Update from my clone attempt #1
Recipe:
5 gallons
Fawcett Pearl 87%
Caramalt 4.5%
Torrified Wheat 4.5%
(CM and TW were Weyermann, couldn't get TF)
Dextrose 4%
152 degree mash
OG 1.074
FG:1.012
60 min boil
60 min - 10 ml hopshot, .5 oz columbus
5 min - 1 oz columbus, 1 oz simcoe
0 min (30 min whirlpool, 1/2 of this addition in at flameout, 1/2 at 180 degrees, manual whirlpool intermittently for 30 minute steep, then continued to cool) - 2 oz columbus, 1.5 oz simcoe, 1 oz amarillo
pitched ~170B cells of conan, about 9 m/ml at 64 degrees. 30 seconds of O2. held 66-68
dry hopped in two equal stages (in keg)
total dry hop: 2 oz simcoe, 2 oz columbus, 1 oz amarillo, 1 oz centennial, .5 oz apollo.
brew date: 4/14, dry hop 1 date: 4/27, dry hop 2: 5/2, began to carb up 5/7, 12 PSI.
HT can was packaged on/around 4/8.
See attached pic (heady on left)- clearly, color is off, and mine is hazier. Imagine turbinado may have something to do with this, but surprised the color wasn't a bit closer. Also possible is caramalt difference. will try to get TF everything going forward. Haze likely chill haze.
Flavor: Close, but HT is certainly better (no surprise there). I feel HT is fruitier, sweeter, a bit more balanced, and the bitterness is smoother than the clone attempt. I feel the clone is more dank, perhaps more earthy, equally if not more bitter, but less balanced, the lack of sweetness I get from heady helps to balance the bitterness. I know people get extreme dank from heady, but I don't get this absurd dank, but well balanced hop flavor, with aspects of dankness, earthyness, and floral sweetness.
There really is something else in HT that I just cant put my finger one. Maybe rye or something (have anyone looked at any rye in the grist?), or some hop flavor, just some other intangible there that comes out, but I can't nail down. Wish the ole palet was able to hone in, but I just can't. same goes for other differences, one of those you can taste em, but hard to pin down.
I do think the clone needs more Simcoe, I get a similar taste to Pipeworks Unicorn v Ninja, which is heavy on the Simcoe. So perhaps more Simcoe, less Columbus.
Nose: Pretty close, no discerning notable differences, I do find for such a 'tasty" beer, that the nose on heady is not overwhelming one bit.
All in all, satisfied for attempt 1. But as expected, I loved my clone solo, and then tried it side by side and was like wow, Heady kills it.