American IPA Stone Ruination Clone

[theveganbrewer]

Had a winning comment on this beer last night. Gave a bottle to my brother and he took a sip and said, "this tastes just the that beer you gave me with the gargoyle on it."

 

[CastleBlack]

Had a winning comment on this beer last night. Gave a bottle to my brother and he took a sip and said, "this tastes just the that beer you gave me with the gargoyle on it."

He just got initiated to the world of Stone Clones and it seems you did a really good job on this one. Keep it up and keep it hoppy!

PS: Speaking of hoppy, I ordered some Columbus rhizomes this year (next yrs crop). I 'd rather go with Centennial or Chinook but Rebel Brewer was out of stock. Made any decent CTZ IPAs?

 

[jerryteague]

I'm gonna have to try the extract recipe for this one. Maybe next month, after I get a couple more batches brewed (gotta get the pipeline full before I do anything else).

 

[boostinbyeu]

Gonna pick up stuff to do this recipe during the weekend.

 

[theveganbrewer]

He just got initiated to the world of Stone Clones and it seems you did a really good job on this one. Keep it up and keep it hoppy!

PS: Speaking of hoppy, I ordered some Columbus rhizomes this year (next yrs crop). I 'd rather go with Centennial or Chinook but Rebel Brewer was out of stock. Made any decent CTZ IPAs?

Nothing with the CTZ, though I have a pound of them in the freezer. If I get something good I'll pm you.

 

[blitzcreeg]

ill be trying this out saturday, only difference is i will be using crystal 60.

 

[CastleBlack]

Nothing with the CTZ, though I have a pound of them in the freezer. If I get something good I'll pm you.

thanks vegan i appreciate. I am not a bog CTZ single hop fan but i guess it bitters/complements well my favorite hops. I ll do some searching, maybe I can find something good for the both of us to brew, get rid of those Columbus.

As for the brew, Ruination Clone has now been moved to the 'Conditioning Chamber" oh yeah...

Tried the hydro sample, amazing!
then tried the bottling bucket sample, amazing!
then tried some the trube sample after I put it to "lager out" a bit so the hops would coagulate, again, Amazing!

I got a very strong alcohol taste up front (typical for my super young brews), followed by a raw hop bitterness and got the Columbus addition over the Centennials. That was a bit odd to be since there should be little to no CTZ flavor in there. Nonetheless, a very promising brew, surely cloning it again. I wonder how this would come out with some Simcoe instead of Columbus. Oh well, in any case cant wait for the 3 week sample and the 4 week unveiling!

Happy brewing to ya all.

 

[JimTheHick]

Anyone try bairds light carastan in this or have thoughts on how it would affect the recipe? I've recently been trying the regular and light carastan in a couple recipes and like the result.

 

[CastleBlack]

Anyone try bairds light carastan in this or have thoughts on how it would affect the recipe? I've recently been trying the regular and light carastan in a couple recipes and like the result.

I am all for experimenting Jim but I think with carastan you would get something like an english pale ale at best or a light brown ale at worse. Its just not my thing personally. I would change the c-20 its there to promote the hops I think. This beer is an IBU monster, I wouldnt want it maltier than it already it.

On the other hand I am a fool for American type ales, so there is my bias. If you make it let us know how it went.

Happy brewing to ya.

 

[JimTheHick]

I am all for experimenting Jim but I think with carastan you would get something like an english pale ale at best or a light brown ale at worse. Its just not my thing personally. I would change the c-20 its there to promote the hops I think. This beer is an IBU monster, I wouldnt want it maltier than it already it.

On the other hand I am a fool for American type ales, so there is my bias. If you make it let us know how it went.

Happy brewing to ya.

Thanks for the feedback. My thought process was that carastan would be more of a sweet toffee flavor with more toast whereas the C20 would be just plain sweet.

Looks like inversion ipa from deschutes uses a mix of carastan and crystal. Think I'll go this route!

 

[CastleBlack]

Thanks for the feedback. My thought process was that carastan would be more of a sweet toffee flavor with more toast whereas the C20 would be just plain sweet.

Looks like inversion ipa from deschutes uses a mix of carastan and crystal. Think I'll go this route!

Yup its toffee like alright, but I am not sure you are gonna get that with the light version of it, specially considering that the plain carastan is already not so toffee like (special B now thats toffee to the max!). I think Ruination has a good balance between hops and malt, perhaps a mix might be a good idea. That would set you in the right path for such future experiments too.

Its actually not a bad idea, I highly encourage it.

Happy brewing.

 

[JimTheHick]

Yup its toffee like alright, but I am not sure you are gonna get that with the light version of it, specially considering that the plain carastan is already not so toffee like (special B now thats toffee to the max!). I think Ruination has a good balance between hops and malt, perhaps a mix might be a good idea. That would set you in the right path for such future experiments too.

Its actually not a bad idea, I highly encourage it.

Happy brewing.

