Schlafly beer?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Yooper

Ale's What Cures You!
Staff member
Admin
Mod
HBT Supporter
Joined
Jun 4, 2006
Messages
75,109
Reaction score
13,255
Location
UP/Snowbird in Florida
My husband just read an article about Schlafly dry-hopped American pale ale. I've never even heard of it, but he swears it's got to be a beer to try and wants a clone. Here's what he just emailed me: Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room - BeerAdvocate

He says it sounds like something he wants. Since I've never heard of this beer, but read the description, I'm thinking it's an APA but balanced with malt and then dryhopped. Any ideas on a clone, or a similar commercial beer I could try and then clone? Thanks a bunch!
 
I have never had the beer either. But I do know that they did an interview on the Brewing Network. I also know that one of the members here is friends with the folks at Shlafly, he was mentioned by name in the interview (hint: he is inSTL and the mention had to do with crushing apples with a garbage disposal).

Maybe this will help get things rolling.
 
I have had their Hefe. It's alright, nothing to write home about.

Frankly, I have much better hefe on tap right now.

:D
 
You can get Schlafly on tap here, we're about 3.5 hours (by car) from STL. I find their beers to be pretty darn good. Not quite as good as Goose Island but they beat the hell out of TALLs. I can get bottles and ship if you need some for side-by-side comparisons.
 
I had their raspberry wheat last year and it was great. Since it's from St. Louis you can get it on tap in most of the midwest.
 
It damned good. You should ask Biermuncher to get you some.

I went to StL to tour the brewery. We went to the Schlafly Bottleworks and tried all of their beers. My favorite was this APA. Its probably one of the better mainstream beers I tried that has a really good cascade hop taste.

I think I need to get a little quaffer.... (Right Now)

This is a six ouncer of my Munich Helles. It an awesome glass for HB Club meetings. (Its not too early for a beer yet, is it?)

Schlafly_Quaffer_001.jpg


Schlafly_Quaffer_002.jpg


Schlafly_Quaffer_003.jpg

 
Since I've never heard of this beer, but read the description, I'm thinking it's an APA but balanced with malt and then dryhopped. Any ideas on a clone, or a similar commercial beer I could try and then clone? Thanks a bunch!

Your comment is spot on, its definitely balanced. I think this is a good non-homebrewer conversion beer. The BMC crowd won't reject it and neither would the typical home brewer.
 
I looooove the Schalfly APA. I'm a St.Louisian as well, so it's easily accessible, even available occasionally on tap down in Columbia MO where I go to college. It's pretty much my go-to beer when I don't feel like breaking the bank.

All of the comments have been pretty spot on. It's very balanced, with a solid hop aroma. If you'd like to try it, PM me and I can look into shipping you some.
 
Darlin, if I'm trying to come up with a clone of a beer I always start at the horses mouth and see what they say about it on their website...sometimes you get the ingredients, or at least you get some of the numbers you need to start playing in beersmith.

Here's what I got from Shafly's website...not much, but it's astart.

Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA Dry-Hopped APA

An American Pale Ale with a hearty dose of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. We add hops directly into the finished beer to boost the fresh, fruity flavor and aroma of American hops.

ABV:5.9%
IBU: 50

At least you got the Ibu's and the ABV..it's not much but it will help.

The Beer advocate reviews can give you some clues to what is in it as well.

Schlafly American Pale Ale (APA) / Expedition Reserve - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room - BeerAdvocate

Some commonality in the terms Bready and Grapefruity...so at least I'm thinking they are using some "c" hops in it.

Here's a good description as well..

Another trip to the Schlafly Bottle works for a beer. This one is a Dry Hopper APA. Dry Hopped mean hops are added to the beer after brewing to sit with the beer for a few days to a few months. It makes for a very strong hop taste. An APA or American Pale Ale, is an IPA (Indian Pale Ale) with more hops, and little malt flavor.

HOPS, that is what this beer is about. I smell a light floral aroma of hops, but only a light smell nothing too strong. The color is a nice golden, that seem to be filtered. This beer has very little foam, but the little foam is sticky and stays there while I drink the beer.

