Conshohocken Brewing Co.’s Glazing Saddles clone, all-grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055   FG = 1.014 IBU = 11   SRM = 4   ABV = 5.5%

Ingredients

10 lbs. (4.5 kg) American 2-row pale malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked oats
Half of one glazed donut (brewer should eat the other half)
3 AAU Columbus hops (60 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 12% alpha acids)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) lactose sugar (whirlpool)
0.5 oz. (14 g) cinnamon sticks(whirlpool)
0.25 oz. (7 g) vanilla extract (post-fermentation)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)or Fermentis US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Mill the grains (and break up the glazed donut half) and mix with 3.4 gallons (12.7 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. Sparge the grains with 4.3 gallons (16.2 L) and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning of the boil. Whirlpool for 15 minutes after flameout, adding cinnamon sticks and lactose at the start of the whirlpool.

After the whirlpool, 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 raise the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) for 72 hours. After completion of fermentation, add the vanilla extract. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours. Then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Conshohocken Brewing Co.’s Glazing Saddles clone, partial mash

(5 gallons/19L, partial mash)
OG = 1.054   FG = 1.013 IBU = 11   SRM = 5   ABV = 5.4%

Ingredients

6 lbs. (2.7 kg) extra pale liquid malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) 2-row pale malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked oats
Half of one glazed donut (brewer should eat the other half)
3 AAU Columbus hops (60 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 12% alpha acids)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) lactose sugar (whirlpool)
0.5 oz. (14 g) cinnamon sticks(whirlpool)
0.25 oz. (7 g) vanilla extract (post-fermentation)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)or Fermentis US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Bring roughly 3 quarts (3 L) of water to approximately 162 °F (72 °C) and hold there. Place the pale malt, flaked oats, and donut in a grain bag and submerge in the water, being sure to wet all the grains and donut. Hold for 45 minutes, maintaining a temperature above 150 °F (66 °C) but below 162 °F (72 °C). Remove the grain bag and place in a colander. Wash the grain bag with 1 gallon (4 L) hot water. Add malt extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved, then top off to 6 gallons (23 L). Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. Whirlpool for 15 minutes after flameout, adding cinnamon sticks and lactose at the start of the whirlpool.

After the whirlpool, 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 raise the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) for 72 hours. After completion of fermentation, add the vanilla extract. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours. Then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Tips for Success:

Conshohocken Brewing Co.’s Andrew Pope (“Keg Slinger”), Andrew Horne (Director of Brewing Operations), and Co-Founder Ken Buonocore very generously offered up this smooth, creamy, blonde “krapfen-style ale” (from the German word for “donuts”) recipe that every brewer should attempt at least once. It is deceptively simple in its construction, but the flavors come through as clear as day. Clean bake shop notes abound, and the traditional brewing grains and yeast stay well out of the way. One important process note: Andrew says that “one of the batches might have been missing a donut or two . . .” and in consequence the conversion scaled down the 0.63 donuts to be added in the mash to a baseline half-donut, but you might consider adding more to increase your donut-perceivability (if you’re willing to forgo eating it for yourself).

Those who want to try this beer “live” can find it on special occasions at CBC’s Bridgeport Brew Pub in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania.