25 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

Who has had this beer? I was out with a big group last Saturday watching some NCAA basketball and I ordered Daisy Cutter (and had a couple too many). Others at the table were asking me what it was and some of them ordered it too. Great beer. I sent an email to Half Acre and got a response about what malts they use and which hops (7 varieties!) as well. I'd like to bounce this around with anyone who has had the beer and try to come up with a reasonable clone recipe. I'm trying to find out who's had it before I post the details. I'm thinking JB has had it for sure and maybe neddles since he comes to Chicago occasionally. I'm not even sure what HA's distribution is like... is it sold all over the US? Appearance-wise the beer is an amber-orange color (I'd say maybe SRM 7-8?) and it's crystal clear. The hops are citrusy and dank too.

[neddles]

Ive had it many times. Very nice pale ale. Poptop knows this beer too. I had some for the first time in a long time just a few weeks ago because a place up here got some fresh cans. Anyhow, it was mildly hazy coming from a fresh can so between that and the hoppy character Im going to say it gets dry hopped. Nice mostly classic citrusy hop presentation with a little dank too. Id be real curious to see the recipe. I would have guessed 6-7 SRM so were pretty close there.

ETA: More of a classic PA bitterness IIRC as well. As opposed to some of the softer ones we have been seeing the last few years.

Edited by neddles, 29 March 2018 - 10:08 AM.

[HVB]

I have not had it.  We get HA here but I do not see it often. I would be interested in seeing the recipe that they sent.

[Big Nake]

So here is part of the description from the Half Acre site:

Daisy Cutter’s lush and dank characteristics steadily carved out a place within the Chicago brewing landscape. Today, Daisy Cutter is a call brand that we continue to keep raw and relevant. Blended pine, citrus, papaya and mango. Dank. Apparent biscuit, lingering, obscenely dry.

Here are the malts an hops. I have the 2-row, Victory and Abbey but not the special roast. I have Columbus, Citra, Simcoe, Centennial and Amarillo but would have to buy the Warrior & Chinook.

Malts:

2-Row, Victory, Special Roast, and Chateau Abbey.

And for the hops:

Warrior, Centennial, CTZ, Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe, and Chinook.

For those of you who have had it, try to formulate a suitable recipe. The malt bill should be pretty straightforward but the hops could be tricky.

[HVB]

Thanks. Interesting grain bill .. what is Chateau Abbey?

 

Nice hops.  I can see something up with something tasty with them!

[neddles]

Is all that info from their website? Are you still withholding the recipe as emailed? Blend all 3 specialty malts in very small amounts, like 2oz each maybe a little more for the abbey. Bitter with Warrior to ~50 IBU. Whirlpool with 20g of each of the other hop varieties and dry hop with 15g of each of the same hops. Ferment with 1056.

Chateau abbey is aromatic, I believe.

[Big Nake]

Is all that info from their website? Are you still withholding the recipe as emailed? Blend all 3 specialty malts in very small amounts, like 2oz each maybe a little more for the abbey. Bitter with Warrior to ~50 IBU. Whirlpool with 20g of each of the other hop varieties and dry hop with 15g of each of the same hops. Ferment with 1056.

Chateau abbey is aromatic, I believe.

The recipe is not on their site and I didn't get a "recipe" from the person who responded, just the malts and hops used... that's why I'm asking the board to envision a recipe based on the ingredients. I like what you put together there and could easily see it.

I bought Abbey for the Cashmere Pale Ale that I made and I agree... I think the LHBS owner told me it was BSG's version of Aromatic.

[Big Nake]

Just a starting point here. 50 ish IBUs from Warrior and then 20g (.7oz) each of the other six hops into the WP and then the same six hops (15g or .5oz) as a dry hop.



I don't know that I have ever used special roast and I know I don't have it. Would anyone care to suggest a suitable replacement or should I just pick up a pound of it? Also, the beer is 5.2% so I upped the base malt to 9.5 pounds.

[neddles]

Special Roast is its own animal. In this beer I would simply replace it with more Victory, if you don't want to buy it. The biscuit note in this beer is above background but not in your face, and it's probably dulled by the hops a good bit. For my tastes I would think a half pound of Special Roast/Victory would be more than I remember from this beer. Maybe go 6-8oz on the aromatic and 2-3oz each on the victory/special roast (or just 4-6oz of Victory alone if you don't get any SR)?

