Way, way, way over the top Sam Adams Utopia clone

[paulthenurse]

Home at last and I can do more than just stick my tongue in it. Wow! It's a lot more alcoholic than I thought, now that I can actually swallow what I put in my mouth and it's not 35 *F. Not oppressivley so, but it has a burn to it. The malt and hops are still in balance, in fact it has a VERY nice late finish of smooth, malty vanilla and caramel. Me likey!

Here are a few crappy pics from my Iphone, Al took the Digi to NJ for the wekend.

In a glass. It's raining here (again) so the background is rain on the screen and sort of distorts the view, but that's what I got.

Settling at 1.032

This one gives you a good idea of the color.

 

[TerapinChef]

I just quick-read the whole thread and didn't find that answer I was looking for...
Total ingredient bill? Just the grain/hops/Maple Sugar and stuff, not all the incidentals.
SWMBO sounded kind of curious about this whole project, and asked how much it cost to make such a big beer.

 

[Saccharomyces]

You're assuming he can remember what went into it.

 

[paulthenurse]

Also here is the latest recipe we are following tomorrow:
Utopias Clone
23-A Specialty Beer
Author: PTN and Yeager1977



Size: 10 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 816.83 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.234 (1.026 - 1.120)
|================================|
Terminal Gravity: 1.059 (0.995 - 1.035)
|================================|
Color: 21.82 (1.0 - 50.0)
|==============#=================|
Alcohol: 24.71% (2.5% - 14.5%)
|================================|
Bitterness: 43.4 (0.0 - 100.0)
|==============#=================|

Ingredients:
60.0 lb English 2-row Pale
15 lb 6-Row Brewers Malt
3 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 60L
3 lb Toasted Pale Malt
1 lb Melanoidin Malt
4 lb Munich 10L Malt
1 lb German Smoked
1.8 lb Maple Syrup
2 oz Spalt Spalter (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
2 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
2 oz Hallertau (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
2 oz Hallertau Mittelfruh (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 1 min
4.0 ea White Labs WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale

Schedule:
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m


Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.2

Here you go, except we used more maple syrup, 4 lbs I think.

 

[paulthenurse]

You're assuming he can remember what went into it.

Po'g mo Thoin, Sacc!

PTN

 

[scinerd3000]

Paul- why so much 6-row?

 

[paulthenurse]

I don't remember my exact reasoning off the top of my head and I'm busy at work right now (obviously not THAT busy) but I seem to recall concern that we would need the extra husk material as we were doing such a thick mash. As itwas we used the 6 row and a bunch of rice hulls and lautering was still a PITA. I'll try to find my notes tomorrow.

PTN

 

[Cape Brewing]

I tried it... it doesn't suck

 

[paulthenurse]

Never in the course of human events have six words said so much.


Douchbag.

 

[user 22118]

Doesn't six row also have more enzymes so that you might be able to fully convert this beast? Just another thought whether correct or not.

 

[FailureDrill]

So, this thread has inspired me. I was wondering about scaling the recipe down to 3 gallons, since 10 is both cost and time prohibitive. I plugged it into Beersmith and scaled the recipe to 3 gallons. Total grain bill is 26.40 lbs, very reasonable. How long should the mash be? If I made a 5 gallon beer (IIPA type) with the 099 and then pitched this 3 gallon batch onto the yeast cake, would that be sufficient to start and then pitch some more 099 down the road? Thanks for the recipe and motivation!

 

[Killer_Robot]

So, this thread has inspired me. I was wondering about scaling the recipe down to 3 gallons, since 10 is both cost and time prohibitive. I plugged it into Beersmith and scaled the recipe to 3 gallons. Total grain bill is 26.40 lbs, very reasonable. How long should the mash be? If I made a 5 gallon beer (IIPA type) with the 099 and then pitched this 3 gallon batch onto the yeast cake, would that be sufficient to start and then pitch some more 099 down the road? Thanks for the recipe and motivation!

