I've always liked Sam Adams Mighty Oak Ale, and I thought maybe if I made some, I could have some in the fall instead of waiting for spring. Sadly, I haven't seen any clone attempts on the Internets, and I've never come up with a clone recipe myself. I thought I'd give it a shot based on these specs from their website:
Flavor: Smooth and malty with distinct oak character (incl vanilla and caramel flavors)
Color: rich amber (SRM 25)
OG: 14.0 Plato
ABV: 5.7%
Calories: 189
Malts: 2-row blend and Caramel-60
IBUs: 15
Hops: EKG and Fuggles
Yeast: Sam Adams ale yeast
The trickiest elements for me are the amount of caramel 60 and the hop schedule. Mostly the amount of caramel 60. They say that the only malts used are 2-row blend and caramel 60, imparting a sweet, slightly roasty flavor and a rich amber color. But that they still get SRM 25. Unless I misunderstand, adding enough crystal 60 to get an SRM of 25 is a really bad idea.
So my main question is: if adding enough C-60 to meet the site specs is a bad plan, how much should I add? I was thinking 15-20% of the grist should put me safely in the copper/red/amber range, although not nearly at 25. Thoughts on that?
My secondary question is the hop schedule. Because this is a spring beer and I didn't decide to make it until mid-summer, I don't exactly have something on hand to taste-test. So I have to go on guesses. I figure with only 15 IBUs, it's probably not a big deal, but should I go with three additions? They are supposed to contribute some earthiness.
So here's my first pass at it. Advice very, very welcome:
7 lb 8 oz 2-row (US?)
1 lb 12 oz Caramel-60
.25 oz Fuggles (60)
.25 oz EKG (60)
.25 oz Fuggles (20)
.25 oz EKG (20)
.5 oz Fuggles (0)
.5 oz EGK (0)
Wyeast 1056
.5 oz medium American oak chips for last week of primary
According to BeerCalculus (with 82% efficiency), this puts me dead on 14.0 Plato, 5.7% ABV, 188 calories, 15.0 IBU, and. . . 13 SRM. So it seemed a good first pass. But I'd love to hear from y'all who actually know about creating recipes before I brew it up.
Flavor: Smooth and malty with distinct oak character (incl vanilla and caramel flavors)
Color: rich amber (SRM 25)
OG: 14.0 Plato
ABV: 5.7%
Calories: 189
Malts: 2-row blend and Caramel-60
IBUs: 15
Hops: EKG and Fuggles
Yeast: Sam Adams ale yeast
The trickiest elements for me are the amount of caramel 60 and the hop schedule. Mostly the amount of caramel 60. They say that the only malts used are 2-row blend and caramel 60, imparting a sweet, slightly roasty flavor and a rich amber color. But that they still get SRM 25. Unless I misunderstand, adding enough crystal 60 to get an SRM of 25 is a really bad idea.
So my main question is: if adding enough C-60 to meet the site specs is a bad plan, how much should I add? I was thinking 15-20% of the grist should put me safely in the copper/red/amber range, although not nearly at 25. Thoughts on that?
My secondary question is the hop schedule. Because this is a spring beer and I didn't decide to make it until mid-summer, I don't exactly have something on hand to taste-test. So I have to go on guesses. I figure with only 15 IBUs, it's probably not a big deal, but should I go with three additions? They are supposed to contribute some earthiness.
So here's my first pass at it. Advice very, very welcome:
7 lb 8 oz 2-row (US?)
1 lb 12 oz Caramel-60
.25 oz Fuggles (60)
.25 oz EKG (60)
.25 oz Fuggles (20)
.25 oz EKG (20)
.5 oz Fuggles (0)
.5 oz EGK (0)
Wyeast 1056
.5 oz medium American oak chips for last week of primary
According to BeerCalculus (with 82% efficiency), this puts me dead on 14.0 Plato, 5.7% ABV, 188 calories, 15.0 IBU, and. . . 13 SRM. So it seemed a good first pass. But I'd love to hear from y'all who actually know about creating recipes before I brew it up.
