Barrel-Aged Craft Beer Clone Homebrew Recipes
“Curieux is a fairly simple recipe starting with our Tripel, which is then aged in bourbon barrels and blended with another batch of fresh Tripel. The vast majority of brewers here started out homebrewing so we all get excited anytime we get to do anything homebrew-related.”
– Michael O’Connor, Allagash Brewing Company
Allagash Brewing Company Curieux clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.073 FG = 1.006
IBU = 30 SRM = 4 ABV = 9.3%
Ingredients
12 lbs. (5.4 kg) 2-row pale malt or Pilsner malt
1.7 lbs. (0.77 kg) granulated sugar (10 min.)
3 AAU German Perle hops (75 min.)
(0.8 oz./23 g at 8% alpha acids)
3 AAU German Spalt hops (10 min.)
(0.9 oz./26 g at 4.2% alpha acids)
0.9 oz. (26 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc® tablet (10 min.)
Bourbon soaked oak chips or spirals
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) yeast or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Wyeast 1214 (Belgian Abbey) or White Labs WLP550 (Belgian Ale) or yeast harvested from Allagash White yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash at 149 °F (65 °C) for 45 minutes using 3.75 gallons (14.2 L) of strike water. You can perform a mash-out if you’d like but it’s not necessary. Run off and boil the wort for 90 minutes adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the sugar, yeast nutrients, and Whirlfloc® with 10 minutes remaining in the boil.
After the boil, chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C) and oxygenate. Rack to your fermenter and pitch healthy yeast. Allagash has their our own proprietary strain of yeast. The ingredients list contains several great strains readily available to homebrewers. O’Connor recommends, “if you’re feeling adventurous and practice excellent sanitation, you can propagate the Allagash house yeast from a bottle of Allagash White. Our other beers contain an additional yeast strain added just before packaging so a bottle of white is the only way to procure the house strain. You can allow the temperature to rise after a couple days of fermentation. The beer’s terminal gravity should be around 1.006.”
For wood-aging and blending, O’Connor states, “we generally age Tripel in bourbon barrels for six to eight weeks at 55 °F (18 °C). It is then blended to taste with fresh Tripel before packaging. Curieux should have a subtle bourbon character with hints of vanilla and coconut. To replicate this at home, try soaking 1–2 oz. of oak chips or spirals in your favorite bourbon for a couple weeks. Then when fermentation is complete, rack into a secondary vessel on top of the bourbon soaked oak. I recommend tasting the beer every two to three days. It probably wont take long for the beer to develop the subtle flavors that you’re looking for. Oak cubes are also an option but be aware that the entire process may take much longer- when both soaking the oak in bourbon and aging the beer on the cubes. “Package the beer as soon as it has developed the desired character. Allagash bottles/keg conditions, but feel free to package the beer any way you choose.” If the beer has been aging for several months, you can opt to add extra yeast if you plan to bottle condition this beer.
Allagash Brewing Company Curieux clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.073 FG = 1.006
IBU = 30 SRM = 4 ABV = 9.3%
Ingredients
6.5 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
1.7 lbs. (0.77 kg) granulated sugar (10 min.)
3 AAU German Perle hops (75 min.)
(0.8 oz./23 g at 8% alpha acids)
3 AAU German Spalt hops (10 min.)
(0.9 oz./26 g at 4.2% alpha acids)
0.9 oz. (26 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc® tablet (10 min.)
Bourbon soaked oak chips or spirals
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) yeast or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Wyeast 1214 (Belgian Abbey) or White Labs WLP550 (Belgian Ale) or yeast harvested from Allagash White yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Heat 6.5 gallons (25 L) water in your brew pot up to a boil. Add the dried malt extract when the water approaches a boil. Stir well then bring it to a boil. Boil the wort for 75 minutes adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the sugar, yeast nutrients, and Whirlfloc® with 10 minutes remaining in the boil.
When the boil is complete, chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C) and oxygenate well. Rack to your fermenter and pitch lots of healthy yeast. Follow the all-grain recipe at left for yeast recommendations and the fermentation and wood-aging instructions. Allagash bottles/keg conditions, but feel free to package the beer any way you choose. If the beer has been aging for several months, you can opt to add extra yeast if you plan to bottle condition this beer.
“This is a recipe for Devil’s Heart of Gold, a whiskey barrel-aged wheat wine. The base beer, Heart of Gold, won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2012. We’ve only released Devil’s Heart of Gold one time, but we plan to do yearly releases from here on out.”
– Phil Wymore
Perennial Artisan Ales
Perennial Artisan Ales Devil’s Heart of Gold clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.104 FG = 1.024
IBU = 60 SRM = 8 ABV = 11.7%
Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) 2-row pale malt
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) wheat malt
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) golden liquid malt extract
18.9 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.)