I was looking at that myself. It really frightened me that I'd need a 10 gallon mash tun just to make a Mr. Beer full of this stuff. Though tempted once I get one. Of course, I'm tempted by lots of things, so who knows when I'll ever get to it.

 

[paulthenurse]

Doesn't six row also have more enzymes so that you might be able to fully convert this beast? Just another thought whether correct or not.

Absolutely right, Matt. We were very worried about mashing this beast. We were very concerned about getting out enough small sugars that would ferment. We knew we would have plenty of big sugars. So in order to get more attenuation we boosted up the 6 row.

It also worked out in our favor that the extra husk of the six row helped in the sparge. We used two sankes with SS screens on the bottom as our mash tuns and even then barely had room enough to get all the grain in. We used a few pounds of rice hulls in the mash, also. It was a VERY thick mash.

That is one of two mash tuns full to the brim.

PTN

 

[paulthenurse]

So, this thread has inspired me. I was wondering about scaling the recipe down to 3 gallons, since 10 is both cost and time prohibitive. I plugged it into Beersmith and scaled the recipe to 3 gallons. Total grain bill is 26.40 lbs, very reasonable. How long should the mash be? If I made a 5 gallon beer (IIPA type) with the 099 and then pitched this 3 gallon batch onto the yeast cake, would that be sufficient to start and then pitch some more 099 down the road? Thanks for the recipe and motivation!

I say go for it. I ALWAYS think it's a good idea to try things you are interested in. Who wants to be 88 years old, wearing a diaper, sitting in a wheelchar thinking, "I wish I had got around to doing XYZ." Go for it. What have you got to lose? $20? $50? Sheet! Worst case scenario you blow a few bucks, have a blast on brew day, learn a few things and drink some beer. And you might end up making a damned fine beer. Sounds like a no-lose day to me.

PTN

 

[paulthenurse]

You need to mash until you have complete conversion. Use the iodine test to tell when that is but I'd start checking after an hour and a half. I think we mashed for a little over 2 hours but we were futzing around with a kimchee rigged HERMS setup as we went.

PTN

 

[the_Roqk]

I say go for it. I ALWAYS think it's a good idea to try things you are interested in. Who wants to be 88 years old, wearing a diaper, sitting in a wheelchar thinking, "I wish I had got around to doing XYZ." Go for it. What have you got to lose? $20? $50? Sheet! Worst case scenario you blow a few bucks, have a blast on brew day, learn a few things and drink some beer. And you might end up making a damned fine beer. Sounds like a no-lose day to me.

PTN

HELL YEAH! That's part of my philosophy! I sure as hell don't want to be sitting around when I hafta wait for someone to wipe my ARSE and try to remember the times I had the opportunity to try something that I had been thinking about doing.

My hats off to ya PTN! I've enjoyed the post and all the imbeded Banter. Keep us posted on the whole affair. BTW you've been SUBSCRIBED!

 

[paulthenurse]

Banter? Where? None in this thread!

PTN

 

[user 22118]

HELL YEAH! That's part of my philosophy! I sure as hell don't want to be sitting around when I hafta wait for someone to wipe my ARSE and try to remember the times I had the opportunity to try something that I had been thinking about doing.

My hats off to ya PTN! I've enjoyed the post and all the inbreded Banter. Keep us posted on the whole affair. BTW you've been SUBSCRIBED!

I changed that so that the spelling is is corrected for you. You forgot the R in that word. No worries though.

 

[paulthenurse]

Pog Mo Thoin, Matt.



PTN

 

[FailureDrill]

How did that work using the immersion chiller hooked to a pump to maintain the mash temp. This might be a good idea when I get my pump so I don't have to worry about insulating the crap out of my mash tun to keep temps. Did it require you to stir the mash pretty often? What temps were the water you had running through it? Thanks.

Oh, and do you happen to know the quantity and gravity of the first runnings?

Tag

 

[paulthenurse]

It did t work as well as you woiuld wish, probably due for the most part to having tp haul all my gear o er to Yeagers and set it up there. Not brewing at home can be a wicked pita. You inevitably forget something and are out of your comfort zone. I took one trim to the hardware store that day and was spared a second only because a few guys had traveling hardware stores intheir cars. It's a workable way of doing things if you are set up todoit regularly.

