American IPA Stone Ruination Clone

[jbambuti]

Don't worry so much. Yes, adding that extra pound of extract would have upped your OG. Your beer will just be a bit more hoppy than you expected. To some of us, that might be a good thing. I've made this recipe several times and I keep changing it to suit my tastes. I've raised the OG and added more hops to compensate, because I like bigger IIPA's. On the last batch, I went all Amarillo and added a bit of dextrose to get my FG a little lower. I'm also adding more dry hops. Obviously it will be nowhere near a clone, but I'm really after a beer that I love, regardless of the similarity to the original. I'll post my results when it's finished.
Relax and enjoy the process.

 

[Grasslands]

Snuck a taste of mine and even though it needs around a week more to fully prime, the sucker tastes awesome! Very very close to the original!

 

[DMace]

I gave the extract version of this recipe a shot. Only I missed the part about a 2 1/2 gallon boil and only boiled 1 3/4 gallons. The result was that most of my DME turned to hard candy when I added the final four pounds at flame out. I did manage to add some water and dissolve most of it, but had a slight caramelized flavor when I tasted the hydrometer sample... which read 1.058. I've read about other home brewers on here having the sugars caramelize because of a boil over, but never read about my situation. Anyway, should I expect a bad batch? Anyone share a similar experience?

 

[jbambuti]

I usually add my DME a little at a time, while whisking it in. This saves me the trouble of melting the 'hard candy' from dumping it all at once.

The caramelized flavor you describe, unless you truly carmelized it, which is doubtful at flameout, is probably the Caramel 20L. Mine have had a slight caramel taste, which I like. Can't say if yours if from that, or if it has that burned sugar taste. If it's the latter, maybe it came from your first addition.

 

[Grasslands]

Did a side-by-side taste test last night and it was dead on! Color is a tad bit darker however plus a much more noticeable aroma of cascade hops - I'll post pictures soon enough. SWMBO actually preferred mine!

 

[RichBenn]

Did a side-by-side taste test last night and it was dead on! Color is a tad bit darker however plus a much more noticeable aroma of cascade hops - I'll post pictures soon enough. SWMBO actually preferred mine!

I can't wait to taste mine! A week of cold crash, then dry hop in the keg for a week or two and then it's sample time! It'll be nice to get to this IIPA after running out of my last Pale Ale.

Rich

 

[Jeebas]

I'm thinking of trying this recipe out for my first non-ingredient kit batch... How long should I leave this to condition in the bottles? Longer than 3 weeks?

 

[BioBeing]

An Imperial IPA usually does well being drunk fresh, so just give it long enough to carbonate (I was drinking my Pliny after less than 2 weeks, and it was awesome). My Ruination has only been in the bottles for a few days though, so that is not long enough

 

[jerzeedevil13]

Im going to dry hop mine this weekend, it's just taking toooooo long.
Cant wait to start sampling. Another month or so for me
Whats better? whole hops or pellets ? and would you use a bag or just dump them in there ?

 

[Grasslands]

Im going to dry hop mine this weekend, it's just taking toooooo long.
Cant wait to start sampling. Another month or so for me
Whats better? whole hops or pellets ? and would you use a bag or just dump them in there ?

I used whole hops and just racked on top of them. Not sure what the pros/cons would be for using pellets though.

 

[BioBeing]

Pellets tend to disintegrate. If you put them in not in a bag, they'll make you beer cloudy. I've done this, and its OK, but not ideal. If you use pellets I'd suggest a bag. Leaf hops can go straight in (or go into a bag).

 

[RichBenn]

If yours is not well enough attenuated, mine will probably be just the opposite! Just got it into the carboy. I had tried using beersmith's calcs for water into grain vs. my usual grain into pre-heated tun and water, and, to make a long story short, it mashed mostly a few degrees less than I had planned. I usually hit it right on!

OK, it won't be even slightly malty. Then there is that US-05 yeast attenuation, where I'm always over 80%, even with higher mash temps. It could be I'm drinking hop extract! Alcohol and hops. Good thing I like hops! We'll see.....

