Sam Adams Cold Snap Clone?

[fixittim]

Not a big SA fan but I am enjoying this seasonal. Can't find any clone recipes online. Mainly curious about some of the spice (or fruit) that it may have. Any guesses?

 

[TheNobleBrewer]

I'd love to get my hands on a recipe as well. I'm entering a homebrew competition in March and it's my goal to bring this clone to the table.

 

[Disintegr8or]

I had some over the weekend, and I agree it was very good.
Here's what I found:

HOP VARIETIES
Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops

MALT VARIETIES
Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and malted wheat​

YEAST STRAIN
Samuel Adams ale yeast

COLOR
Golden, hazy / 6 SRM

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS
A blend of exotic fruits & spices including orange peel, plum, hibiscus & fresh ground coriander.


5.3%ABV
IBUs 7

 

[BeerGrylls]

When I had it, the flavors that came through the most strongly were vanilla and hibiscus. Use an american ale yeast, and a solid amount of wheat. I would use the hops for bittering only with all of the spice additions.

 

[fixittim]

Working on a base I went with biscuit and Munich malts with light DME (I'm still green and working up to all grain). Hallertauer and tettnanger hops. Left out the spices. I'll see what I have here first then work on spice and fruit next batch.
I did brew a 1 gal the same and experimenting with brown sugar, honey, vanilla and cinnamon for fun.

 

[loveofrose]

I distinctly tasted mint. Couldn't tell you what kind, but it's there.

 

[firejim]

It has a great light flavor. I think this will be a great beer on a hot day working in the yard.

 

[smccarter]

When I had it, the flavors that came through the most strongly were vanilla and hibiscus. Use an american ale yeast, and a solid amount of wheat. I would use the hops for bittering only with all of the spice additions.

So funny... Hibiscus and vanilla... you're killing me.

 

[BeerGrylls]

So funny... Hibiscus and vanilla... you're killing me.

Lol yup maybe but I wasn't joking. Even Sam Adams hints at it: "made with crisp golden wheat and a lively blend of ten different fruits, flowers and spices"... I don't think hibiscus and vanilla are far out of the question. That's what my palate got anyhow.

http://www.samueladams.com/media/press-releases/2014/january/cold-snap-release

 

[Kuhndog]

It is a Belgian...you're not going to get that taste if you use any American ale yeast. It'll be missing the fruitiness and some sweetness that Belgian yeasts bring out. Without something like WLP530 or 570, I don't think you'll hit it.

 

[BeerGrylls]

SA says that this uses their house ale yeast. Is that a Belgian yeast?

 

[progmac]

Just tried this tonight. It is very good imo. Coriander is what came through to me. Ive brewed a coriander beer before, it is a great spice to use. A light touch is needed. You would need a very powdery yeast...

 

[aslander]

I tried harvesting yeast from this, but it appears to be pastured as I got no activity.

 

[BeerGrylls]

This page: http://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/cold-snap has fantastic statistics on this beer. According to it, they use Sam Adams house ale yeast, so check out WLP008: http://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp008-east-coast-ale-yeast

Side note: it also says hibiscus on this page.. Quell haters! Also plums, orange peel, ground coriander seed.

 

[progmac]

This page: http://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/cold-snap has fantastic statistics on this beer. According to it, they use Sam Adams house ale yeast, so check out WLP008: http://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp008-east-coast-ale-yeast

Side note: it also says hibiscus on this page.. Quell haters! Also plums, orange peel, ground coriander seed.

I wonder how they get the beer to stay so cloudy even when cold...

 

[mbobhat]

I wonder how they get the beer to stay so cloudy even when cold...

My guess would be unmalted wheat on the cloudyness. A clone with unmalted would probably involve some step mashing or cereal mashing and a long mash if using up to 50%. I really need to get that brewing with wheat book!

 

[fixittim]

I am still working on mine. Trying to get the right base before experimenting with the spice. 5% biscuit malt in my first attempt. Not bad and thinking that gets the cloudiness. Used munich malt too. Seems like I'm on the right track for my version anyway. Thanks for the yeast suggestion.


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[jcorn]

Call me crazy but I definitely taste blueberry in it. As well as corriander seed and even slight mint.

 

[BeerGrylls]

I just realized that the beer is unfiltered. If it's also unpasteurized then we could harvest the yeast dregs out of a few bottles.

 

[aslander]

I just realized that the beer is unfiltered. If it's also unpasteurized then we could harvest the yeast dregs out of a few bottles.

Thought I posted this here, but I tried harvesting with no luck. Seems as if they pasteurize

 

[BeerGrylls]

Thought I posted this here, but I tried harvesting with no luck. Seems as if they pasteurize

SA pasteurizing wouldn't surprise me. According to this article, SA does not pasteurize their kegs, but they do pasteurize their bottles:

All Samuel Adams beers in kegs are unpasteurized but the Samuel Adams bottled beers are pasteurized. Any of Sam Adams wheat beers are going to be unfiltered but the rest are filtered.

 

[progmac]

i was under the apparently mistaken impression that you get autolysis flavors if you pasteurize unfiltered beer.

 

[Wolfdust]

So what I have figured out for a cold snap clone because its my wifey's favorite beer.
6lbs 2 row blend
4lbs white wheat
10 spices; ground coriander
Sweet orange peel, lemon peel, hibiscus, vanilla, licorice, star anise, paradise seed, dried plums(prunes), and tamarind.
Hallertau Mittelfrueh 10 ibus
WLP patriot yeast
Some of the spices were "dry spiced"
I will be attempting a brew in a couple of weeks.

 

[tally350z]

Wolfdust, were you able to brew this beer. I am throwing together a cold snap clone recipe and want to see how yours turned out.

 

[kevreh]

To keep it simple could all spices be dry hopped? What % of munich malt are people using?

Also, how do you figure out how much spice to use.

 

[Wolfdust]

Does Anyone Think Which Spices Might Be Dry Spiced

 

[tally350z]

I will be brewing this tomorrow. The spices I am going to add during the boil will be the Orange zest, lemon zest, hibiscus, and the coriander. I am going to be using the zest from 3 oranges, 5 (smallish) lemons, one ounce coriander, and 3 oz hibiscus. Hopefully the hibiscus wont affect the color too much, I don't think it will. I will see how the flavor is at that point after fermentation and post the result. Than if needed I will "dry hop" the rest of the spices.

 

[progmac]

I will be brewing this tomorrow. The spices I am going to add during the boil will be the Orange zest, lemon zest, hibiscus, and the coriander. I am going to be using the zest from 3 oranges, 5 (smallish) lemons, one ounce coriander, and 3 oz hibiscus. Hopefully the hibiscus wont affect the color too much, I don't think it will. I will see how the flavor is at that point after fermentation and post the result. Than if needed I will "dry hop" the rest of the spices.

Let us know how it turns out!

I can't comment on the hibiscus as I've never brewed with it, but one ounce coriander is a lot! I'd strongly recommend considering tuning that down to 0.5oz or so.

There are lots of thoughts on coriander and orange in the very long blue moon clone thread.

 

[progmac]

Does Anyone Think Which Spices Might Be Dry Spiced

The most likely candidates to me seem like vanilla and hibiscus

 

[loveofrose]

Having brewed with lots of hibiscus, I can say with 100% certainty that it is not in this beer. Grain of paradise, maybe. But definitely not hibiscus.


Better brewing through science!