Troeg's Mad Elf

[SavoryChef]

Does anyone have this beer from bewery? Im on west coast, wa and I cant find. Can I order? Im willing to pay for beer as well as shipping cost. Id like to brew this bad but hard to make that call never tasting the origanal. Thxs

Head over to the trading section and ask there. You'll need something to trade. But not sure if its still available. I have 5 bottles left but not sure if I want to part with.

 

[theck]

Does anyone have this beer from bewery? Im on west coast, wa and I cant find. Can I order? Im willing to pay for beer as well as shipping cost. Id like to brew this bad but hard to make that call never tasting the origanal. Thxs

It's only out during the holiday. The last year's batch IMO was kinda bad compared to previous years anyhow, seemed way hot and not as tasty.

 

[aslander]

Theck is right, as it is a seasonal beer that usually comes out around Thanksgiving.

I actually saved two bottles from the holidays in order to compare my clone. I used one of them for my comparison. The other one I still have and could potentially part with. I'm just not really familiar with trading or any west coast beers I might trade for.

I'll actually post next with my notes on the comparison and some pics.

 

[aslander]

I brewed this on February 6th. Here is my recipe. I added the honey a few days into fermentation. After about 3-4 weeks in primary, I racked to secondary and added the cherry juice and cherry preserves. Here is my recipe from BeerSmith

======================================
Mad Elf
Belgian Specialty Ale (16 E)Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 4.10 gal
Boil Size: 6.24 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 4.37 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 3.60 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Date: 03 Mar 2014
Brewer: Blake
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: 7.5 gal BIAB
Efficiency: 81.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.0 %
Taste Rating: 30.0

Taste Notes: Should be 11% gravity and 15 IBU

Added 8 oz of mixed berry preserves and 32 oz of cherry juice

Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU
9 lbs 1.6 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 75.0 %
1 lbs 6.4 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.5 %
2.2 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 1.1 %
0.80 oz Saaz [2.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 10.2 IBUs
0.40 oz Saaz [2.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 3.9 IBUs
0.35 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh (2012) [4.80 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 5.7 IBUs
0.67 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh (2012) [4.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 5.1 IBUs
2.0 pkg Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [35.49 ml] Yeast 8 -
1 lbs 8.0 oz Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 9 12.4 %

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color
Est Original Gravity: 1.091 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 10.3 %
Bitterness: 25.0 IBUs
Est Color: 11.2 SRM Measured Original Gravity: 1.091 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 10.2 %
Calories: 313.8 kcal/12oz
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Sparge Water: 2.34 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE
Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 2.1 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20 Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 13.29 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 7.44 qt of water at 200.7 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 2.34 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle
Pressure/Weight: 2.83 oz
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Carbonation Used: Bottle with 2.83 oz Corn Sugar
Age for: 30.00 days
Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes
7.1 gallon: total water
4.1 gallon: mash
3.0 gallon: sparge
-------------
Pre-boil Volume: 5.5

Post-boil OG: 1.078 @ 4.1 gallons 81% efficiency

Had a little trouble with mash temp initially.
1.75L starter
19c ferm temp to start

Added 32oz tart cherry juice and 2 oz cherry preserves.
================================================


This is a picture of the cherry juice I used. I couldn't find any good real cherries, and wasn't keen on using pie filling. Canned cherries I managed to find at one store, but it would have cost me about 20 bucks for the cherries I needed. I wound up buying this for about 7 bucks.

As for the comparison. Mine is on the left, the real is on the right:

Mine looks darker, but it's really not much darker. Mine had much better head retention, and the head blocked some light and made it seem a lot darker. The head on mine was white, while the head on the real stuff was a light caramel color and dissipated quickly.

Also, here was a shot from a few weeks before I did the comparison. It was a bit cloudier, as it was soon after I kegged and I never used gelatin on this.

As for tasting, overall both my wife and I thought mine tasted better. It had less cherry flavor that the real stuff. Otherwise, I couldn't tell the difference between the two. I've had about 10 people sample it, and they all love it. There is no noticable heat, it doesn't take like it is 12%. I had a fellow brewer over a couple nights ago and we sampled about 5 different homebrews I had available. He liked the Mad Elf the most. I may have to brew another batch sooner than the holidays. My wife and I had this on tap and I had to take it off because we were burning through it. Overall, I don't think there is much I would change about my recipe--despite the fact that people on this thread have gotten more information in the past 2 months from Troeg's.

 

[wobrien]

Does anyone have this beer from bewery? Im on west coast, wa and I cant find. Can I order? Im willing to pay for beer as well as shipping cost. Id like to brew this bad but hard to make that call never tasting the origanal. Thxs

I have a bunch in my cellar, about 2 cases worth mixed between 2011, 2012, and 2013 vintages. What part of CA are you from? PM me if you want to make a small trade.

 

[millie]

Im from washougal, wa. Bout 15 mins from portland, ore. I love to make a trade. I got some santas private reserve from rouge if your interested.

 

[c2mcclel]

Poptarts, is there an easy way to convert that extract recipe so it's for a 5 gallon batch?

 

[poptarts]

yea scale everything

 

[theck]

Poptarts, is there an easy way to convert that extract recipe so it's for a 5 gallon batch?

You can use beersmith to do it. I'll send you my results later.

 

[theck]

No idea if this will be good but:Recipe:

Mad Elf Clone -extract
TYPE: Extract
Style: Fruit Beer
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 11.2 SRM SRM RANGE: 3.0-50.0 SRM
IBU: 16.5 IBUs Tinseth IBU RANGE: 5.0-70.0 IBUs
OG: 1.083 SG OG RANGE: 1.030-1.110 SG
FG: 1.016 SG FG RANGE: 1.004-1.024 SG
BU:GU: 0.200 Calories: 263.9 kcal/12oz Est ABV: 8.8 %
EE%: 70.00 % Batch: 5.50 gal Boil: 7.74 gal BT: 60 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 0.1 oz Total Hops: 2.09 oz oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.40 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.4 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1 0.7 %


---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 72.0 F/72.0 F
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.059 SG Est OG: 1.083 SG
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
9 lbs 1.7 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 2 75.9 %
10.3 oz Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 3 5.3 %
1.05 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 4 12.1 IBUs
1.05 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 4.4 IBUs

 

[aslander]

So this is the new recipe I came up with based on these numbers and I think it must be pretty damn close. The good news is they recipe just got a ton cheaper since we went from multiple pounds of honey to only .25 for a 5 gallon batch.

Just looking back at this, I find it hard to believe that they would only use .05 lbs of honey per gallon. That's such a small amount that I would think they wouldnt be advertising it on the label if they are including .4% honey out of all the ingredients. I'm guessing they put .05 instead of .5 lbs per gallon.

 

[poptarts]

Honey is crazy expensive and pretty much sugar, so if they can supplement honey with just plain table sugar I'm sure that they would. Plenty of people advertise the spices they put in beer and those obviously make up a very small percentage of the ingredients. I plan on brewing it they way they said with the .05 lbs/gal this fall and ill update with results.
I just feel like .05 is a hard typo to make off of .5

 

[wobrien]

I just feel like .05 is a hard typo to make off of .5

True, unless they meant to type 0.5

 

[poptarts]

fair enough

 

[seckert]

Getting close to the time to brew this so it is on hand and ready to drink when the weather cools down. I am going to brew this hopefully sometime in August to have ready for End of Oct/beginning of Nov. What are you guys all going to do?

 

[poptarts]

im going to brew the recipe i posted some time this winter, i still have about 6 gallons of my last batch just aging away in the cellar.

 

[SavoryChef]

I added 3# tart cherries to mine, so its way tart. I'm probably gonna brew a double batch and blend half.

 

[SavoryChef]

Clone on the left, 2013 on the right. I'm pretty sure this beer has caramunich for the color and caramel flavor. Low cherry flavor on both.

 

[aslander]

I'm pretty sure this beer has caramunich for the color and caramel flavor.

Nope: http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/mad_elf_ale.aspx

I revised last years recipe slightly and brewed it 3 weeks ago. I used Willamette for bittering, and added 2 lbs of honey mixed with 32oz of organic tart cherry juice about 3/4 of the way through fermentation. Fermented starting at 65 for 36 hours then raise to 66 for 12 hours.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.20 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.50 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.75 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.106 SG
Estimated Color: 12.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 71.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 77.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
17 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) UK (1.0 SRM) Grain 1 73.1 %
4 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 17.2 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 1.1 %
1.25 oz Willamette [5.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 14.8 IBUs
1.10 oz Saaz [2.90 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 5 4.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh (2012) [4.80 %] Hop 6 4.0 IBUs
2.9 pkg Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [35.49 Yeast 7 -
2 lbs Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 8 8.6 %


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 23 lbs 4.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 27.37 qt of water at 163.3 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 14.88 qt of water at 201.6 F 168.0 F 10 min

 

[1fast636]

With the cans of cherries are you guys draining the juice before or everything going in?

 

[poptarts]

I dont plan on it, I just plan on adding the sugar in the syrup and subtracting that from my sugar addition.

 

[1fast636]

Just got all the ingredients using wlp530 brewing Sunday if all goes right $52 at the brew store not as bad as I was expecting and 10 was to pbw so 42 for hops grain and yeast

 

[1fast636]

Getting honey and cherries at store

 

[1fast636]

Brew day just got my water and honey will have to get my cherries at the local giant my small store only had sour cherries in the can no sweet.

 

[1fast636]

Just wrapped up and hit all my numbers on the dot OG of 1.101 can't wait to see how it turns out



This the color we are going for this was pre boil I snag a pic of my sample once it cools down,

 

[Dog House Brew]

What efficiency drop do you get with this high gravity? I dropped almost 10%

 

[1fast636]

I gained efficiency but think that's because of me moving to a Manifold rather then the braided hose, I hit all numbers on the dot on this brew some how lol, well on beersmiths numbers lol

 

[Dog House Brew]

I only use a manifold too. I must not have sparged well. The grain bed was so huge. I did 12.5 gallons, and I think my mixing must be the culprit. Not often do I do 60# grain bills. I need to make a mash paddle, ditch the spoon. Never had this beer, hope mine is as good as everyone's.

 

[1fast636]

Well mine was only 6gal batch so no where close to 60# grain bill lol mine was pretty easy think around 20#, I bottom feed my mash too with gravity for no dough balls and wow I will never do it another way again amazing how nice it mashed for like I said I might of gotten lucky too being my first time with manifold hit all my heating numbers and some how all Gravity numbers came out on the dot to. I'm pretty excited from this brew day that's for sure

 

[1fast636]

Not sure why my pics arnt working is this the color we're going for



Picture with alittle light this was before boil tho so alittle different