28 replies to this topic

[TonyBrown]

my wife and I both have totally fallen for this beer, anyone got a decent clone of it???

[CaptRon]

my wife and I both have totally fallen for this beer, anyone got a decent clone of it???

I really want to try this beer, but it is really expensive here. I think it is like 12.00 for four bottles.

[MtnBrewer]

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[TonyBrown]

I really want to try this beer, but it is really expensive here. I think it is like 12.00 for four bottles.

go get it, it is totally worth it, might be the best ipa i've ever had...

[TonyBrown]

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how did it turn out??? good clone?? can you still discern the chocolate notes and etc???

[3rd party JKor]

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How'd it come out?

[3rd party JKor]

I really want to try this beer, but it is really expensive here. I think it is like 12.00 for four bottles.

It's expensive everywhere, man.

[Genesee Ted]

I have tried many many times to get this one right. I brewed the BYO recipe along with my own variations and hunches. None of them ever come out like 90 min. Good IIPA, but alas... If anyone can do this clone, I would love to trade.

[MtnBrewer]

The beer actually didn't turn out all that good but I think that was my fault, not the recipe. IIRC, that recipe came directly from Sam to the pages of BYO so it should be pretty legit. If you brew it, pay attention to the note at the bottom about adding the hops. For the sake of simplicity of the recipe the hops are all added at 90 minutes but of course that's not how it's really done.

[TonyBrown]

The beer actually didn't turn out all that good but I think that was my fault, not the recipe. IIRC, that recipe came directly from Sam to the pages of BYO so it should be pretty legit. If you brew it, pay attention to the note at the bottom about adding the hops. For the sake of simplicity of the recipe the hops are all added at 90 minutes but of course that's not how it's really done.

sounds like i need to do a manual version of the hopinator...

[MtnBrewer]

sounds like i need to do a manual version of the hopinator...

Yeah, that's what I did. Every 7.5 minutes I added a little more. By the end, I was just throwing them in one cone at a time.

[Genesee Ted]

I literally broke my additions into 30 second intervals a few times.... Required some assistance from eager to learn noobs. I have read though that these hops and this article were not necessarily the way they brew it, but a "version" of it. I guess they change the recipe a bit from time to time. I have no hard evidence, but 90 min is wayyyyy different now than it was back when I first had it in 2001 or 2002. I guess even that I can't really verify, since my palate is different, but still. This beer is elusive to me. I gave up trying to clone it when the hop prices went through the roof. I think that the other consideration is that DFH has access to the headiest, dankest, most chronic hops. Seems like all I get is schwag at my LHBS, if you know what I mean, and I know you do. 2 year old pellets will NOT cut it in this brew. Gotta have the freshies. And LOTS of them...

[MtnBrewer]

I literally broke my additions into 30 second intervals a few times.... Required some assistance from eager to learn noobs. I have read though that these hops and this article were not necessarily the way they brew it, but a "version" of it. I guess they change the recipe a bit from time to time. I have no hard evidence, but 90 min is wayyyyy different now than it was back when I first had it in 2001 or 2002. I guess even that I can't really verify, since my palate is different, but still. This beer is elusive to me. I gave up trying to clone it when the hop prices went through the roof. I think that the other consideration is that DFH has access to the headiest, dankest, most chronic hops. Seems like all I get is schwag at my LHBS, if you know what I mean, and I know you do. 2 year old pellets will NOT cut it in this brew. Gotta have the freshies. And LOTS of them...

DFH did change their recipe at some point, specifically the hops due to availability. So you're right, this is but one version of DFH 90. One mistake I made is that I accidentally scooped the malt out of the wrong bin and used pale malt instead of pilsner. I'm not sure if that made much difference in the outcome but it could have. When I brewed it, I used whole hops because that's what I had access to. DFH uses pellets. I also know that the Simcoe/Amarillo combo is a pretty classic pairing. The pine from the Simcoe and the peach/apricot from the Amarillo work very well together. I don't remember what hops were used in the original but it was very different.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I am currently and almost done reading Brewing up a Business and I remember Sam talking about his Sir Hops a Lot and the 60 90 and 120 min IPA's. I thought he says that each one coordinates to the length of time for continuous hopping. I have not had this beer in a long time though too. I plan to seek it out though, recipe looks good. I had heard they us MO in their beers as well.

[Pseudolus]

sounds like i need to do a manual version of the hopinator...

Sam C himself mentioned at NHC this year that, for a time, they had to hop 60min/90min manually themselves. They called it the "Sam's a m**********r" method. 'Cause there's be a brewer standing over the boil kettle throwing in a handful of hops ever 60 seconds and saying "Sam's a m***********!" every time. So there's precedent.

[BarelyBrews]

DFH did change their recipe at some point, specifically the hops due to availability. So you're right, this is but one version of DFH 90. One mistake I made is that I accidentally scooped the malt out of the wrong bin and used pale malt instead of pilsner. I'm not sure if that made much difference in the outcome but it could have. When I brewed it, I used whole hops because that's what I had access to. DFH uses pellets. I also know that the Simcoe/Amarillo combo is a pretty classic pairing. The pine from the Simcoe and the peach/apricot from the Amarillo work very well together. I don't remember what hops were used in the original but it was very different.

I have made a Simcoe/Centennial/Amarillo combo IPA three times, It is Great. The best was the first one where i used the three aforementioned hops as bittering hops in equal amounts too. After that i used magnum and others for bittering. Not the same as the first. Should go back to the original for me. Some great hops.

[Jimmy James]

I haven't had the 90 in a while but just had some 60 minute and it tastes different than I remember, so I do think they may change the recipe or at least the hop schedule based on what "chronic" hops they can get - well put Doobah. I am going to be in Gaithersburg later this month just around the corner from the DFH taproom where we hold business "meetings" when I go out there to the office. I think I am going to have to sample the 90 again. I usually stick with the 75 which is a blend of 60 and 90 that AFAIK you can only get at their taprooms.

[strangebrewer]

The recipe Mtn posted is the ticket. Only difference in my recipe is I used Franco Belgian Pilsner malt instead of MO. I did a blind taste test amongst some of my non-beer brewing friends (so take it for what it's worth) and they couldn't tell the 2 apart and I agreed. If there was a difference in the taste/aroma it was something pretty subtle. Take away the blind part though and they picked mine out right away as it was a shade darker than the real deal.DFH 90 min is one of my all time favorite beers. Of everything they make I think it is the best balanced.

[MtnBrewer]

Only difference in my recipe is I used Franco Belgian Pilsner malt instead of MO.

Yeah, I goofed and used MO by mistake. I definitely would recommend pilsner malt for this one.

[Jimmy James]

Looking at that Promash report MTN I would have expected a higher FG based on my impression of the 90-min. I always thought it had an appreciable amount of sweetness to balance the hops. Anyways, that's great attenuation. Strangebrewer - did you mash also at 149? Just curious if yours had similar OG/FG since it was obviously a good clone.