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Brewdog Clones

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Brewdog uses no less than five yeast strains. They have a robust English ale strain for beers up to about 9% ABV, while for anything up to 12% ABV they employ an American ale yeast. In each case they are looking for a crisp, clean finish and high attenuation (up to 80% apparent attenuation). For stronger beers, such as Tokyo (an oak-aged stout at 18% ABV) Stewart uses the American ale yeast, followed by a Champagne yeast, a combination about which Stewart is very positive as being the way to go for very high gravity beers. For their lager, he goes for (what else?) a normal lager yeast, although they are about to change to another strain. Finally, they also carry a new Belgian yeast strain for the latest addition to their portfolio.

The English and American strains are highly attenuating, and any attempt at cloning these beers will need a yeast capable of achieving low finishing gravities. I would suggest Wyeast 1028 (London Ale), or White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) yeast for the English yeast. Candidates for the American strain would be Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) and White Labs WLP060 (American Ale Blend). And remember that good attenuation of a given wort is best achieved by using a good active starter, and by thoroughly oxygenating (rather than just aerating) the wort.

 

Maris Otter and Specialty Malts

With the exception of the lager, all beers are based on Maris Otter malt, which is good as both the malt and a syrup extract made from it are available to homebrewers. If you are all-grain mashing you should shoot for a mash temperature of 149–150 °F (65–65.5 °C), so as to give a wort relatively low in unfermentables, which will attenuate well during fermentation.

Brewdog uses a variety of other malts, such as Munich, Caramalt (a light crystal malt), crystal, dark crystal, chocolate and roast barley, though these are used in various combinations in the darker, stronger beers. Since these also use other, often exotic additives, I have chosen firstly to give clone recipes for the two IPAs they brew. That is because both employ only pale malt which simplifies matters for the extract brewer. I have also thrown in a recipe for Rip Tide, their imperial stout which includes specialty grains which only need steeping for extract-based brewing. It also includes dark muscovado sugar which you might not be able to obtain here, but you can use the darkest sugar you can find and that will serve just as well.

Mosty American Hops

Brewdog uses mainly American hops, such as Amarillo, Chinook, Ahtanum, Bramling Cross, Galena and Simcoe. The exceptions are First Gold (the first English dwarf hop), and Nelson Sauvin, a New Zealand hop. Since neither of these appears to be available in North America to any significant extent, I stuck to American hops in the recipes, except for one addition of English Fuggles as a substitute for First Gold.

Brewdog makes some hoppy beers, and not just by Scottish or British standards. Their Hardcore IPA is listed at 150 IBUs. However, the IBU number quoted is a nominal one based on a calculation making assumptions about iso-alpha acid solubility, as well as alpha-acid utilization. In fact, the brewing literature suggests that 100 IBU is about the maximum solubility of iso-alpha acids, although I am not aware that there has been any such testing with beers at 8–9% ABV and above. Therefore, in this recipe I gave hop additions which would give 150 IBU assuming that the standard calculation does hold for this beer.

Although Brewdog uses only whole hops, I’ve formulated the clone recipes using pellets simply because these are more widely available to the homebrewer. If you wish to use whole hops, feel free to do so, but factor in a roughly 10% decrease in hop utilization.

 

Recipes

Punk IPA clone

(5.0 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.014
IBU = 62 SRM = 8 ABV = 6.0%

Ingredients

12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg)  Maris Otter pale malt
16 AAU Columbus hop pellets (90 mins)(1.5 oz./43 g at 11% alpha acids)
8.0 AAU Ahtanum hop pellets (0 mins)(1.0 oz./28 g at 8.0% alpha acids)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Amarillo hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) yeast (1-qt./1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash grains at 149 °F (65 °C) for 1 hour, and sparge to collect about 6.0 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes with Columbus hops at start and Ahtanum at knock-out. Cool, and add yeast as a 1-quart (1 L) starter prepared 2–3 days earlier. Oxygenate well and let ferment for 3–5 days. Rack into a secondary fermenter and add Amarillo hops in a sanitized muslin bag. Rack after one to two weeks, and bottle or keg as desired.

Punk IPA clone

(5.0 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.014
IBU = 62 SRM = 8 ABV = 6.0%

Ingredients

2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Muntons Extra Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
16 AAU Columbus hop pellets (90 mins)(1.5 oz/43 g at 11.0% alpha acids)
8.0 AAU Ahtanum hop pellets (0 mins)(1 oz/28 g at 8.0% alpha acids)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Amarillo hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) yeast (1-qt./1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

To get an acceptable level of hop utilization, and the correct amount of bitterness in your beer, you must be able to boil at least 3.5 gallons (13 L) of wort. In a large kitchen pot, steep crushed pale malt in 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 149 °F (65 °C) for 45 minutes. While grains are steeping, begin heating 2.75 gallons (10 L) of water in your brewpot. Lift grain bag, place in a collander and slowly rinse grains with 1.5 qt. (1.4 L) of water at 169 °F (76 °C). Add “grain tea” from steep and dried malt extract to your brewpot to make at least 3.5 gallons (13 L) of wort. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding Columbus hops at the start and Ahtanum hops at knock-out. Stir in liquid malt extract for the final 15 minutes of the boil. (Keep a pot of boiling water handy and add water if brewpot volume drops below 3.5 gallons/13 L). Cool wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5.0 gallons (19 L) with cool water Add yeast from 1-quart (1-L) yeast starter prepared 2–3 days earlier. Oxygenate well and let ferment for 3–5 days. Rack into a secondary fermenter and add Amarillo hops in a sterilized muslin bag. Rack after one to two weeks, and bottle or keg as desired.