After 3 weeks primary, I got down to 1.010 (from 1.074!!!). I got a taste as I transfered to cold crash -- sure doesn't taste like 8.1% alchohol! The 108 IBUs are not at all overwhelming (no carbonation yet, though). This one is going to be scary - easy to quaff but high alcohol.

Can't wait to get the gas on it. Gonna dry hop in the keg for the freshest aroma....

Rich

 

[Helms]

I brewed this up as a partial mash two weeks ago. I was a bit worried about getting poor attenuation due to the extract, so I mashed 5 1/2 pounds of grain at 148-149 for 90 minutes. I fermented it at 62 degrees and Nottingham took it from 1.073 to 1.010. Hehe..oops. Even with the low fermentation temperature, I had some pretty violent blow off activity. The hydrometer sample tasted fantastic. Definitely a dangerous drink. I can't wait to try it after the dry hopping.

 

[Shepherd5]

I brewed this up as a partial mash two weeks ago. I was a bit worried about getting poor attenuation due to the extract, so I mashed 5 1/2 pounds of grain at 148-149 for 90 minutes. I fermented it at 62 degrees and Nottingham took it from 1.073 to 1.010. Hehe..oops. Even with the low fermentation temperature, I had some pretty violent blow off activity. The hydrometer sample tasted fantastic. Definitely a dangerous drink. I can't wait to try it after the dry hopping.

What was your reason for using Nottingham and not Pacman yeast or maybe or maybe a California #5 yeast?

 

[bkov]

do you think 10% of the DME should be replaced with sugar to help it finish low enough?

 

[bkov]

also instead of buying centennials, would any of these be close enough to substitute with? Cascade, amarillo, columbus, magnum, mt hood

 

[jerzeedevil13]

Not sure about the sugar but I only got down to 1016 so possibly but I'm no expert.
Also, my handy Hop Lovers Guide says :
Centennial AA - 8-11.5% ( Alpha Acid )
Typical beer style - All Ale Styles, has been used with wheat beer.
Possible substitutes - Cascade, Columbus or blend of the two.
Flavor Description - Medium with floral and citrus tones.

I decided to go with 2oz of centennial whole leaf, dry hopping as we speak, couple more days to bottle...smells heavenly, cant wait.

 

[jbambuti]

I'm doing the basic recipe, but have substituted all amarillo. Hydro sample tasted fabulous. Looking forward to dry hopping this in a few days. However, it is now its own DIPA, not a clone in any way. I don't care. I just want to make delicious beer.

 

[Shepherd5]

I am open to improving on the clone recipe, because honestly, ruination is a bit too sour tasting.

 

[Grasslands]

I have a foam/head question. It's been well over 3 weeks since I bottled my Ruination clone and I'm having an issue with foam. Basically, when poured, it's acting like it's only been 1 week or 2 in the priming phase - and half of the pint glass becomes foam.

I'm not sure if it needs more time to calm down as it was a bit of a bigger beer or what else is causing the foam. Any thoughts?

 

[BioBeing]

I have a foam/head question. It's been well over 3 weeks since I bottled my Ruination clone and I'm having an issue with foam. Basically, when poured, it's acting like it's only been 1 week or 2 in the priming phase - and half of the pint glass becomes foam.

I'm not sure if it needs more time to calm down as it was a bit of a bigger beer or what else is causing the foam. Any thoughts?

Have you chilled it down well before opening? I find it really takes a few days in the fridge to get the CO2 to go into the liquid (C02 is more soluble in the beer when cold).

 

[Grasslands]

Have you chilled it down well before opening? I find it really takes a few days in the fridge to get the CO2 to go into the liquid (C02 is more soluble in the beer when cold).

It's been well chilled and had plenty of time to condition in the bottle. I'm thinking that because it was dry-hopped, the normal amount of priming sugar may have been too much in this case.