Edited by neddles, 29 March 2018 - 11:11 AM.

[HVB]

Ken,

 

There is a reddit thread on this beer with some info and links to a blog if you have not seen it may be worth a glance.

[Big Nake]

Would you assume 1056 or do you feel like it's got an English thing going on or are there just so many damn hops in this beer that it wouldn't matter? I would probably use 1056. On the Special Roast, I'd love to just take a swing at the recipe by using Rahr Pale Ale malt, Abbey, Victory and maybe just a smidge of something like pale chocolate or C60 just to make sure I got the color. The Special Roast shows more color in the recipe than anything else so I'd want to get the nice color of the original. The draft version I had at this tap house on Saturday was dynamite.

Ken,
 
There is a reddit thread on this beer with some info and links to a blog if you have not seen it may be worth a glance.

Mmm, I'll check it out.

[HVB]

Would you assume 1056 or do you feel like it's got an English thing going on or are there just so many damn hops in this beer that it wouldn't matter? I would probably use 1056. On the Special Roast, I'd love to just take a swing at the recipe by using Rahr Pale Ale malt, Abbey, Victory and maybe just a smidge of something like pale chocolate or C60 just to make sure I got the color. The Special Roast shows more color in the recipe than anything else so I'd want to get the nice color of the original. The draft version I had at this tap house on Saturday was dynamite.
Mmm, I'll check it out.

The blog says they indicated Chico on the BN podcast.

[neddles]

Tastes like 1056 to me, very clean.

[Big Nake]

The blog says they indicated Chico on the BN podcast.

I saw that too. The one blogger who tried to make it was working with all of the hops except Chinook which could make a difference. I am not a Chinook expert and I almost NEVER use it but I know it has a coarse, dank and aggressive character. I need to hit the LHBS for some of the hops anyway so grabbing a pound of special roast is no problem. I have a fresh pack of 1056 and thought this would be fun to make.

[HVB]

I saw that too. The one blogger who tried to make it was working with all of the hops except Chinook which could make a difference. I am not a Chinook expert and I almost NEVER use it but I know it has a coarse, dank and aggressive character. I need to hit the LHBS for some of the hops anyway so grabbing a pound of special roast is no problem. I have a fresh pack of 1056 and thought this would be fun to make.

You need to use Chinook more late.  It is wonderful late dank and fruity and not harsh.

[neddles]

I saw that too. The one blogger who tried to make it was working with all of the hops except Chinook which could make a difference. I am not a Chinook expert and I almost NEVER use it but I know it has a coarse, dank and aggressive character. I need to hit the LHBS for some of the hops anyway so grabbing a pound of special roast is no problem. I have a fresh pack of 1056 and thought this would be fun to make.

 

I get mostly bold grapefruit/citrus used late and dry from Chinook, boiling it typically brings out the coarseness IME. My bet is that the dank edge here is mostly coming from the Columbus.

[Big Nake]

Mmm, this recipe is coming alive now. I'm going to write this up and put the water numbers together for it too. Could be a nice beer when something hoppy is required. I need the Special Roast, Chinook and possibly more Citra, Centennial and Simcoe and I need the Warrior too.

[Poptop]

Absolutely love the Daisy Cutter. So much that a couple years ago we did a job downtown and I had one of our electricians throw 4 cases into one of the gang boxes getting sent back to our shop. Excellent beer and I'm down with working a recipe.

I'll be downtown 8/18-8/20 taking in both Pearl Jam shows at Wrigley and want to get to the brewery

[neddles]

Mmm, this recipe is coming alive now. I'm going to write this up and put the water numbers together for it too. Could be a nice beer when something hoppy is required. I need the Special Roast, Chinook and possibly more Citra, Centennial and Simcoe and I need the Warrior too.

 

Apollo would sub nicely for Warrior at 60 if you still have some.

[HVB]

Apollo would sub nicely for Warrior at 60 if you still have some.

Even Magnum would work.  All you are looking for are BU's there.