Hardcore IPA clone

(5.0 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.084 FG = 1.020
IBU = 150 SRM = 11 ABV = 8.5%

Ingredients

17.5 lbs. (8.0 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
20 AAU Simcoe hop pellets (90 mins)(1.7 oz./48 g at 12% alpha acids)
20 AAU Warrior hop pellets (90 mins)(1.3 oz./37 g at 15% alpha acids)
13 AAU Chinook hop pellets (0 mins)(1.0 oz./28 g at 13% alpha acids)
2.0 oz. (56 g) Amarillo hop pellets (dry hop)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast (1.5 qt./~1.5 L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash grain at 149 °F (65 °C) for 1 hour, and sparge to collect about 6.0 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes with Simcoe and Warrior hops added at the start and Chinook hops at knock-out. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter and add yeast as a 1.5-qt. (1.5-L) starter prepared 2–3 days earlier. Oxygenate well and let ferment for 3–5 days. Rack the beer into a secondary fermenter and add Amarillo hops in a sanitized muslin bag. Rack after one to two weeks, and bottle or keg as desired.

Hardcore IPA clone

(5.0 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.084 FG = 1.020
IBU = 150 SRM = 11 ABV = 8.5%

Ingredients

2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
8.25 lbs. (3.7 kg) Coopers Light dried malt extract
20 AAU Simcoe hop pellets (90 mins)(1.7 oz./48 g at 12% alpha acids)
20 AAU Warrior hop pellets (90 mins)(1.3 oz./37 g at 15% alpha acids)
13 AAU Chinook hop pellets (0 mins)(1.0 oz./28 g at 13% alpha acids)
2.0 oz. (56 g) Amarillo hop pellets (dry hop)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast (1.5 qt./~1.5 L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

To get the proper level of bitterness in your beer, you must be able to boil your full wort. Steep crushed pale malt in
3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 149 °F (65 °C) for 45 minutes. Rinse grains with 1.5 qt. (1.4 L) of water at 169 °F (76 °C). Add “grain tea” and malt extract to 5.25 gallons (20 L) of boiling water in your kettle. Boil for 90 minutes with Simcoe and Warrior hops added at the start and Chinook at knock-out. Cool, and add yeast as a 1.5-qt. (1.5-L) starter prepared 2–3 days earlier. Oxygenate well and let ferment for 3–5 days. Rack into a secondary fermenter and add Amarillo hops in a sanitized muslin bag. Rack the beer after one to two weeks, and bottle or keg as desired.

Rip Tide clone (Imperial stout)

(5.0 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 65 SRM = 58 ABV = 8.0%

Ingredients

10.6 lbs. (4.8 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Caramalt
1.0 lbs (0.45 kg) dark crystal malt (80 °L)
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) chocolate malt
0.40 lb. (0.18 kg) roasted barley
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) dark brown sugar
17 AAU Galena pellet hops (90 mins) (1.3 oz./37 g at 13% alpha acids)
5 AAU English Fuggles hop pellets (0 minutes)(1 oz./28 g at 5.0% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale ) yeast (1-qt./~1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash grains at 150 °F (65 ° C) for 90 minutes, then run off and sparge to collect about 6.0 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes with Galena hops at start and Fuggles at knock-out; stir in the sugar 10 minutes before end of boil, taking care that it is properly dissolved. Cool, and add yeast as a 1-quart (1 L) starter prepared 2–3 days earlier. Oxygenate well and let ferment for 3–5 days. Rack into a secondary fermenter and add Amarillo hops in a sterilized muslin bag. Rack after one to two weeks, and bottle or keg
as desired.

Rip Tide clone (Imperial stout)

(5.0 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 65 SRM = 56 ABV = 8.0%

Ingredients

0.6 lb (0.27 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.5 lb (0.7 kg) Caramalt
1.0 lb (0.45 kg) Dark crystal malt (80 °L)
0.5 lb (0.22 kg) chocolate malt
0.4 lb (0.18 kg) roasted barley
3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
1 lb (0.45 kg) dark brown sugar
17 AAU Galena pellet hops (90 mins) (1.3 oz./37 g at 13% alpha acids)
5 AAU English Fuggles hop pellets (0 minutes) (1 oz./28 g at 5.0% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale ) yeast (1-qt./~1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash grains at 150 °F (65 °C) for 90 minutes, then run off and sparge to collect about 2.0 gallons (7.8 L) of wort. Combine wth 2.0 gallons (7.8 L) of boiling water in kettle. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops at indicated times; stir in the sugar 10 minutes before end of boil. Follow the remaining instructions in the all-grain recipe.

Issue: January-February 2010