 

[SexPanther13]

Should the DME version maybe include more lbs of DME because it seems that everyone doing that version has come up sort on OG. Mine came out at 1.040 with 8lbs and 1lb crystal so I boiled up another lb of DME I had laying around and brought it up to 1.052.

 

[Yooper]

Should the DME version maybe include more lbs of DME because it seems that everyone doing that version has come up sort on OG. Mine came out at 1.040 with 8lbs and 1lb crystal so I boiled up another lb of DME I had laying around and brought it up to 1.052.

I don't think it's possible to get 1.040 with 8 pounds of DME. You should get 1.070ish. Are you sure it was mixed up well? Sometimes the "heavier" wort sinks and if you take a sample from the top you could get a low OG reading.

DME should give you 44 gravity points per pound. 8 pounds is 352 gravity points. Divided by 5 (the gallons you're making) and you come up with 70.40. That means you should get about 1.0704 from 8 pounds DME in 5 gallons.

 

[Jeebas]

Should the DME version maybe include more lbs of DME because it seems that everyone doing that version has come up sort on OG. Mine came out at 1.040 with 8lbs and 1lb crystal so I boiled up another lb of DME I had laying around and brought it up to 1.052.

1.040? With 8 lbs of DME?

I just brewed the extract version two days ago, replacing the 20L Crystal with 60L Crystal and subbing Warrior for Magnum, adding the last 4 lbs of DME at flame out and my OG was 1.083. A little over what this recipe projected but not too bad.

 

[SexPanther13]

Well I now have 9lbs of Munton's Extra Light DME in my 5 gallon fermenter. So I guess we'll see. Maybe it was all down at the bottom I don't know, I even calibrated my hydrometer with tap water because I was surprised by how low my OG was. I'm thinking about dry hopping with the 2oz Centennial plus the .25 of Magnum that was left over from the boil, I've never used Magnum in anything before but it smelled like it would make a good dry hop.

 

[BioBeing]

It's been well chilled and had plenty of time to condition in the bottle. I'm thinking that because it was dry-hopped, the normal amount of priming sugar may have been too much in this case.

I don't see what dry hopping would do the amount of sugar you need, unless you just mean that you racked over less volume to the bottling bucket that you expected. You prime based on the volume in the bottling bucket. The hops will soak up some liquid, but not enough to seriously affect the amount of sugar you use.

How much sugar did you actually put in what final volume (and what temp was the fermentation at)?


I also tasted my first bottle of this last night. Mine was a PM, and finished a touch high (1.015), so is just a little sweet. But man, it was full of grapefruit flavor, it almost tasted like a fresh grapefruit. So much fresher than any bottle of Ruination I've ever had. And then the enamel stripping bitterness comes through... Very good!

 

[Grasslands]

I don't see what dry hopping would do the amount of sugar you need, unless you just mean that you racked over less volume to the bottling bucket that you expected. You prime based on the volume in the bottling bucket. The hops will soak up some liquid, but not enough to seriously affect the amount of sugar you use.

How much sugar did you actually put in what final volume (and what temp was the fermentation at)?

I put in what I've put in every batch I've made so far...3/4 cup for 5 gallons and the temp was at 65-68 for the entire primary/secondary fermentation.

Somebody else made the suggestion that dry hopping might add to slightly more carbonation.

 

[BrewBrain]

I think we need to haul US-05 in for rehab. Mine went from 1.074 to 1.012. I guess 152* was too cool, but I might like it better anyway. IPA's are best nice and dry IMO. The alcohol is more than I wanted now though. I was shooting for just under 7% and got just over 8%

First time brewing a beer this big (new bigger pot), so I assumed the yeast would peter out a bit. Guess not

 

[SexPanther13]

So since I'm now going to have a higher alcohol content than I should, should I now dry hop with more hops? Will that extra alcohol diminish my hop flavor? I have time to get more hops if needed. Its only been in the fermenter since Sunday morning. All I have to dry hop with right now is the 2oz of Centennials that the recipe called for.