

[crusader1612]

Give it a few days and check again. I've had it drag on especially if temps are cooler than normal. I've hit FG in as few as 4 days before, and been within a few points after only 3 days, but these days if I keep temp at 68 and pitch appropriate I'm usually at FG by 6-7 days. By the 14 day mark I'd expect it's as low as it's going to get.

I'm also not familiar with Carahell. Do you know the fermentability vs crystal/caramel malts as that may account for some or all of your 2 point differential.

Yeah its promoted as a crystal 15 sub., but promotes head stability also. I guess its possible its added an additional point or 2 to the final beer, the beer has been fermented as follows, and my last beer, finished lower. with a similar grain bill, but 2% less crystal.
I'm going to pick up a new thermometer on the weekend just in case, and i'll check again soon, although I've racked over to secondary and dryhopped now, so no turning back now.
i pitched at 17C- ramped to 18 after 24 hours, and 19 after 2 more days, then 21 after 6 days, krausen has dropped completely and looks completed,

 

[Jukas]

i pitched at 17C- ramped to 18 after 24 hours, and 19 after 2 more days, then 21 after 6 days, krausen has dropped completely and looks completed,

This might have had something to do with it.

17C = 62.6F
18C = 64.4F
19C = 66.2F
21C = 69.8F

That means for the first five days you were fermenting at a lower temp than the recipe calls for and lower than the optimum temp range per white labs . Likely it wasn't finished fermenting when you racked it to secondary but I bet it'll still be tasty.

 

[HopheadNJ]

As with most of my ales, I'm fermenting this at 64*F. I know WLP001 is pretty clean, even at higher temps. Typically I like to let the hops shine without too much yeast character in my pales. I've never had this brew before - is it pretty clean or does the yeast contribute?

I don't expect any issues and I'm sure it will be a great beer but has the OP experimented with ferm temps on this? Maybe 68 is the sweet spot for this beer or is it just because it's the recommended temp for the strain?

 

[Jukas]

As with most of my ales, I'm fermenting this at 64*F. I know WLP001 is pretty clean, even at higher temps. Typically I like to let the hops shine without too much yeast character in my pales. I've never had this brew before - is it pretty clean or does the yeast contribute?

I don't expect any issues and I'm sure it will be a great beer but has the OP experimented with ferm temps on this? Maybe 68 is the sweet spot for this beer or is it just because it's the recommended temp for the strain?

I've never done below 65F with this beer. First few batches while trying to nail down the recipe were done between 65-67F. I ended up settling on 68F based on Vinnie's feedback that it's what they ferment at and I was trying to nail a clone I wanted to replicate as many of the variables as I could.

Now yeast character variances in WLP001 between a 4* differential is likely to be somewhat subjective. I don't recall any difference in yeastiness between the batches done a few degrees under and at 68F. However there are likely many who's palates are much more yeast sensitive than mine and they may notice it.

One of the added benefits of fermenting it at 68F for me is that it finishes faster, which means I can clear my conical faster for the next batch.

 

[crusader1612]

This might have had something to do with it. 17C = 62.6F 18C = 64.4F 19C = 66.2F 21C = 69.8F That means for the first five days you were fermenting at a lower temp than the recipe calls for and lower than the optimum temp range per white labs . Likely it wasn't finished fermenting when you racked it to secondary but I bet it'll still be tasty.

I used 05 which is capable of down to 15degC. I used the same ferm schedule as the last one which finished dead on 1012. It's not a ferm temp issue. It's possibly the carahell either way it's time for a new thermometer. She's had a hard old life.

 

[NobleRock]

This was my first All-Grain attempt, and the bottles just finished carbonating last night so I could try one. I followed the recipe exactly, though I think my mash cooled off faster than it should have, I was around 145 by the time I started sparging, so it's probably thinner than it should be. It's still some good stuff though. I was a little concerned because I'd used Simcoe for the first time on my previous batch and decided I didn't like the flavor, but by that time this was already in the fermenter, so I just kept with it. I don't know if it's the difference in the grain bill, or the hops schedule, but this doesn't have the strong banana notes that my previous Simcoe ale did, or at least it's more balanced. I suppose I'll have to rethink my lifetime ban on Simcoe hops.

