Sierra Nevada

[BrewmanBeing]

10 years ago Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was the first real "microbrew" that to me had a signature flavor and gourmet status. What happened??? Now it tastes bland and dull. It used to have a very distinctive piney/floral taste/aroma. Did they change the recipe? Did going "macro" screw it all up? It makes me sad. Maybe if I can clone it and brew it the way it used to taste I would be happy again. Anyone have a really good recipe? What was the magic ingredient anyway?

 

[todd_k]

1st, most beers are tweaked over time. Papazian has the recipe for the "original" SNPA in Homebrewed Adventures.
2nd, your pallat(sp) changes over time too so what you thought was great 10 years ago, you may not think is all that great today.

 

[olllllo]

They do that with car models too. Small cars eventually get bigger.

The Jetta is nor bigger than the original Passat.

 

[todd_k]

I know! I have a Passat and now the Jetta is bigger than my car. Now I think the new ones look too big.

 

[fa1321tx]

Papazian has the recipe for the "original" SNPA in Homebrewed Adventures.
2nd, your pallat(sp) changes over time too so what you thought was great 10 years ago, you may not think is all that great today.

I brewed that original recipe in homebrewed adventures it was good! If you want it pm me and I send you it. There is also a recipe on the White Labs website I have been wanting to brew.
I think SNPA is the best & has been my favorite beer for several years.

 

[uglygoat]

i thought the jetta came first... i remember driving the rabbit, then the jetta, then the passat came out...

 

[nosnhojr]

I think SNPA is the best & has been my favorite beer for several years.

Man, if I had a dollar for every SNPA I've ever drank, I'd be a rich man!

 

[olllllo]

i thought the jetta came first... i remember driving the rabbit, then the jetta, then the passat came out...

Not necessarily in dispute but look at the size of a 73 Passat:

Bringing it back around to topic. Manufacturers change thing to keep the buyers interested. Doesn't always work though. Automakers make models bigger over time to appeal to the same driver as he/she ages. Maybe breweries adjust the same way. We know that they tweak a recipe from time to time. We just don't always know if it's marketing or some other factor.

ETA: Per Wikipedia...
Passat 73
Rabbit/Golf 74
Jetta 80

 

[BrewmanBeing]

I guess I am not as interested in "why" they changed as I am in "how" they changed, and really I am just interested in drinking SNPA as it used to taste. I remember it having a flavor that I distinctly believed, at the time, could not have been just malt and hops. Did they use any spruce or other adjunct? It had a flavor that was very unique and different from any other beer.

 

[mysterio]

Perhaps it's the Perle they use as flavour hop?

I know this is a Northern Brewer derivative hop which has a nice fresh pinous flavour.

For a clone I would think about enough base malt to get a roughly 1.054 OG, some crystal malt to get the light amber colour (a few ounces), some carapils for body and US56 yeast. Then bitter up to ~35IBUs with Magnums, Perle for flavour and as much Cascades as you like at the very end of the boil (2 or 3 ounces).

 

[todd_k]

Malt Extract recipe (I also have the AG recipe if needed)

6.5# American LME
8oz American crystal malt 10L
1oz Cluster 7.5% - 60 min
1oz Cascade 5% - 30 min
3/4oz Tettnanger (Santiam may be substituted) 4.5% - 30 min
1/2oz Cascade - 1 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (Santiam may be substituted) - 1 min
1/4tsp powdered Irish Moss
Wyeast American Ale yeast #1056
3/4cup corn sugar for botting OR .33 cups for kegging

 

[todd_k]

AG recipe:
8# 2-row American pale malt
8oz American crystal 10L
3/4oz Cluster 7.5% - 60 min
3/4oz Cascade 7/5% - 30 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (or Santiam) 5% - 30 min
1/2oz Cascade - 1 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (or Santiam) - 1 min
1/4 tsp Irish Moss
Wyeast American ALE #1056
3/4 cup corn sugare for bottling, .33 cup for kegging

1 step infusion mash
Add 8.5q of 168F water to grains and hold at 152F for 60min, then raise temp to 167F, lauter and sparge w/ 4 gal of 170F water. Collect about 5.5 gal of runoff. Add cluster hops and bring to a full and vigorous boil.

 

[Hopfan]

AG recipe:
8# 2-row American pale malt
8oz American crystal 10L
3/4oz Cluster 7.5% - 60 min
3/4oz Cascade 7/5% - 30 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (or Santiam) 5% - 30 min
1/2oz Cascade - 1 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (or Santiam) - 1 min
1/4 tsp Irish Moss
Wyeast American ALE #1056
3/4 cup corn sugare for bottling, .33 cup for kegging

1 step infusion mash
Add 8.5q of 168F water to grains and hold at 152F for 60min, then raise temp to 167F, lauter and sparge w/ 4 gal of 170F water. Collect about 5.5 gal of runoff. Add cluster hops and bring to a full and vigorous boil.

You Rock!!!

 

[BrewmanBeing]

I notice there is no perle in those recipes.

 

[puravida286]

I notice there is no perle in those recipes.

I hear Perle is the main hop in SNPA, which is why I ordered some for my first attempt at my own IPA recipe

 

[todd_k]

Ok, someone call Papazian and tell him he's wrong.

 

[seyahmit]

That recipe seems awfully light, in color and OG. According to ProMash the color is only 3.8 SRM and a 1.043 OG for 5 gallons.

 

[chillHayze]

That recipe seems awfully light, in color and OG. According to ProMash the color is only 3.8 SRM and a 1.043 OG for 5 gallons.

Maybe 1980's malts were darker? 1.043 will make a decent alcohol brew. I wouldn't suppose it's too far off.

 

[seyahmit]

I'm sure it would make a fine Blonde Ale.

There is a multi-page thread on the Northern Brewer forum, in which a guy posted a SNPA clone recipe. He said he had help from a brewer at Sierra Nevada. For the most part, everybody that brewed that recipe said the taste is spot on, but a little darker in color.

 

[BrewmanBeing]

I'm sure it would make a fine Blonde Ale.

There is a multi-page thread on the Northern Brewer forum, in which a guy posted a SNPA clone recipe. He said he had help from a brewer at Sierra Nevada. For the most part, everybody that brewed that recipe said the taste is spot on, but a little darker in color.

Are the hops in SNPA Perle or Cascade?

 

[seyahmit]

According to Sierra Nevada's website, the Pale Ale has Magnum and Perle for bittering and Cascade for finishing.

EDIT: In case anybody was interested in the SNPA Clone recipe I mentioned earlier, Click Here

 

[djamwolfe]

Thanks so much, Ive been looking for a good clone.

 

[fa1321tx]

Malt Extract recipe (I also have the AG recipe if needed)

6.5# American LME
8oz American crystal malt 10L
1oz Cluster 7.5% - 60 min
1oz Cascade 5% - 30 min
3/4oz Tettnanger (Santiam may be substituted) 4.5% - 30 min
1/2oz Cascade - 1 min
1/2oz Tettnanger (Santiam may be substituted) - 1 min
1/4tsp powdered Irish Moss
Wyeast American Ale yeast #1056
3/4cup corn sugar for botting OR .33 cups for kegging

Thanks started getting allot of pm for this and have been too busy to post sorry guys.

The instructions also said to ferment at 70F for a week or until fermentation calms.
Rack to the secondary and cellar at 55F for a week. Not sure if will make a big difference but I followed these instructions and it came out awesome!