Mardi Gras Clones
Carnival celebration begins in January and stretches to the height of Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday. Unfortunately, not everyone can catch the infamous krewe parades of New Orleans or share in the festivities on Bourbon Street, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all the favorite New Orleans microbrews.
Thanks to authors Mark and Tess Szamatulski, and former BYO columnist Dawnell Smith, you can now clone Abita Amber, Abita Turbo Dog and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager — and hey, isn’t sitting back with a good Louisiana-themed homebrew sporting your purple, green and gold beads really the next best thing to the French Quarter? Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (let the good times roll)!
Abita Brewing Company Turbodog
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.014
IBU = 32 SRM = 30 ABV = 5.5%
Turbodog, one of Abita’s flagship brews, is a dark brown ale with a rich body and a sweet, toffee-like flavor.
Ingredients
9.75 lbs. (4.4 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons crystal malt (150 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Muntons chocolate malt
7 AAUs Chinook hops (90 mins.) (0.6 oz./17 g of 12% alpha acid)
5 AAUs Willamette hops (5 mins.) (1.25 oz./35 g of 4% alpha acid)
6 AAUs Willamette hops (0 mins.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 4% alpha acid)
White Labs WLP036 (Dusseldorf Alt) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
Heat 3.6 gallons (14 L) to 160 °F (71 °C) in a brew pot and slowly mix in milled malt. Hold at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes, then heat the thick mash to 172 °F (78 °C) and hold for five minutes. Transfer to lauter unit and run-off first wort (should hit 1.070). Sparge with 3.75 gallons (14.25 L) at 172 °F (78 °C). Bring wort to boil and add the hops at the times indicated in the ingredients list. Chill the wort rapidly to 65–68 °F (18–20 °C), aerate well, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 65–68 °F (18–20 °C). When primary fermentation is complete, cool to around 45 °F (7 °C) and condition for one week before bottling or kegging as usual.
Extract with Grains Option: Omit the 2-row pale malt and add 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) light dried malt extract and 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract (late addition). Place the crushed malts in a nylon steeping bag and steep in 3 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 152 °F (67 °C) for 30 minutes. Rinse grains with 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Add water to the brew pot make 3 gallons (11 L), stir in dried malt extract and bring to a boil. Add the hops at the times indicated in the ingredients list. After the boil, cool the wort to and top fermenter up to 5 gallons (19) with cool water. Add yeast, aerate and ferment at 55–58 °F (13–14 °C. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.
—
Abita Amber clone
(5 gallons/19 L extract with grains)
OG = 1.046 FG = 1.011
SRM = 10 IBU =18 ABV = 4.5%
Ingredients
8 oz. (226 g) U.S. crystal malt (40 ºL)
8 oz. (226 g) U.S. crystal malt (80 ºL)
4 oz. (113 g) U.S. crystal malt (120 ºL)
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexander’s pale liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) extra light dried malt extract
4 AAU Chinook hops (60 min.) (1/3 oz./9 g at 12% alpha acids)
1/4 oz. (7 g) German Perle hops (15 min.)
1/2 oz. (14 g) German Perle hops (5 min.)
1 tsp. (5 mL) Irish moss
Wyeast 2308 (Munich lager) yeast (ferment at 47–52 ºF/ 8–11 ºC for four weeks then at 57–62 ºF(14–17 ºC) for the remainder of fermentation.)
Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian lager) yeast (ferment at 47–52 ºF/8–11 ºC)
1.25 cups (300 mL) Muntons extra light dry malt extract (for bottling)
Step by Step
Heat 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to 155 ºF (68 ºC) and add crystal malts. Remove the pot from the heat and steep at 150 ºF (66 ºC) for 30 minutes. Strain the grain water into the brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) of 150 ºF (68 ºC) water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add Alexander’s pale malt extract syrup, Muntons extra light dried malt extract and Chinook bittering hops.