(1.5 oz./43 g at 12.6% alpha acids)
0.83 oz. (24 g) Columbus hops (0 min.)
Whiskey soaked oak chips or cubes
2.5 g Yeastex® (or equivalent yeast nutrient) (15 min.)
1 g Whirlfloc® (or similar kettle fining) (5 min.)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast (2-qt./~2-L yeast starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash the 2-row and wheat malts at 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. Use about 6.25 gallons (24 L) of mash liquor. Sparge with enough hot water until you lauter a total of 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort to the kettle. Add the liquid malt extract to the kettle and mix well to avoid scorching while the wort comes up to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the Yeastex® (or equivalent yeast nutrient) with 15 minutes left in the boil and Whirlfloc® (or equivalent kettle fining) at five minutes left in the boil. When the boil is complete, chill the wort rapidly to yeast pitching temperature and oxygenate well. Rack the wort to your primary fermenter, allowing for plenty of head space. Pitch the yeast (as a 2-qt./2-l yeast starter) and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for three weeks.
For wood-aging, Wymore states, “you can use whiskey-soaked oak chips or cubes to your preference and aging time. Purge the headspace in the bucket or carboy with CO2 in between samplings. If you can get your hands on a freshly dumped whiskey barrel from a distillery, brew this recipe scaled up and split over several brew sessions or among brewing companions, enough to fill the barrel. Purge the head space in the barrel with CO2 if there is any elapsed time between racking batches to the barrel. Despite your temptations, let the beer age for at least 10–12 months and don’t rack it out until you feel it tastes right.”
When oak aging is finished, force carbonate the beer in kegs or bottle with priming sugar and fresh pitched yeast such as Lallemand’s CBC-1.
Perennial Artisan Ales Devil’s Heart of Gold clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.104 FG = 1.024
IBU = 60 SRM = 8 ABV = 11.7%
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) wheat dried malt extract
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) golden liquid malt extract
18.9 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.)
(1.5 oz./43 g at 12.6% alpha acids)
0.83 oz. (24 g) Columbus hops (0 min.)
Whiskey soaked oak chips or cubes
2.5 g Yeastex® (or equivalent yeast nutrient) (15 min.)
1 g Whirlfloc® (or similar kettle fining) (5 min.)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast (2 qt./~2 L yeast starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Heat 6.5 gallons (25 L) water in your brew pot up to a boil. Dump in the liquid and dried malt extract and stir until all the extract has dissolved. Boil the wort for 60 minutes adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the Yeastex® (or equivalent yeast nutrient) with 15 minutes left in the boil and Whirlfloc® (or equivalent kettle fining) at 5 minutes left in the boil.
When the boil is complete, chill the wort rapidly to yeast pitching temperature and oxygenate well. Rack the wort to your primary fermenter, allowing for plenty of head space. Pitch the yeast (as a 2-qt./2-l yeast starter) and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for three weeks.
For wood-aging, Wymore states, “you can use whiskey-soaked oak chips or cubes to your preference and aging time. Purge the headspace in the bucket or carboy with CO2 in between samplings. If you can get your hands on a freshly dumped whiskey barrel from a distillery, brew this recipe scaled up and split over several brew sessions or among brewing companions, enough to fill the barrel. Purge the head space in the barrel with CO2 if there is any elapsed time between racking batches to the barrel. Despite your temptations, let the beer age for at least 10–12 months and don’t rack it out until you feel it tastes right.”
When oak aging is finished, force carbonate the beer in kegs or bottle with priming sugar and fresh pitched yeast such as Lallemand’s CBC-1.
“Das Uberkind is our most used and versatile barrel-aged beer. We blend it with fresh, hoppy beer to make Das Wunderkind! We use it as the base beer for most of our fruit refermentation beers, and we also package it as a standalone beer.”
– Garrett Cromwell,
Jester King Brewery
Jester King Brewery Das Uberkind clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.038 FG = 0.999
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5%
Ingredients
6.8 lbs. (3.1 kg) 2-row pale malt or Pilsner malt
0.66 lb. (300 g) unmalted wheat
0.33 lb. (150 g) dark Munich malt
0.33 lb. (150 g) flaked oats
3 AAU Golding hops (60 min.)
(0.6 oz./17 g at 5% alpha acids)
Wine soaked oak staves or cubes (prior use is preferred)
Wyeast 3711 (French Saison) yeast
Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) or White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison I) yeast
Wild inoculated bugs from local fruits or flower
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash at 154–158 °F (68–70 °C) for 45 minutes using 3 gallons (11.3 L) strike water. Boil for 60 minutes adding hops at the beginning of the boil. After the boil is finished, chill the wort and oxygenate well. Rack to your fermenter. Pitch the yeast and bacteria and ferment at 78 °F (26 °C) for two weeks. For wood-aging Jester King generally primary ferments in either stainless or an oak foudre before sending it to smaller, 225-L barrels. Mostly they use neutral wine barrels and find that very subtle oak character complements this delicate beer. You can try to simulate this at home by using oak cubes or staves that have been used once or twice and that have also been soaked in wine. Secondary fermentation takes place at 55–62 °F (13–17 °C). Average fermentation/aging for Das Uberkind is eight to 24 months. Then keg or bottle as you normally would.
