13 replies to this topic

[Seven]

I'm a pretty big fan of this beer and want to attempt to make something similar. From Victory's website, malt is pilsner and carapils, hops are Centennial, Mosaic, Azacca, Cascade, Chinook and Citra. 4.8% but I haven't found any info on IBUs yet. I have Azacca, Citra and Mosaic in the freezer and a slurry of S-189 that I plan on using. It's not a very bitter beer so most of the hopping will be late or dry. Any thoughts on a hopping schedule? I haven't really made anything similar to this in the recent past.

Thanks!

[Big Nake]

I haven't had the beer. IBUs are always a little misleading because they could dump a bunch of late hops in there and the IBUs wouldn't be affected much. You would have to try to determine how the hops would go based on the flavor of the beer. Is it over-the-top hoppy in the finish? If so, maybe bitter with Centennial and add an ounce of each of the other hops very close to the end of the boil. Does it taste like it's dry-hopped? Is the hop character in the finish less-pronounced? If so, use less of all of the hops... maybe ½ ounce of each. Some of these beers can be very tough to recreate.

[HVB]

I have nothing to add (yet) but I have to go find this beer, sounds good!

[Big Nake]

My access to Victory products has been dodgy. Doobah mentioned a very nice Summer Helles that they released and suggested that I try it. I went to my local mega-bottle shop and they didn't have it. They had other Victory products but not the helles. I'll see if they have this one. Is it seasonal?

[neddles]

How hoppy is the beer? What is the malt like? Is it like a “session IPA” or not as hoppy? Seems like you would have to use very low levels of that many varieties to make it taste sensible at 4.8%.

[Seven]

I'm fortunate enough to live around 5 miles from a Victory so I've had this fresh from the source. It's a year-round offering on tap and bottled, although this beer screams for canning, tailgating and grilling.

I'm horrible at describing beers but to me this is a lager version of a session IPA. There's some malt but the finish is on the dry side. The smell is fantastic, like sniffing a freshly opened bag of hops, which we all do. Victory uses whole hops exclusively so that helps, along with drinking it at the brewery. I'm not sure how the bottled version compares. Very low bitterness, gobs of hop flavor, little yeast character.

[neddles]

Makes me wonder if this is much like a New Glarus Moon Man, which is an ale. But it is basically a 1.048 beer with low malt character. (although it's maltier than the pils and carapils only in this Victory beer) It's probably 30 IBU and reportedly the equivalent of 6oz of dry hops with very little hops going into the kettle, probably just enough to get the 30 IBU early in the boil.

 

Spitballing with little to go on but...

Maybe go with 92-95% Pils and 5-8% Carapils to 1.048

Bitter cleanly to ~30IBU

 

Ferment with 2124, 830, 34/70 or the 189 that you have on hand.

 

Get it uber clear. Then a big dry hop with each of those varieties. Or if you don't want to buy more hops just go with the Azacca, Citra, and Mosaic that you have on hand.

Edited by neddles, 29 November 2017 - 10:19 AM.

[Big Nake]

My gut tells me to email the brewery and see if they'll give you ANY information. Sounds like you already know the hops and grain bill but maybe they can give you some direction on what to do with the hops in a 5-gallon environment. Many breweries are good about sharing... others, not so much.

[Big Nake]

A number of reviews I read said that the beer was packed with hoppy flavor but that it was easy to drink and not overly bitter. Is it possible that they added a small bittering charge and then just added a bunch of these late hops at flameout or maybe with 5 minutes left in the boil or maybe a WP addition plus some dry-hopping? One reviewer questioned why a beer with hops like this would be a lager and why it would be called an American Lager. Many compared it to an APA.

[Seven]

Good idea on the email! All they can do is say no or not respond. I really need to start carrying around my refractometer so I can test FG...coupled with the ABV, I'll be able to work back to the starting gravity.


The beer does go down easily. I'd say that it's hoppier than a traditional APA but that style has gotten hoppier lately. I agree with you and needles...small bittering charge and big WP and dry hopping. Maybe some with 5-10 left in the boil. Victory decocts a lot of their beer... I'm going to stick to a single infusion, 30 minute boil.

[Big Nake]

Good idea on the email! All they can do is say no or not respond. I really need to start carrying around my refractometer so I can test FG...coupled with the ABV, I'll be able to work back to the starting gravity.


The beer does go down easily. I'd say that it's hoppier than a traditional APA but that style has gotten hoppier lately. I agree with you and needles...small bittering charge and big WP and dry hopping. Maybe some with 5-10 left in the boil. Victory decocts a lot of their beer... I'm going to stick to a single infusion, 30 minute boil.

I think you're on the right track. Remember too that taking a stab at the recipe is important and then you can compare it to the commercial beer and then make any adjustments you need. It might take a couple of runs but that's part of the fun. Do you have any idea what kind of yeast they used?

[Seven]

Not sure on the yeast but it doesn't factor into the flavor or aroma...too many hops. I'm stopping by the homebrew shop tonight for a meeting so I'll bounce this around to see if anyone has attempted a clone. I haven't found anything online. I have nothing hoppy on tap currently so whatever this turns into will fill a void.
Not sure on the yeast but it doesn't factor into the flavor or aroma...too many hops. I'm stopping by the homebrew shop tonight for a meeting so I'll bounce this around to see if anyone has attempted a clone. I haven't found anything online. I have nothing hoppy on tap currently so whatever this turns into will fill a void.

[Big Nake]

Not sure on the yeast but it doesn't factor into the flavor or aroma...too many hops. I'm stopping by the homebrew shop tonight for a meeting so I'll bounce this around to see if anyone has attempted a clone. I haven't found anything online. I have nothing hoppy on tap currently so whatever this turns into will fill a void.
Not sure on the yeast but it doesn't factor into the flavor or aroma...too many hops. I'm stopping by the homebrew shop tonight for a meeting so I'll bounce this around to see if anyone has attempted a clone. I haven't found anything online. I have nothing hoppy on tap currently so whatever this turns into will fill a void.

Okay, okay... stop repeating yourself.

Keep us posted on what you do and how it comes out.

[Seven]

I still haven't attempted to make this but I was at the brewery last night and took a refractometer reading of 5.0. If I back calculate given the 4.8% abv, I get an original gravity of about 1.043 and a terminal gravity of 1.006. Did I do this right?