I can't remember if it was Stone or Green Flash (thinking green flash) on CYBI mentioning how much they liked the carastan malts in an ipa. Note check: I used the carastan (1.25lb/6g) in a sorta clone of GF west coast ipa with added sorachi ace flavoring hops. It's pretty good, unique flavor. At first I didn't care for it, but with two months on the bottles it's a solid brew.

 

[CastleBlack]

Sounds like you might have stumbled upon something good there Jim. Please do post more if you go in that direction.

Happy brewing to ya!

 

[scottland]

I de-carbonated, and took a sample of real Ruination tonight. FG is 1.011 in case anyone is wondering

 

[JimTheHick]

I de-carbonated, and took a sample of real Ruination tonight. FG is 1.011 in case anyone is wondering

Wow. Guess that means dry English 007, or as yooper said a well attenuating yeast.

 

[CastleBlack]

I de-carbonated, and took a sample of real Ruination tonight. FG is 1.011 in case anyone is wondering

Oh that is really good to know Scottland, much obliged.

Mine did finish a bit lower (1.008) but not too low, thus raising the ABV.

Thanks again. Happy brewing.

 

[letmeholleratya]

I de-carbonated, and took a sample of real Ruination tonight. FG is 1.011 in case anyone is wondering

Wow, i think mine finished close to 1.020... but it also was around a 1.080 to start with.

 

[scottland]

They most likely have a +/- 0.5 Plato tolerance, so it's probably either:
1.009-1.011
1.010-1.012
1.011-1.013

But ya, my bomber bottled last month was 1.011. Tasted just like I remember.

 

[ScottSingleton]

This is on my brew schedule for the weekend. I've three different yeasts in the bank and I'm trying to decide on and I want to get the started kicked off Wed.

My Choices are:

WLP039 (Notty)
PacMan
San Diego Super Strain

All of these are high attenuators -- any recommendations?

 

[CastleBlack]

This is on my brew schedule for the weekend. I've three different yeasts in the bank and I'm trying to decide on and I want to get the started kicked off Wed.

My Choices are:

WLP039 (Notty)
PacMan
San Diego Super Strain

All of these are high attenuators -- any recommendations?

Mash temp provided Pacman sounds like a winner to me.

I ll try and bring my Ruination on the 11th but it ll be 2 weeks young.

Happy brewing to ya!

 

[hogwash]

So mine went through a weird period after about 4 weeks in the bottle. At 2 weeks, the flavor was great but it still needed more carbonation, of course. At 4 it seemed like the body had dropped out and the good flavor with it. I was heartbroken. But now at 7 weeks or so it seems to be on the upswing. I don't think I've evr had a beer get worse before it gets better. Have certainly had them be not great and get much better. This is not a knock on the recipe, I'm sure it has to do with my process rather than the recipe. Anyway, just thought I'd note this. But it's turning back into greatness!

 

[CastleBlack]

So mine went through a weird period after about 4 weeks in the bottle. At 2 weeks, the flavor was great but it still needed more carbonation, of course. At 4 it seemed like the body had dropped out and the good flavor with it. I was heartbroken. But now at 7 weeks or so it seems to be on the upswing. I don't think I've evr had a beer get worse before it gets better. Have certainly had them be not great and get much better. This is not a knock on the recipe, I'm sure it has to do with my process rather than the recipe. Anyway, just thought I'd note this. But it's turning back into greatness!

Bad bottle perhaps?

 

[hogwash]

Bad bottle perhaps?

No, tried a couple at that mark and they were all bad. It still has just a touch of funky flavor but it has mostly dissipated.

 

[CastleBlack]

Sounds good mate, I guess it has to go through its stage. I have noticed it happen too often with my IPAs. Always thought the sooner the better since hop aroma does dissipate through time but that isnt always true. IPAs i have come to notice do have have a peak and it does depend on the gravity as well among other things (type of hops, IBUs, amount of dry hops etc...)

Happy brewing to ya and glad it worked out.

 

[Frankiesurf]

I have been drinking this clone for a couple of weeks now. I think it is actually better than the original in a side by side tasting.

 

[CastleBlack]

I have been drinking this clone for a couple of weeks now. I think it is actually better than the original in a side by side tasting.

Glad to hear that, mine is conditioning and I cant wait to break one open. I probably will at our next local homebrew gathering.

Happy brewing to ya.

 

[straycat]

Damn, I can't wait. Bottled two weeks ago. Usually keg but figured this would be a good one to throw into bombers. Ended up with an extra pint at bottling time and it was fantastic. Will post pics and review next weekend. Hop hop.

 

[CastleBlack]

This one is for the bottle, thats for sure!

 

[letmeholleratya]

I kegged mine and it was gone in 3 weeks. Sounds like less work to me

 

[Josh_K]

I just started on a keg of this and it's very good. I used Safale US-05 which performed very well. Mine has been carbonating in the keg for a couple weeks and tastes good and fresh without the hops tasting too green and astringent. I need to get a bottle of Ruination though so I can A/B them and see if I'm missing anything. But I'll use any excuse available to buy a bottle of Ruination as it's one of my favorite beers.

I've got another keg of this sitting back that I didn't dry hop so I hope to see if I can perceive a difference or not. Thanks for the recipe!