The taste is full of hops spice and fruit. There is a good fruit taste maybe a pineapple or an apple. There is also a spicy flavor that can only be described as a hop spice flavor. This beer isn't grassy as a hoppy beer might. This beer has a sticky thick mouth feel like a hoppy beer.

This is a dry hopped APA , that means A LOT of hops are used in this beer and I really enjoyed it. I was looking for a hoppy beer tonight instead of the lackluster #15. This APA came through 110% in the hop category. It might be too much for some people but I enjoyed it.

Hope this helps...looks like it's gonna take some beer detective work.
 
Revvy - I am really surprised at the quoted 50 IBUs.

I don't think its that high. I'm wondering if they have an error in how they calculated this value.

The beer is balanced. It doesn't have a lot bitterness, but its not short on flavor.

I'd say it has to max out 20 maybe pushing 25 but I doubt it very much.

The dry hopping stands out a great deal.

I make an amber that is very much like this. 20-25 IBU's with 4oz of cascade dry hopped. Its not bitter but smells/tastes awesome.
 
Revvy - I am really surprised at the quoted 50 IBUs.

I don't think its that high. I'm wondering if they have an error in how they calculated this value.

The beer is balanced. It doesn't have a lot bitterness, but its not short on flavor.

I'd say it has to max out 20 maybe pushing 25 but I doubt it very much.

The dry hopping stands out a great deal.

I make an amber that is very much like this. 20-25 IBU's with 4oz of cascade dry hopped. Its not bitter but smells/tastes awesome.

Dunno....go look for yourself...

Schlafly Beer Styles

It's funny, but they give a lot more data on all theri other beers...
 
Maybe they FWH. That gets you plenty of IBUs when analyzed but not so much when tasted.
 
Dunno....go look for yourself...

Schlafly Beer Styles

It's funny, but they give a lot more data on all theri other beers...

I'm not saying you are wrong. I know you quoted their website. I drank a bunch of this at their brewery and it doesn't seem that high.

The dry hopping adds no IBU whatsoever. Its also not a tongue curling IPA.
 
Schlafly is a great brewery. Very HB friendly. We have periodic bulk buy pick ups at their downtown taproom. They'll even let the local club shack up for the night if our normal monthly meeting location has been compromised.

As far as the dry hopped APA...I haven't tried it.

I know their regular "Pale Ale" is more along the lines of an English Pale Ale. Firm bitterness and good flavor, but no American citrus.

They don't tend to brew any of their mainstay beers to the extreme. I'll see if I can pick up a sixer and give it a taste.

On a side note...they can hardly keep up with demand now that AB sold out. :D
 
I know their regular "Pale Ale" is more along the lines of an English Pale Ale. Firm bitterness and good flavor, but no American citrus.

Their Export IPA is likewise a British-style IPA with that nice earthy/spicey flavor. It's probably my 2nd favorite in the style, after Meantime IPA.
 
ok, thanks for the info! It sounds like something Bob would like. Anybody want to take a guess as to the hops they use? How about the malt bill? Is it malty, like with Munich malt, or maybe Vienna? Do you taste any crystal? Is it a bit sweet? Any fruity yeast notes, or is all of the fruit flavor from the hops?

I think those are all of my questions at the moment....................
 
ok, thanks for the info! It sounds like something Bob would like. Anybody want to take a guess as to the hops they use? How about the malt bill? Is it malty, like with Munich malt, or maybe Vienna? Do you taste any crystal? Is it a bit sweet? Any fruity yeast notes, or is all of the fruit flavor from the hops?

I think those are all of my questions at the moment....................

Their neck labels usually divulge the hop varieties. As soon as I can GTF out of the office, I'm riding by the store and picking some up.

This thread is making me thirsty.

Michael_Richards.jpg
 
You can get Schlafly on tap here, we're about 3.5 hours (by car) from STL. I find their beers to be pretty darn good. Not quite as good as Goose Island but they beat the hell out of TALLs. I can get bottles and ship if you need some for side-by-side comparisons.

I'd really like to take you up on that! I'll send you a PM and see if we can work out a swap of some local beers! Thanks!
 
I picked some up the other night, but it was 9:00 before I got out of work.