Thanks for the recipe!

 

[GlassForest]

Should have taken photo.

Beer was a carbon copy of the real deal. I went to the Russian River brew pub and brought a growler of r2h56 home and we all had a tasting. The color, and aroma were indistinctible from each other. And it came to the consensus the the clone had a better taste. Hope others have as good luck with this one as I did, cheers!

Ps. First post on HBT

 

[midfielder5]

I was a little concerned because I'd used Simcoe for the first time on my previous batch and decided I didn't like the flavor, but by that time this was already in the fermenter, so I just kept with it. I don't know if it's the difference in the grain bill, or the hops schedule, but this doesn't have the strong banana notes that my previous Simcoe ale did, or at least it's more balanced. I suppose I'll have to rethink my lifetime ban on Simcoe hops.

The banana notes are not due to grains or Simcoe hops, that is a clear issue with yeast management-- you either fermented it too hot, or underpitched, or had old unhealthy yeast (or a combo). Look at your fermentation temps and yeast health to get rid of the banana.
Simcoe hops are all pine and cat piss aroma.
cheers.

 

[crusader1612]

The banana notes are not due to grains or Simcoe hops, that is a clear issue with yeast management-- you either fermented it too hot, or underpitched, or had old unhealthy yeast (or a combo). Look at your fermentation temps and yeast health to get rid of the banana. Simcoe hops are all pine and cat piss aroma. cheers.

#belgian Yeast. Haha

 

[Jukas]

Should have taken photo.

Beer was a carbon copy of the real deal. I went to the Russian River brew pub and brought a growler of r2h56 home and we all had a tasting. The color, and aroma were indistinctible from each other. And it came to the consensus the the clone had a better taste. Hope others have as good luck with this one as I did, cheers!

Ps. First post on HBT

That was the best part of dialing in this clone recipe.. having to go down to RR to fill a growler

I'm glad you enjoyed the clone, to be fair through if you can get R2H56 at the brewer right when it's hitting it's stride it can't be beat.

 

[brew2enjoy]

Mine turned out great as well. The hops are starting to fade though. I might throw a fresh ounce of simcoe in the keg today.

 

[zaphro]

Used this as a base for a pale I made. Edited the hope. Nugget to bitter, the citra, cascade and Amarillo in the boil. Dry hoped it yesterday with more citra. Was worried about the color, but compared with yours it looks about right. Samples are good, and I will probably base all of my American pales around this, just editing the hops. Good work.

 

[ricardo]

I almost never secondary anymore. I dry hop this, and most of my hoppy beers in the keg with a nylon hop bag. The hop bag stays in there from the time I seal up the keg after racking, until the keg kicks, though I rarely have a keg of this last longer than a month.

Hi Jukas,

Can i ask if you add the hops before you chill in the keg? The reason i ask is that the Pliny clone Vinnie gave out has the hops sitting at 70 fahrenheit for 10 days before chilling

 

[Jukas]

Hi Jukas,

Can i ask if you add the hops before you chill in the keg? The reason i ask is that the Pliny clone Vinnie gave out has the hops sitting at 70 fahrenheit for 10 days before chilling

So I'm super lazy (probably why I don't do lagers). I mean super ultra mega lazy. What I've was doing up until recently is when it's time to rack the beer to the keg, I fill a nylon hop bag with the dry hops, put them in the keg and then flush it with co2. I would then fill the keg and immediately put it in my kegerator where I'd let it sit on gas for 14 days to carb up.

Since getting a conical however I've been reviewing and making changes to my process and I've been dry hopping in the conical (but at sub 50F temps) then racking to keg.