Jester King Brewery Das Uberkind clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.038 FG = 0.999
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5%
Ingredients
3 lbs. (1.36 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
1 lb. (3.1 kg) 2-row pale malt or Pilsner malt
0.66 lb. (300 g) unmalted wheat
0.33 lb. (150 g) dark Munich malt
0.33 lb. (150 g) flaked oats
3 AAU Golding hops (60 min.)
(0.6 oz./17 g at 5% alpha acids)
Wine soaked oak staves or cubes (prior use is preferred)
Wyeast 3711 (French Saison) yeast
Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) or White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison I) yeast
Wild inoculated bugs from local fruits or flower
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash crushed grains at 154–158 °F (68–70 °C) for 45 minutes using 1 gallon (3.8 L) water. Wash the grains with 1 gallon (3.8 L) hot water. Top off to 6 gallons (23 L) and add the dried malt extract. Stir well then bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes adding hops at the beginning of the boil. After the boil is finished, chill the wort and oxygenate well. Rack to your fermenter. Pitch the yeast and bacteria and ferment at 78 °F (26 °C) for two weeks. For wood-aging, Jester King generally primary ferments in either stainless or an oak foudre before sending it to smaller, 225-L barrels. Mostly they use neutral wine barrels and find that very subtle oak character complements this delicate beer. You can try to simulate this at home by using oak cubes or staves that have been used once or twice and that have also been soaked in wine. Secondary fermentation takes place at 55–62 °F (13–17 °C). Average fermentation/aging is eight to 24 months. Keg or bottle as normal.
Tips for Success:
Head Brewer Garrett Cromwell has the following bits of advice to add to the mix: “The specialty malts like Munich, and then flaked oats, rotate based on what we have around the brewery. Sometimes we’ll use spelt, or Maris Otter, or malted wheat etc. For the hops, lately we’ve been adding aged hops for about 30% of our total hop volume with great results. Also we use 100%, unaltered well water for all of our beer. It’s pretty high in bicarbonates, but we absolutely love it. For yeast, we use a mixed culture of different yeast and bacteria for all fermentations. These include Dupont yeast, and Thiriez saison yeast, along with a multitude of yeast and bacteria from flowers around our brewery, spontaneous fermentation slurries, etc. These were all blended together one time, and have been evolving as a cohesive culture since being used in our brewery. We maintain this culture in-house. Bottle dregs from any of our beers would be best to approximate the fermentation character we achieve.”
“Fistful of Hops is a quarterly rotating seasonal IPA, which means every three months the hops change. We usually combine two to three varieties of hops together for each new release. The same varieties and proportion of hops are used all the way through the recipe including dry hopping.”
– Dave Colt, Sun King Brewery
Sun King Brewing Co. Tequila Barrel-Aged Fistful of Hops clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.010
IBU = 78 SRM = 13 ABV = 6.4%
Ingredients
11 lbs. (57 kg) 2-row pale malt
10 oz. (283 g) flaked rye
8 oz. (227 g) Weyermann Caraaroma® malt (130 °L)
12.5 AAU Warrior® hops (70 min.)
(0.75 oz./21 g at 16.6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Mosaic™ hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.6 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 13% alpha acids)
1.9 AAU Amarillo® hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
4.2 AAU Mosaic™ hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 13% alpha acids)
3.3 AAU Amarillo® hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic™ hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
6.5 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 13% alpha acids)
4.7 AAU Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Mosaic™ hops (dry hop)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Nelson Sauvin hops (dry hop)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
Tequila soaked oak chips (light toast)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and target a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Sparge to collect about 6.5 gallons (25 L). Boil for 90 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated. After the boil is complete, turn off the heat and stir in the flameout hop addition and begin a vigorous whirlpool in your kettle. Let settle for 15 minutes. Chill the wort, aerate thoroughly, and then pitch the yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until primary fermentation is complete. Add dry hops for 4-7 days.
To approximate tequila barrel aging at home, Colt suggests, “get the lightest toasted oak chips you can find and soak them in the tequila of your choice. Now add them to the beer. Taste the beer weekly and pull it off of the chips when it has reached the state where you can taste the wood, the spirit, and beer in harmony. Better still, get a 5-L oak barrel and fill it with tequila and let it age a few weeks to a month at a minimum. Next enjoy the tequila you aged and fill it back up with beer. Make sure to purge out any oxygen from the barrel before filling it with beer.” After aging, bottle or keg as normal.
