137 replies to this topic

[HVB]

Wait, 30 minute addition?  You said 15 and 5 earlier with nothing at the beginning.

I think he is assuming you will be doing a 30 minute boil and the 30 minute addition will be for bittering.

[neddles]

1.045

IBU 18-20 (max.)

 

XX% 2-row

15-20% Wheat malt

6-8oz of something like Carahell or other very light crystal

Mash to finish ~1.007-10

 

Bittering hop of your choice, maybe something noble/American noble derivative

1/2oz. of American noble of choice or a blend @15 (crystal/sterling/liberty etc)

1/2oz.of the same thing again @5 

 

WY2565

Here is what I said. Sorry it wasn't clearer. 1/2 oz at 15 and 5. Add a 30 minute addition of whatever to get you the IBU you desire. whatever you are adding at 30 min it is going to be pretty small. Magnum would get you there quickly.

 

I think he is assuming you will be doing a 30 minute boil and the 30 minute addition will be for bittering.

Yes.

Edited by neddles, 30 August 2017 - 07:04 AM.

[Big Nake]

Yeah, a 30-minute addition to get you maybe 15 IBUs or something. Then two small additions at 15 and 5 and I might try to get into the 20-25 IBU range total. Those late additions will act to balance things nicely and create some crispness. Not sure what the shakeout was with the wheat being 1516-compliant but my take on these types of clone attempts is that I'm more interested in where I want to go and less interested in how I get there. If New Glarus doesn't use wheat in SC but you make a very nice batch of pseudo-Spotted Cow with wheat in it... don't worry about it. Also, I just accidentally typed "SPOOTED COW" so I think that should be your clone beer's name.

[neddles]

Yeah, a 30-minute addition to get you maybe 15 IBUs or something. Then two small additions at 15 and 5 and I might try to get into the 20-25 IBU range total. Those late additions will act to balance things nicely and create some crispness. Not sure what the shakeout was with the wheat being 1516-compliant but my take on these types of clone attempts is that I'm more interested in where I want to go and less interested in how I get there. If New Glarus doesn't use wheat in SC but you make a very nice batch of pseudo-Spotted Cow with wheat in it... don't worry about it. Also, I just accidentally typed "SPOOTED COW" so I think that should be your clone beer's name.

My $0.02... Having tasted this again yesterday I would say 20-25 IBU is going to be too high. Now, George might want to go that high for his own tastes, IDK. But this beer is very low bitterness to my palate. There really is no discernible bitter note at all so George's plan for 15 IBU sounds solid to me if he's looking to get as close to the real deal as possible.

[Big Nake]

Because I use the seriously outdated and cobweb-heavy Tastybrew calculator, I think my idea of IBUs is off. When I make a beer in the 20-25 IBU range, it's almost too malty or just barely-balanced. Maybe that site calcs out the IBUs according to a different equation or something. I sometimes see a beer where the label or can says "15 IBUs" and I think "Egad... there are NO hops in this beer". So it might just be me. Not sure what NG says about the IBUs for SC but I know it's not heavy on the hops. Maybe 15-20 is more like it.

[neddles]

Because I use the seriously outdated and cobweb-heavy Tastybrew calculator, I think my idea of IBUs is off. When I make a beer in the 20-25 IBU range, it's almost too malty or just barely-balanced. Maybe that site calcs out the IBUs according to a different equation or something. I sometimes see a beer where the label or can says "15 IBUs" and I think "Egad... there are NO hops in this beer". So it might just be me. Not sure what NG says about the IBUs for SC but I know it's not heavy on the hops. Maybe 15-20 is more like it.

NG gives no info on that. This won't help you Ken but I compare it to what I taste in a hefeweizen which are typically advertised as like 8-15 IBU. To me I am not sure SC is any more bitter than one of those. Additionally SC is usually liked by the BMC crowd who is used to extremely low bitterness in their light lager, if that means anything. 

Edited by neddles, 30 August 2017 - 07:46 AM.

[Deerslyr]

I've had a lot of Spotted Cow... and the IBU's seem to be on the same order as a Hefeweisen (my favorite style)... right in the 15 range.  I think its why it is such a popular beer around here...  its bittering is so low that it's not "offensive" to an unrefined beer palate that is used to drinking Miller.  I'd err on the side of keeping it low and see if the grain bill comes through properly.

[BrewerGeorge]

Liberty was piss-poor at just 4% AA, so I let the guy talk me into using Sterling for bittering, with a half ounce of Liberty for a 0 minute addition.  I also got 2# of wheat.  Starter tomorrow and brew on Saturday - maybe Sunday.

[matt6150]

No flaked barley being added?

