Mortalis Brewing Co.’s Ophion clone 

Mortalis Brewing Co.’s Ophion clone 

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.160  FG = 1.068
IBU = 25  SRM = 85  ABV = 12%*

This is a huge beer that requires a huge amount of fermentables and an extended boil to hit the target gravity. An oversized mash tun that can handle 23 lbs. (10 kg) of grain will be required to brew a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. An alternative is to sub out some or all of the base grain with malt extract.

*ABV is calculated prior to barrel aging.

Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) Briess 2-row pale malt
2.75 lbs. (1.2 kg) Crisp Maris Otter malt
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) maltodextrin
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) black patent malt
1.75 lbs. (0.8 kg) caramel malt (60 °L)
1.25 lbs. (0.6 kg) Weyermann Carafoam®
1.25 lbs. (0.6 kg) flaked barley
1.25 lbs. (0.6 kg) flaked oats
12 oz. (340 g) Briess chocolate malt 
12 oz. (340 g) Crisp brown malt
4 oz. (110 g) roasted barley
8 oz. (230 g) rice hulls
Dextrose (if needed to boost gravity)
7.5 AAU Warrior hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 15% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
Yeast nutrient
SafAle US-05, Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast
LalBrew CBC-1 (if priming)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
It is recommended that you repitch yeast from a previous batch of beer for adequate pitch rates. If that is not easily attainable, a large yeast starter made in advance (if using a liquid yeast strain) or pitching 3 sachets of dried yeast is recommended. 

Mill in the grains and add rice hulls to avoid a stuck mash. Mash the grains at 158 °F (70 °C) for 60 minutes. Adjust mash PH 5.3 if necessary. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear of particles, then start the burner and run off into kettle. Sparge to collect 10 gallons (38 L). Boil for 4–5 hours, depending on evaporation rate, with the intent of transferring about 5.5 (21 L) gallons into the fermenter. Add hops at times indicated and the maltodextrin near the end of the boil. Take a gravity reading near the end of the boil, and if gravity is low add dextrose as needed to achieve the 1.160 gravity before the end of the boil. 

Chill to 65 °F (18 °L) and add yeast nutrient according to the  manufacturer’s instructions. If using a liquid yeast, you will need to aerate extremely well and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 68–70 °F (20–21 °C).

When fermentation is complete and gravity has stabilized for 3–4 days, drop temperature to 52 °F (11 °C). Drop yeast and rack into a secondary vessel purged with CO₂. Hold for an additional 5–6 days in secondary and allow to rise to ambient temperature. Rack into a 5-gallon (19-L) Bourbon barrel purged with CO₂, leaving just a little head space. Allow your taste to guide you in how long to keep the beer in the barrel, first tasting after a week or two. When ready, rack to a keg and force carbonate or bottle. If bottling, pitch a cask-conditioning yeast such as LalBrew CBC-1. 

Mortalis Brewing Co.’s Ophion clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.160  FG = 1.068
IBU = 25  SRM = 85  ABV = 12%*

*ABV calculated prior to barrel aging.

Ingredients
6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) light liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich dried malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) maltodextrin
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) black patent malt
1.75 lbs. (0.8 kg) caramel malt (60 °L)
1.75 lbs. (0.8 kg) Weyermann Carafoam®
12 oz. (340 g) Briess chocolate malt 
4 oz. (110 g) roasted barley
Dextrose (if needed to boost gravity)
7.5 AAU Warrior hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 15% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
Yeast nutrient
SafAle US-05, Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast
LalBrew CBC-1 (if priming)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
Place the crushed grains in a muslin bag (or two muslin bags so they are not packed in tightly) and submerge in 6.5 gallons (25 L) water as it heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). When that temperature is achieved, remove grain bag, allowing to drip into the kettle. With the heat turned off, stir in the malt extract until dissolved. Return to heat and bring wort to a boil. 

Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil and maltodextrin in the final 10 minutes. Take a gravity reading near the end of the boil, and if gravity is low add dextrose as needed to achieve the 1.160 gravity before the end of the boil time. 

Follow cooling, fermenting, aging, and packaging instructions in the all-grain recipe.