An interesting experiment next time I brew this would be to make a 11 gallon batch and ferment under pressure until complete. Then split it in half, with 5 gal into a keg with hops in the keg as I normally do and straight into the kegerator. The other half add the hops directly to the conical and re-pressurize. Give them both equal time on hops (say 5 days) then rack the conical to a keg, throw it in the kegerator and let them both sit for 48hrs then tap both and compare pints.

I'm guessing any difference would be pretty subtle though it would still be a fun experiment to try out.

 

[thadius856]

So I'm super lazy (probably why I don't do lagers). I mean super ultra mega lazy. What I've was doing up until recently is when it's time to rack the beer to the keg, I fill a nylon hop bag with the dry hops, put them in the keg and then flush it with co2. I would then fill the keg and immediately put it in my kegerator where I'd let it sit on gas for 14 days to carb up.

Since getting a conical however I've been reviewing and making changes to my process and I've been dry hopping in the conical (but at sub 50F temps) then racking to keg.

An interesting experiment next time I brew this would be to make a 11 gallon batch and ferment under pressure until complete. Then split it in half, with 5 gal into a keg with hops in the keg as I normally do and straight into the kegerator. The other half add the hops directly to the conical and re-pressurize. Give them both equal time on hops (say 5 days) then rack the conical to a keg, throw it in the kegerator and let them both sit for 48hrs then tap both and compare pints.

I'm guessing any difference would be pretty subtle though it would still be a fun experiment to try out.

Temperature makes a much larger difference than carbonation level. Lower temperatures greatly extend the period required to reach the same amount of flavor.

 

[Jukas]

Temperature makes a much larger difference than carbonation level. Lower temperatures greatly extend the period required to reach the same amount of flavor.

You could easily change the experiment to accomodate that. Rack to keg and stick in kegerator. On the same day Dry hop the remaining in the conical for 5-7 days, then rack to keg and place in kegerator. At 14 days total tap both and compare.

That should give sufficient time for the colder temps to extract oils, while allowing typical dry hop time at 68-70F. Obviously the results would be highly subjective as the metric is simply taste both.

 

[ricardo]

I don't add any lactic acid or acid malt when I brew this. I have the same source water as Russian River, so the only additions I make are gypsum and campden tablets to deal with the chloramine.
QUOTE]

Hi, can I ask how much gypsum you add per gallon? I made this but I don't believe I added enough as there is no hop zing
at all

 

[ricardo]

Temperature makes a much larger difference than carbonation level. Lower temperatures greatly extend the period required to reach the same amount of flavor.

I've had mixed results dry hopping at keg serving temperatures where some of the beers have taken on a vegetal flavour

 

[Jukas]

I don't add any lactic acid or acid malt when I brew this. I have the same source water as Russian River, so the only additions I make are gypsum and campden tablets to deal with the chloramine.

Hi, can I ask how much gypsum you add per gallon? I made this but I don't believe I added enough as there is no hop zing
at all

Unfortunately I don't have the exact amount in my last brew notes. I typically add about 1 tsp during the boil for a 6g batch of IPA's so it was probably right there, or just a little under.

 

[brew2enjoy]

Thanks for the recipe, turned out great.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Home Brew mobile app

 

[crusader1612]

Thanks for the recipe, turned out great.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Home Brew mobile app

lo0oking good mate. mines drinking well at themoment, used carahell in place of the crystal. good sweetness and head retention. the additional 30g of mosaic at 10 mins has given this an extra little complexity.
a definite re-brew, although no simcoe left in New Zealand until we treceive the harvest. sio I'll have to make do with citra, with the small amount of simcoe I have left (20g).
I also used standard pale malt and maris otter mix in the proportions from the original recipe.
cheers guys.

 

[HopheadNJ]

Tasty beer, will def be brewing to recipe again. Tomorrow i'm re brewing with all Amarillo. Bumping up 30 min hop additions and will give mangrove jack m44 a shot since i don't have a starter.