Big Island Brewhaus’ Golden Sabbath clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.074 FG = 1.009
IBU = 45 SRM = 7 ABV = 8.5%

INGREDIENTS
11 lbs. (5 kg) North American 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Great Western Munich malt (10 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) Simpsons caramalt (15 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) macadamia nut honey or mesquite honey
0.42 lb. (190 g) cane sugar
7.15 AAU Galena hops (90 min.) (0.55 oz./16 g at 13% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4 AAU Tettnanger hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP570 (Belgian Golden Ale), Wyeast 1388 (Belgian Strong Ale), Imperial Yeast B51 (Workhorse), or Mangrove Jack’s M31 (Belgian Tripel) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP
Employing a single infusion mash, target a mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C), rest for 60 minutes or until conversion is complete. Recirculate until clear, then collect wort and boil for 90 minutes. Add first hop addition when boil is achieved, second addition with 30 minutes remaining, sugar with 15 minutes to go, and final hop addition and honey after heat has been turned off. Adding honey during whirlpool helps to retain much of its valued aroma. Give the wort a long stir to create a whirlpool, then let settle for 20 minutes before beginning to chill the wort.

Chill wort to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch yeast, and oxygenate. A big beer like this can take 12–15 days to finish primary fermentation. Maintain a temperature of 68 °F (20 °C) to help maintain a restrained ester profile, while still imparting an overall positive yeast character.

Big Island Brewhaus’ Golden Sabbath clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.074 FG = 1.009
IBU = 45 SRM = 8 ABV = 8.5%

INGREDIENTS
5.8 lbs. (2.6 kg) light or golden light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich dried malt extract
0.5 lb. (227 g) Simpsons caramalt (15 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) macadamia nut honey or mesquite honey
0.42 lb. (190 g) cane sugar
7.15 AAU Galena hops (90 min.) (0.55 oz./16 g at 13% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4 AAU Tettnanger hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP570 (Belgian Golden Ale), Wyeast 1388 (Belgian Strong Ale), Imperial Yeast B51 (Workhorse), or Mangrove Jack’s M31 (Belgian Tripel) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP
Raise 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to about 152 °F (67 °C) and steep only the caramalt (in a muslin bag) for about 10 minutes. Remove grain, letting the liquid drip back into the pot without squeezing. Remove malt and raise temperature to near boiling. When close, remove from heat source and slowly stir in the dried malt extract, ensuring it is fully dissolved. Place back onto heat source and raise to a boil. Add first hop addition when boil is achieved, second addition with 30 minutes remaining, sugar with 15 minutes to go, and final hop addition in whirlpool. Add honey during whirlpool to get a thorough blend, while retaining much of its aroma.

After a 20-minute kettle rest, chill wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and top up with pre-boiled and chilled water to achieve a total of 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast, and oxygenate. A big beer like this can take 12–15 days to finish primary fermentation. Maintain a temperature of 68 °F (20 °C) to help restrain the ester profile, but still impart positive yeast character.

Tips For Success:

The goal for Golden Sabbath is to achieve a dry finish while showing light honey/caramel/apple nuances with a floral citrus hop accent. According to Thomas Kerns, both Co-Owner and Brewmaster at Big Island, specific malts make all the difference when trying to recreate this beer.

“I recommend a good 2-row to give a solid backbone instead of using a lighter-bodied Pilsner malt,” said Kerns. “Also, I recommend using the Great Western Munich for this beer over the European varieties of Munich malt. Great Western imparts more of a dry-toasty character versus the malt sweetness you get from typical German varieties of Munich malt.”

The honey you select will be a key part in developing the final nose and flavor of the beer. But sourcing the nutty tasting macadamia nut honey isn’t going to be easy (or cheap) since the Big Island is the main production site of this honey. Mesquite honey from the desert southwestern U.S. is a good alternative with its light molasses character.

Dextrose can be used instead of cane sugar and Citra® hops can be used in place of Galena; brewer’s choice. The sugar or dextrose is used to lighten the body of the beer while adding fermentables. Your SRM may differ from the recipe (can range from 7–12), depending on the type of honey used and/or employing different maltsters for the grain bill.