Adjusting bittering hops.

Grains, malts, hops, yeast, water and other ingredients used to brew. Recipe reviews and suggestions.

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mnollar
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:20 pm

Adjusting bittering hops.

Post by mnollar »

I'm trying to create an accurate Sierra Nevada clone, but the recipe I have come up with is a little to bitter for my liking. I would like to tone the bitterness down, but I'm a little confused on which way to go. Do I not boil the bittering hops as long, or do I lower the amount of bittering hops being boiled.

Can someone take the time to explain how the IBU work and how I can adjust these to get the taste I want?

You time and patience is appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike
richanne
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Either way

Post by richanne »

Either method will work, but lowering the amount of hops is better because it gives you greater control over the situation.
Check out my Sierra Nevada Celebration Clone recipe here at beer tools, and feel free to compare the hops called for.
E-mail me at richanne@netzero.net if you want more help getting just the right bitterness you want.
wouldy
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Where have you been all my life?

Post by wouldy »

I have been trying to find a sierra nevada clone for a couple of weeks now. I saw your celebration clone on the recipies, is that the same as the sierra nevada pale ale?
mnollar
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:20 pm

My recipe.....

Post by mnollar »

Here is the recipe I have for the pale ale clone. It is a very good recipe, but my wife doesn't like real bitter beer.

Fermentables
8.00 lbs. Great Western domestic 2-row malt
.75 lb. 50L crystal malt
.50 lb. CaraPils malt

Hops
1.00 oz. 8.3 AAU whole Perle hops (75 min. boil)
.50 oz. 6.0 AAU whole Cascade hops (15 min. boil) (Total IBU is about 33)
1.00 oz. whole Cascade hops (steep while cooling)

Yeast 1 pint starter Wyeast #1056 (Chico)
Procedure 1 1/2 tsp gypsum (my water is rather soft) in mash. Lactic acid added to sparge water for pH 5.7.
122 degree protein rest for 30 min (I know I could have skipped this, but I have never used this malt before), 155 degree saccharification rest for 60 min., mash out at 168 degrees for 10 min. Sparge, boil, pitch, etc.etc. My pre-boil yield is about .033 pts/gal/lb, but since I whirlpool and settle the wort after chilling, then rack off from the trub, my yield drops to about .027 due to the amount of wort left behind in the kettle.
richanne
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Cloning, brewing and launching a businiess

Post by richanne »

No, the SN Celebration ale is 6.8% abv, and uses more flavoring hops than the standard SN Pale Ale, which is 5.6% and uses no flavoring hops (according to their site). I prefer more flavor, so I didn't mess with the std pale ale recipe, although the one by mnollar (if you leave out the flavoring hops) looks about right if you reduce the bittering hops to about .7 of an ounce for 60 minutes instead of a full ounce. The IBUs for the std pale ale are SUPPOSED to be around 32, and if you use an entire ounce, you will get around 43 +
Hope this helps - if you want any other "tweeks" email me and we'll see what we can work up.
richanne
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Good start

Post by richanne »

This looks about like what I would think the SN Pale Ale recipe would be, reading everything i can on their site and several others. If you want to lower the bittering to what theirs claims to be, then reduce the bittering hops to .7 of an ounce for 60 minutes from a full ounce. Also, the SN Pale Ale doesn't use any flavoring hops (boiled for 10 - 15 minutes)- but I prefer the flavor they give, so if it were me doing the recipe, i'd leave them in, but that is just personal preference. Good luck and i hope i helped
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