Sun King Brewing Co. Tequila Barrel-Aged Fistful of Hops clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.010
IBU = 78 SRM = 13 ABV = 6.4%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) light liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
10 oz. (283 g) flaked rye
8 oz. (227 g) Weyermann Caraaroma® malt (130 °L)
12.5 AAU Warrior® hops (70 min.)
(0.75 oz./21 g at 16.6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Mosaic™ hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.6 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 13% alpha acids)
1.9 AAU Amarillo® hops (20 min.)
(0.2 oz./6 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
4.2 AAU Mosaic™ hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 13% alpha acids)
3.3 AAU Amarillo® hops (5 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic™ hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
6.5 AAU Nelson Sauvin hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 13% alpha acids)
4.7 AAU Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 9.4% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Mosaic™ hops (dry hop)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Nelson Sauvin hops (dry hop)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
Tequila soaked oak chips (light toast)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place crushed grains in a large muslin bag. Heat 1 gallon (3.8 L) water and target a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Add the grain bag and hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete, about 60 minutes. Remove the grain bag and slowly wash the grains with 1 gallon (3.8 L) hot water. Add the liquid malt extract and top off to 6.5 gallons (25 L) in the brewpot. Total boil time is 90 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated. Follow the all-grain recipe for the boiling, fermenting and wood-aging instructions.
The Bruery Mash clone
The specifications below are all pre-barrel numbers. This beer climbs to 12.5% ABV. after barrel aging. Special thanks to The Bruery’s Experimental Brewer Andrew Bell for these guidelines and detailed ingredients.
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.092 FG = 1.016
IBU = 30 SRM = 30 ABV = 11%
Ingredients
17 lbs. (7.7 kg) Great Western 2-row pale malt
1.9 lbs. (0.86 kg) Briess Bonlander® Munich malt (10 °L)
0.4 lb. (181 g) Castle Abbey® malt (17 °L)
0.3 lb. (136 g) Castle chocolate malt (340 °L)
13.5 AAU UK Challenger hops
(60 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 9.6% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc® tablet (10 min.)
Bourbon soaked oak cubes
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.25 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (2.6 L/kg) and a temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C). water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is 7 gallons (26.5 L).
Total boil time is 120 minutes, adding the hops 60 minutes into the boil. Add Whirlfloc® and yeast nutrient with 10 minutes left in the boil.
When the boil is complete, chill the wort rapidly to 65 °F (18 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The yeast pitch rate is 1,000,000 cells per mL per degree Plato. On a homebrew scale, this is approximately three packages of liquid yeast.
For the wood aging, Bell says, “after primary fermentation is finished, rack the beer to a CO2 purged, first-use bourbon barrel (or as an alternative, add bourbon soaked oak cubes to the beer in a secondary fermenter). Age the beer on the oak until a refined bourbon character is achieved (approximately one year on a commercial scale, usually less on a smaller scale depending on the surface area of your oak source). After aging, bottle or keg as normal, carbonating the beer to around 2.5 volumes of CO2 (forced carbonation would be easier with this high ABV beer).” If you plan to bottle condition, you may consider pitching some fresh yeast at bottling.
The Bruery Mash clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.092 FG = 1.016
IBU = 30 SRM = 30 ABV = 11%
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) golden liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.9 lbs. (0.86 kg) Briess Bonlander® Munich malt (10 °L)
0.4 lb. (181 g) Castle Abbey® malt (17 °L)
0.3 lb. (136 g) Castle chocolate malt (340 °L)
13.5 AAU UK Challenger hops
(60 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 9.6% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc® tablet (10 min.)
Bourbon soaked oak cubes
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place crushed grains in a large muslin bag. Heat 2 gallons (7.6 L) water and target a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Add the grain bag and hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete, about 60 minutes. Remove the grain bag and slowly wash the grains with 2 gallons (7.6 L) hot water. Add the liquid malt extract and top off to 7 gallons (26.5 L) in the brewpot. Total boil time is 120 minutes, adding the hops 60 minutes into the boil. Add Whirlfloc® and yeast nutrient with 10 minutes left in the boil. When the boil is complete, chill the wort rapidly to 65 °F (18 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The yeast pitch rate is 1,000,000 cells per mL per degree Plato. On a homebrew scale, this is approximately three packages of liquid yeast.
For the wood aging, Bell says, “after primary fermentation is finished, rack the beer to a CO2 purged, first-use bourbon barrel (or as an alternative, add bourbon soaked oak cubes to the beer in a secondary fermenter). Age the beer on the oak until a refined bourbon character is achieved (approximately one year on a commercial scale, usually less on a smaller scale depending on the surface area of your oak source). After aging, bottle or keg as normal, carbonating the beer to around 2.5 volumes of CO2 (forced carbonation would be easier with this high ABV beer).” If you plan to bottle condition, you may consider pitching some fresh yeast at bottling.