Add water until the total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9.5 L). Boil for 45 minutes then add: Perle flavor hops and Irish Moss. Boil for 10 minutes and Perle aroma hop. Boil for five minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and chill the wort for 20 minutes.
Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain 5 1/4 gallons (20 L). When the wort temperature is below 80 ºF (26.6 ºC) pitch the yeast. Keep the primary fermenter at 60–62 ºF (16–17 ºC) until fermentation begins (approximately one day). Move the primary fermenter to 47–52 ºF (8–11 ºC) and ferment for seven days or until fermentation slows. Siphon the wort into the secondary fermenter (5 gallon glass carboy).
Bottle when fermentation is complete, target gravity is reached and beer has cleared (approximately five weeks) with the 1.25 cups (300 mL) Muntons extra light dry malt extract (boiled for 10 minutes in 2 cups (473 mL) of water). Let prime at 70 ºF (21 ºC) for approximately four weeks until carbonated, then store at cellar temperature.
Partial-mash Method:
Mash 2.25 lbs. (1.02 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt and the specialty grains at 150 ºF (65.6 ºC) for 90 minutes. Then follow the extract recipe omitting 1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) Muntons extra light dry malt extract at the beginning of the boil.
All-Grain Method:
Mash 7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt with the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 25 minutes then at 140 ºF (65.1 ºC) for 90 minutes. Add 3.3 HBU (18 % less than the extract recipe) of bittering hops for 60 minutes of the boil. Add the hops and Irish moss as indicated by the extract recipe.
—
Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.013
IBU = 25 SRM = 27 ABV = 5.4%
Ingredients
0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) U.S. 80 ºL crystal malt
1 oz. (28 g) U.S. black malt
2 oz. (56 g) U.S. chocolate malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexander’s pale malt extract syrup
2.75 lbs. (1.25 kg) Munton’s light DME
0.33 lbs. (0.15 kg) rice solids
6.45 AAU Mt. Hood hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz/43 g at 4.3% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 grams) Cascade (15 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 grams) Mt. Hood (15 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 grams) Cascade (5 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 grams) Mt. Hood (5 min.)
1 tsp. (5 mL) Irish moss
Wyeast 2035 (American lager) or Wyeast 2007 (Pilsen lager) yeast
0.75 cup (180 mL) corn sugar
Step by Step
Crush and steep crystal, black and chocolate malt in 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) 150 ºL (65.5 ºC) water for 20 minutes. Strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) water at 150 ºF (65.5 ºC). Add water to the brew pot for 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) total volume. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove, and add Alexander’s pale malt syrup, Muntons light DME, rice solids, and of Mt. Hood hops for bittering.
Add water until total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9 L). Boil for 45 minutes and add flavor hops, and Irish moss. Boil for 10 minutes then add aroma hops. Boil for five minutes, remove pot from the stove and cool for 15 minutes.
Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain five gallons (18.9 L). When the wort temperature is under 80 ºF (26.6 ºC), pitch your yeast. Ferment in the primary fermenter five to seven days or until fermentation slows, then siphon into the secondary fermenter. Bottle when fermentation is complete with corn sugar.
Partial mash:
Mash 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt and the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 30 minutes and 150 ºF (65.5 ºC) for 60 minutes. Then follow the extract with grains recipe, omitting the 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) DME at the beginning of the boil.
All-grain method:
Grind 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) rice, then boil for 20 minutes until soft. Mash 7.25 lbs. (3.3 kg) British 2-row lager malt and 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) U.S. 6-row ale malt with the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 30 minutes and 151 ºF (66 ºC) for 60 minutes. Add 4.7% HBU (31% less than the extract with grains recipe) of bittering hops for 90 minutes of the boil. Add the flavor hops and Irish moss for the last 15 minutes of the boil and the aroma hops for the last five minutes.
—
The recipes for Abita Amber and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager were adapted from Mark and Tess Szamatulski’s books, “Beer Captured,” and “Clone Brews,” respectively.