Didn't stop me from having a couple.

I didn't do a real deliberate decomposition tasting. Beer was thoroughly chilled and I was thirsty :D

Couple of observations:
  • Medium amber color.
  • Nice and dry finish. Not an overly malty beer. I'd guess it was a 150 mash at 60+ minutes to get it dry.
  • Kind of an amber flavor with a firm bitterness.
  • Some definite dry hopping aroma...but not a citrusy type.
  • Reminded me of an APA that used high alpha (galena) for bittering and the a mix of American and English for flavor/aroma. Again...not a lot of typical citrus whoosh.
  • I got the feeling they also didn't have anything shorter than maybe a 20 minute addition.
  • It was a very good drinkable APA, but obviously brewed to gather in "the masses" and not cater to hop heads.

  • Good APA...Yes.
  • Buy it again...yes.
  • Suitable to serve to beer aficionados...yes
  • West coast style hop-crazy APA...no.

That's about all I can remember right now. I have another batch of Tits Up IIPA in the tun right now so no drinking for me until the chiller gets submerged.

If I get some time, I'll let a bottle warm up a bit and see if I can decomp it better.
 
You guys keep mentioning amber colors...

Are we talking different beers? I'm almost certain it had been dry-hopped with cascade and it was a blonde color.

That's what remember from the brewery tour at the bottleworks. When I was there they had hops growing outside. This was purely decorative though. I believe they were cascade.

Thinking back....This been may have been changed since I recall them having hop source problems. So said the tour guide.
 
My husband just read an article about Schlafly dry-hopped American pale ale. I've never even heard of it, but he swears it's got to be a beer to try and wants a clone. Here's what he just emailed me: Schlafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room - BeerAdvocate

He says it sounds like something he wants. Since I've never heard of this beer, but read the description, I'm thinking it's an APA but balanced with malt and then dryhopped. Any ideas on a clone, or a similar commercial beer I could try and then clone? Thanks a bunch!

Anybody ever come up with a recipe for this? I've visited STL twice in the last couple years and I love this beer.
 
There's a chance I'll be at the bottleworks tomorrow, would there be any useful questions I could ask if that is the case to aid you out?

edit: whoops, just noticed the date on the thread, still?
 
It would be great if someone could put up a recipe for this. I love this beer! And a plus is that SWMBO likes it too.
 
Here you go guys. I got this from Drew who brew at Schlafly and is head brewer at Mattlingly Brewing Co in South STL. I got this recipe before they went through there expansion last year. I think I can taste more of the Chinook dry-hop than before, but it may just be my imagination. Plus I think the beer is filtered more after the expansion. Kudos to whoever thought it was FWH'd.

Dry Hopped APA:
93.8% 2R
6.3% C40L

14.8 Plato ferment to 5.9-6.0%abv

20IBUs Marynka end of collection
15IBUs Cascade 30 min
15IBUs Cascade Flameout (at 18% utilization)
DH 2.5lbs Cascade & 2.5lbs Chinook per 12bbls

WLP051 or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II)
 
This is an old thread, but worth reviving. I live in a small town in central-MO, so access to good APAs/IPAs is somewhat limited (though still excellent when compared to a decade ago!) I started trying the brews available in the local store: Bell's Two-Hearted, Odell IPA, Sierra Nevada, Boulevard. The first tqwo are excellent, but on the pricey side (>$10/6). Then, I noticed the Schlafly's at $6.29, so tried out a pack.

This is a fine brew, crisp and refreshing here in the dog days of summer. I guess I'd have to describe myself as a hop-head, and this brew satisfies without being over the top. Unfortunately, I don't visit St Louis often anymore, the plant and tap room both have great-sounding menus and interesting beers not sold in stores.
 
BTW, Schlafy is for sale, according to my buddy south of St. Louis.
In case any of you were adventureous......and hit the lottery :)
 
I'm a big fan of their dry hopped APA.

After reading this thread, I'm convinced people are talking about at least two different beers. The dry hopped APA is fairly bitter, it tastes every bit of it's 50 IBUs. IBU contribution or not, the Chinook as a dry hop is seriously intense. But they also have a "pale ale" which isn't bitter at all, which is probably what folks who don't remember the beer being very bitter are remembering.
 