[MyaCullen]

No flaked barley being added?

noticed this too, pretty sure it's mentioned on the website

[BrewerGeorge]

Starter is bubbling nicely.  I tried the 1 quart in 1 gallon method, mashing about 8 oz of malt on my induction burner, then quick-canning it in my instapot to sterilize it and drop hot break.  That was Friday night and Saturday evening it was clear, cool and sterile.  Poured it into a gallon wine jug along with the expanded smack pack, which smelled quite promising as far as the desired character goes.

 

Yesterday I detached my mill from it's motor mount and added it to the side of the yellow card on a folding board.  Now I can easily run it by hand or by drill and I've reclaimed a good 5 feet of floor space compared to the dedicated mill table.  Anybody want to buy a mill motor?

 

I still need to take the pump apart and clean it, but I'm going to do that while strike water is heating.  I just came inside to finalize the recipe and print it out before I get going.

 

There is no flaked barley because of the Reinheisgebot thing.  We'll see how this first batch works out and re-evaluate.

[MyaCullen]

Starter is bubbling nicely.  I tried the 1 quart in 1 gallon method, mashing about 8 oz of malt on my induction burner, then quick-canning it in my instapot to sterilize it and drop hot break.  That was Friday night and Saturday evening it was clear, cool and sterile.  Poured it into a gallon wine jug along with the expanded smack pack, which smelled quite promising as far as the desired character goes.

 

Yesterday I detached my mill from it's motor mount and added it to the side of the yellow card on a folding board.  Now I can easily run it by hand or by drill and I've reclaimed a good 5 feet of floor space compared to the dedicated mill table.  Anybody want to buy a mill motor?

 

I still need to take the pump apart and clean it, but I'm going to do that while strike water is heating.  I just came inside to finalize the recipe and print it out before I get going.

 

There is no flaked barley because of the Reinheisgebot thing.  We'll see how this first batch works out and re-evaluate.

who gives a fart about an outdated rule that only applies to commercial brewers halfway around the globe?  

 

edit to add that the 1516 law mentions barley, not malted barley

Edited by miccullen, 03 September 2017 - 11:32 AM.

[BrewerGeorge]

I gotta start somewhere, I figured as close as possible to the actual recipe was a good place to start.

[MyaCullen]

I gotta start somewhere, I figured as close as possible to the actual recipe was a good place to start.

fair enough, it's just that they specifically mention flaked barley on the website

[neddles]

fair enough, it's just that they specifically mention flaked barley on the website

 

What they mention on the website is what used to be printed on the bottle. The bottle label was revised a year or two ago and the updated version makes no mention of flaked barley but does add (for the first time) that the beer is reinh@$^&#@^&. compliant. I have a feeling the website was never updated. The NG website is not exactly standard 2017 material.

 

 

edit to add that the 1516 law mentions barley, not malted barley

 

 

 

Rice, corn, and any other unmalted grains are specifically prohibited (8.2 section 17.4), including roasted and/or flaked barley in stouts or unmalted wheat in Belgian wit beer.

looks like a well sourced article as far as I can tell.

https://kcbier.com/b...reinheitsgebot/

[MyaCullen]

What they mention on the website is what used to be printed on the bottle. The bottle label was revised a year or two ago and the updated version makes no mention of flaked barley but does add (for the first time) that the beer is reinh@$^&#@^&. compliant. I have a feeling the website was never updated. The NG website is not exactly standard 2017 material.

 

 

 

looks like a well sourced article as far as I can tell.

https://kcbier.com/b...reinheitsgebot/

maybe I'm being too literal, but the 1516 law says Barley, Water and Hops

[neddles]

The bottle does not say "1516" specifically. "1516" is George's terminology. As we know the law has changed since then. I don't know enough or care enough to debate the current law but New Glarus's FAQ specifically says this, which is almost exactly what it currently says on the bottle. I interpret this to mean that the flaked barley is no longer there and malted wheat is in.

 

 

Spotted Cow is brewed to the standards of the German Purity Law – that is with only malted barley, malted wheat, hops, yeast and water

[BrewerGeorge]

I just use 1516 so I don't have to type the other word on my phone.

Asshat at the LHBS gave me almost twice as much sterling as I need.

[neddles]

I just use 1516 so I don't have to type the other word on my phone.

Asshat at the LHBS gave me almost twice as much sterling as I need.

 

I am drinking a simple German pils I made with magnum at 30 and a bunch of late sterling by itself. It's quite nice.

[BrewerGeorge]

Well that was an abysmal mash. 60% when I was planning on 75%. Looks like lots of unranked grains in the grist. New mill setup needs tweaking.

I'm just gonna boil it down to the correct gravity.