PTN

 

[paulthenurse]

I just looked at this post for the first time after putting it up. Sorry for all the typos, I typed it on my mobile device and my fingers just can't get the hang of that keyboard.

PTN

 

[FailureDrill]

No worries, I assumed you were drunk. Have you used that system of "reverse herms" on your own setup and if so, how did it work?

If I scale down the batch from 10 gallons to three, I would assume I would have about 6-7 gallons of wort to have to boil down to 3. Does that sound about right? Also, If I pitched on an Imperial IPA yeast cake with 099, would I need to pitch anymore yeast? Sorry for all the questions, but these gigantic (much bigger than just "big") beers have me fascinated.

 

[paulthenurse]

I have NO IDEA where you people get the notion that I post after I've been drinking? Where did that come from?

And I can't say if it the reverse HERMS thingumbob would work if I did it at home, that is the only time I've tried it...

OTOH, drinking at home I've tried multiple times, and while I wouldn't recommend calling the White House switchboard while experiencing the clarity of thought that 2/3 of a bottle of vodka brings, I've come up with some of my greatest ideas then. Go for it. What have you got to lose?

PTN

 

[dreadnatty08]

How are things going with this beer? Have you had a bottle/sample in a while?
I'm working on my own big beer. It started at 1.142 and so far has had 3# of sugar added. I haven't really taken and gravity readings lately though. Any tips for finishing it out? Did you add Beano, I can't recall what page it was discussed in?

 

[paulthenurse]

We did not use the beano. I let Yeager talk me out of that becuse I'd never used it before. I regret not using it. It would have got us that last few points that I wish we had. Not that its bad as it is mind you, I just wish we could have dried it out 2 or 3 more points. Then it wold be perfect. But we stil have many months to go before we bottle so time will tell. We added the Makers Mark soaked chips a good month ago and will be taking a small sample shortly.

PTN

 

[dreadnatty08]

I took Johnny Max's recommendation and added 6 Beano tabs at flameout (though he encouraged adding them to the mash as well). The beer seems to be taking to the sugar really well. I'll likely go with oak for a few months and perhaps some dry hopping at the end. Are you planning to carb it? (I can't recall if this was discussed)

 

[paulthenurse]

I pulled a small bottle of this to bring to CapeBrewings soiree over the weekend. It's down to 1.026!!!!!! Perfectly clear, dark amber color. It is a little harsher than a month ago, the recent addition of the oak chips has not acclamitized with the beer yet. SWMBO had her first taste of it on Saturday and she said it seemed "disjointed, a collection of nice parts that hasn't come together as a whole." We ran it by a bunch of the guys from SSBC and they all enjoyed it. I'm still quite happy with it and am certain that the disconnect is just a result of the recent additions and in another few months we'll be golden. THe drop in gravity was definetly a good thing, I wonder if the chip addition had anything to do with that? I can't come up with a reason why adding wood chips would kickstart a semidormant yeast but that's the only thing that has changed. Perhaps the yeast were still slowly doing their thing and the recent hot weather has just allowed them to finish up. Who knows? In any case, it is still a tremendous beer and I expect it will only improve with age.

PTN

 

[Saccharomyces]

I have NO IDEA where you people get the notion that I post after I've been drinking? Where did that come from?

The number of signatures you end up in is a dead giveaway.

Exciting to hear the gravity on this thing is still coming down. 1.026 is GREAT...

 

[dreadnatty08]

I think with my sugar addition today, I've reached above 1.200 theoretical OG. I'm going to take a sample here in a little while to see what's happening, but it looks quite happy. Recipe is on my blog, linked below.
Looks like it's at 1.067, and still quite happily fermenting. ABV is calculated to around 18%+. The flavor is just incredible. I had a bottle of World Wide Stout a few nights ago and it's certainly something along those lines. The 100+ IBUs are definitely peeking through. I'm pretty pysched to see how it turns out.