Troeg's Mad Elf

[1fast636]

Dam cope when the yeast drops mine comes out half as good looking as that, how many # of cheeries did you have yours sitting on

 

[poptarts]

I used 6 cans of Oregon cherries for that batch half sweet and half tart i believe. My recipe is in there like a year back or so, although I will be brewing my version 2 recipe here in a few months, its like a page or 2 back in this thread.

 

[aslander]

Did Comparison of 2013 Mad Elf (right) and my 2nd version. Mine is darker, likely because I experimented and upped the chocolate malt a bit. My head was more of a white, while the real stuff had a light brown head. Retention was the same. Flavor was almost identical but my wife and I preferred mine slightly more. I can't say why though... I tried pointing out the flavor difference but it was slight and indescribable to me. On my next batch, I will lower the chocolate malt back but keep everything else the same. I think I may try fermenting warmer to see if I can make it more belgiany

 

[1fast636]

I used 6 cans of Oregon cherries for that batch half sweet and half tart i believe. My recipe is in there like a year back or so, although I will be brewing my version 2 recipe here in a few months, its like a page or 2 back in this thread.

There is my problem on the red color I used 2 cans sweet and tart but the taste is pretty much spot on guess we will see in 6 days when I bottle she is starting to clean her self up
Now and clearing we shall see

 

[1fast636]

Well bottles about two weeks ago so threw a bottle in the fridge and slight to no carb but was very surprised on my color and how close it is, once chill have fades should be spot on from the looks of it what do you guys think, how long did it take for your bottles to carb up?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1418162609.747107.jpg

 

[poptarts]

I added 1118 at bottling time so took a standard 2 weeks for me.

 

[1fast636]

Threw a bottle in the beer fridge to see where I'm at hoping its carbed for Christmas party this weekend and Christmas Eve will up date when I pop the top

 

[1fast636]

Well finally carbed and drinks so smooth and easy it's scary being 12+%, still has slight chill haze think when chill haze fades color should be really close

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421104655.321013.jpg

 

[Culln5]

Just did a gravity reading on the real deal, it is 1.014. So still planning on brewing my recipe i posted way earlier this year with the cane sugar and .05 lbs/gal honey. The email info seems to be accurate.

http://files.samfoust.com/Uploads/madelf2.html

I'm leaning towards this recipe..... Did you, or anyone else, ever brew it?

 

[poptarts]

I'm leaning towards this recipe..... Did you, or anyone else, ever brew it?

I still have yet to brew that but I still feel this is the closest clone recipe. V1 was pretty close, the tweaks this one makes should drive it home. Just dont let the yeast get too hot too fast.

 

[seckert]

I have brewed this twice now, never with the sugar added, also I think I was using 2# honey at flameout. I'm going to make this very soon. I think I will try your v2 and see how it comes out. If nothing else I will save $ on way less honey!

 

[Culln5]

Just did a gravity reading on the real deal, it is 1.014. So still planning on brewing my recipe i posted way earlier this year with the cane sugar and .05 lbs/gal honey. The email info seems to be accurate.

http://files.samfoust.com/Uploads/madelf2.html

I brewed a 1 gallon version of this new recipe yesterday. She clocked in at 1.104.

It's currently fermenting away at 68°. What fermentation schedule is suggested?

 

[seckert]

Looking forward to brewing this again next brew...it will be my third time making it. Going to get it just perfect this time!

 

[seckert]

Well, it's the time of year to make this! Lots of grain to grind up! But so worth it!

View attachment 1444566643364.jpg

 

[Culln5]

I brewed a one gallon V2 of this the end of September. OG was 1.104 and was 1.022 after one week in the primary. At 11% I figured I would throw it in the secondary and add the cherries. A week on the cherries and into the bottles she went.

My questions are:

• Is a 14 day fermentation sufficient? (7 day primary/7 day secondary)
  
• Without thinking about fermentation, I bottled this without any additions to stop fermentation. Just 1 carbing tab in 16oz grolsch bottles...... Should I be worried about bottle bombs?
  
• How long should they stay in the bottles?

 

[MollyHatchet]

I am just getting this recipe cleaned up in Beersmith, I plan on three weeks primary, three weeks secondary (with cherries) then kegging for a period of time. I usually like to keg, and age most of my beers, especially a Belgian like this. I usually get some of this each year, I drink a few, but found I like it better after it ages for a year. I have two 12 oz, and five 22 oz left over from last year.

To try and answer your question, don't rush it, I don't think you will get bombs, but you really want to give a beer this size all the time it needs. Let us know how it comes out for you.

PS: I just saw Troegs just released Mad elf this past weekend locally, and should be showing elsewhere soon.

 

[seckert]

I typically do primary for three weeks and secondary for three weeks over the cherries as well. Then give it about 2 weeks in the keg before you think about drinking any.
That's what I have done in years past anyway...

 

[MollyHatchet]

Question!!! I am planning on brewing this with in a week or so. I plan on using the sweet / sour Oregon cherries. How many cans should I use in the secondary? I currently have one can of each, will this be enough, or should I get more? Thanks for your impute!......

 

[milldoggy]

I did 1.5 of the puree sweet and 3 cans of sour per 5 g

 

[MollyHatchet]

Thanks, I was thinking one of each, but after looking at postings here I may not have enough

 

[VipperOfVipp]

Hi Poptarts,

I have been reading through the posts, but I had a question. Here you state you used 6 cans of cherries:

I used 6 cans of Oregon cherries for that batch half sweet and half tart i believe. My recipe is in there like a year back or so, although I will be brewing my version 2 recipe here in a few months, its like a page or 2 back in this thread.

But on your V2 recipe page it states .4lbs per gallon split between tart and sweet.

I am assuming you used these Sweet and Tart cherries.

Did you do a double batch, or would you recommend doing more than the .4 per gallon?

Thanks for the help and I am going to be brewing this soon.

 

[poptarts]

Hi Poptarts,

I have been reading through the posts, but I had a question. Here you state you used 6 cans of cherries:



But on your V2 recipe page it states .4lbs per gallon split between tart and sweet.

I am assuming you used these Sweet and Tart cherries.

Did you do a double batch, or would you recommend doing more than the .4 per gallon?

Thanks for the help and I am going to be brewing this soon.

The brewery uses .4 lbs / gal. If I were to make this again I would roll with 3 cans of each for a 5 gallon batch and puree them as well. Best of luck. Keep an eye on blow off, this yeast strain is aggressive.

 

[bolus14]

Little thread revival, but it's certainly about time to get this going if anybody is brewing it.

I'm hoping to get it started in the next 2-3 weeks, going to go with v2 of PopTarts recipe, and use 6 cans total to hopefully get the better red color. Other change i'm going to go with is use WY3463(Forbidden Fruit) instead of what the recipe calls for. I already have some ready to go in a mason jar so I don't need to worry about making a starter or making something else to get a yeast cake.

Mine may not clear up as much, but I made a Hibiscus Lime "Wit" this year that cleared up decently so it may work. Not sure on the esters and phenols working out to be the same, but I have never picked up a lot of the Belgiany yeast character in Mad Elf so I don't think that will be much of a difference either.

 

[seckert]

I am not familiar with WY3463 strain. Will it handle the high abv from this beer? What other styles of beer have you made using that strain?

 

[bolus14]

It has the same tolerance as most other Belgian strains, listed as being 12%.
This is Wyeast's description:
A widely used strain in the production of Witbier and Grand Cru. This yeast will produce spicy phenolics which are balanced nicely by a complex ester profile. The subtle fruit character and dry tart finish will complement wheat malt, orange peel and spice additions typical of Wits.

I have made a few Wit's and a Tripel with it and find that it has less of the Belgian "funk" characteristics that I have gotten with WLP 545, WY1214, and WY3522.

 

[Tommydee]

I'm gearing up for this as well. Randomly tried some last year driving home from Pittsburgh after Tgiving. Thought the label was cool! this beer was so good, it pushed me over the hump and started me homebrewing. Love Troegs, Love Hershey, love this beer, PA native. Since I'm BIAB in ten gallon kettle, likely will make about four gallons.

V2 link is broke for me. Using iPad. Anyone else struggling or have alternate link?

ECY has a Belgian abbey yeast, considering trying on this. Thoughts?

Anyone keg and bottle this recipe and prefer one over the other? I hate bottling, but am considering reverting for this one since I want to gift about 2 of 4 gallons. Trying to decide, since its a big Belgian, maybe just bottle condition....but then I have to add yeast , sugar, worry about bottle bombs....leaning toward just biermunch filling half the keg in bombers. I don't remember the commercial beer having yeast sludge, but I was too drunk at the end of the bottle to remember.

Final question. Need to harvest my first ever willamette hops, considering wethopping them into this beer and doing next weekend..I'll PM the guy on here who tried...but think this may be a bad idea, a pretty big variable. Seems too risky. Maybe do a red ale or Dunkel with them instead, and do this later in sept.

 

[bucketnative]

V2 link is broke for me. Using iPad. Anyone else struggling or have alternate link?

404'ed for me, too. Perhaps someone who has it from earlier can share?

 

[bolus14]

Trying to decide, since its a big Belgian, maybe just bottle condition....but then I have to add yeast , sugar, worry about bottle bombs.

I don't keg but can say that big beers I almost always prefer to have bottled. I have friends that keg and they seem to always debate how long they want to keep a tap dedicated to big beers since they do t go through them as quickly.

 

[imasickboy]

I went for it a month or so back and it was gone, so I used google's cached version to save it as a pdf. It's attached.

Last I tried brewing it, I missed gravity badly enough that I didn't bother with cherries, and it made a great dubbel. It was a bit dark for elf, though. Be mindful of the SRM of the chocolate you use. I'd suggest Dingeman's or Briess, as they're lighter than the English brands.

View attachment Mad Elf.pdf

 

[bucketnative]

@imasickboy - Thanks for the pdf. I'm looking forward to attempting this, perhaps soon since Christmas is looming.