How are you supposed to get 50 IBU at flameout with 18% utilization, when utilization at flame out is 0% in the recipe calculators?
 
Here you go guys. I got this from Drew who brew at Schlafly and is head brewer at Mattlingly Brewing Co in South STL. I got this recipe before they went through there expansion last year. I think I can taste more of the Chinook dry-hop than before, but it may just be my imagination. Plus I think the beer is filtered more after the expansion. Kudos to whoever thought it was FWH'd.

Dry Hopped APA:
93.8% 2R
6.3% C40L

14.8 Plato ferment to 5.9-6.0%abv

20IBUs Marynka end of collection
15IBUs Cascade 30 min
15IBUs Cascade Flameout (at 18% utilization)
DH 2.5lbs Cascade & 2.5lbs Chinook per 12bbls

WLP051 or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II)


hey man any idea of h ow to put this into an extract recipe using specialty grains as well. Thanks
 
The last couple of sixes of this I've bought convinces me that there's been a change in their hopping of this beer. Still my favorite Schlafly beer, though, and is regularly available around here at <$7/6. It competes well with beers I'm just not willing to pay $10/6 for on any regular basis. It will also appear on tap in several places around here (Central IL).
 
The last couple of sixes of this I've bought convinces me that there's been a change in their hopping of this beer. Still my favorite Schlafly beer, though, and is regularly available around here at <$7/6. It competes well with beers I'm just not willing to pay $10/6 for on any regular basis. It will also appear on tap in several places around here (Central IL).

where abouts in central il are you from my friend?
 
What is normally referred to as "East Central," we live 10 mi. West of Champaign-Urbana.
 
Just ran across this in the search. Schlafly is my go-to commercial beer. They give more information on their iphone app than their website. I think Drew's recipe above is probably spot on since he is well connected. He has also posted details about their Pale Ale which is great.

The app has the following -
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 50
Color: 12 (Golden Amber)
Process: Dry-hopped, Unfiltered
Hops: Marynka (they use this to bitter almost everything), Cascade, Chinook
Malts: 2-Row pale & caramel
Yeast: American Ale yeast
 
Dry Hopped APA:
93.8% 2R
6.3% C40L

14.8 Plato ferment to 5.9-6.0%abv

20IBUs Marynka end of collection
15IBUs Cascade 30 min
15IBUs Cascade Flameout (at 18% utilization)
DH 2.5lbs Cascade & 2.5lbs Chinook per 12bbls

WLP051 or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II)

made this beer except used Warrior for the FWH and US05 for the yeast.

I got better efficiency than i expected so i finished with an OG of 1.068 so its more of a lightly hopped IPA, but is my best beer yet, amazing. Smooth bitterness, plenty of hop aroma, just a touch sweet, i will be brewing this again and adjusting the OG. Amazing beer.
 
love to see the recipe you brewed, smakudwn....

saw on the website they used cascade, chinook, and althanum.

chinook as bitter addition, cascade aroma, althanum flavor/ aroma????

dry hop mix it up??

never even heard of althanum, what would be a substitute?

drinking this draft right now, really good. very silky mouthfeel, is this from low mash temp?
 
I will post the actual recepie when i get home. But it was just 2row and some crystal 40.

I FWH this and used cascade for late additions and dry hop. I didn't use the althanum.

They used to use Marynka hops in all there beers but I guess they changed to the althanum.

My efficiency was higher than was expected so my og was 1.061 so mine is heavier.

Everyone I have had try this beer likes it a lot, next time I will decrease the amount of 2row and Crystal to get this around 1.056 or so. I used US-05 for the yeast.
 
Oh crap I'm sorry.

Going from memory

11lb of pale malt
12oz of crystal 40

FWH .5oz Warrior
30 mins 1.5oz Cascade
1 min 2.0oz Cascade
dry hop 7 days 0.5oz Cascade
dry hop 7 days 0.5oz Chinook

Used s05 at 60 ish

Mine was not as bitter as Scaflys and I will Up the dry hops next time. I think they whirlpool with wet hops.
 
Back
Top