Westbrook Brewing Co.’s 4th Anniversary clone

Westbrook Brewing Co.’s 4th Anniversary clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.101 FG = 1.025
IBU = 84 SRM = 61 ABV = 11%

A coconut, almond, imperial stout.

Ingredients
15 lbs. (6.8 kg) American 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) chocolate malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) extra dark crystal malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) dextrose sugar
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) roasted barley
22.5 AAU Columbus hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 15% alpha acids)
2.5 oz. (70 g) toasted coconut (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) cocoa nibs (secondary)
0.5 oz. (14 g) vanilla beans (secondary)
5 oz. (141 g) unsalted almonds, chopped (secondary)
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III) or White Labs WLP022 (Essex Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and mix with 6.1 gallons (23.1 L) of 164 °F (73 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Stir the dextrose into the kettle, then sparge the grains with 3 gallons (11.3 L) of water and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list.

After the boil, turn off heat and whirlpool for 15 minutes, adding the coconut (loose-pack) in a mesh bag. After the whirlpool, remove the bag and let it drain into the wort. Chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days, then drop the temperature to 60 °F (16 °C) for 24 hours. Add the cocoa nibs, almonds, and vanilla beans, and age for 5–7 days. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours, and bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Westbrook Brewing Co.’s 4th Anniversary clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.101 FG = 1.025
IBU = 84 SRM = 61 ABV = 11%

Ingredients
11.5 lbs. (5.2 kg) pale liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) chocolate malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) extra dark crystal malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked oats
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) roasted barley
22.5 AAU Columbus hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 15% alpha acids)
2.5 oz. (70 g) toasted coconut (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) cocoa nibs (secondary)
0.5 oz. (14 g) vanilla beans (secondary)
5 oz. (141 g) unsalted almonds, chopped (secondary)
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III) or White Labs WLP022 (Essex Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Bring 5.4 gallons of water to approximately 162 °F (72 °C) and hold there while steeping the milled specialty grains in grain bags for 15 minutes. Remove the grain bags, and let drain fully. Add liquid malt extract off heat while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved being careful not to burn it. Bring the wort to a boil and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, turn off heat and whirlpool for 15 minutes, adding the coconut (loose-pack) in a mesh bag. After the whirlpool, remove the bag and let it drain into the wort. Chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast.

Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days, then drop the temperature to 60 °F (16 °C) for 24 hours. Add the cocoa nibs, almonds, and vanilla beans, and age for 5-7 days. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours, and bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Tips for Success:
After a number of attempts, the brewers at Westbrook Brewing Co. (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina) found that nothing beats toasted coconut for the most/best coconut flavor. Head Cellarman Josh Weaver also notes that they use vodka to sanitize the secondary ingredient additions and simply add the complete tincture to the beer, preserving as much of the flavors extracted as possible!