Innis & Gunn Clone- I'm Going for it!

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Well months after bottling here's my results:
My beer didn't carb up enough. The oak was okay, but not enough vanilla in there. Also the bitterness of the roast is too high, it doesn't let the caramel come through.

Having said all that, it's still beer and it's still good. My abv is right on at 6.6%, and I do enjoy the beer.

I will give this another try, as I love the original. My recipe was the original poster's. I may try the alternate one posted from the factory next time.
 
Bottled mine on 10/5/2011.
The oak really mellowed with age. Wish I would have left it on the oak for a few more days but I never expected that the batch would last 3+ months. The taste was spot on for the first month but as others have mentioned the color was much darker.
Next time I make it I will probably omit the roast barley and leave it on the oak chips for 14-17 days or go all out and use oak cubes for a month.

Oh and I'll try not to have a boil over with that first gallon on the stove, man what a pain to clean up.
 
Hi Guys

Thanks for all the info on a very great beer! Innus and Gunn is definitly a wicked beer in my humble opinon. Has any one ever done this with the actual white oak barrels? I have two barrels 2.3 gallon and a 5.2 gallon on the way and would be thrilled to try this all grain recipe. Is there any updates on this or tweeks that I could do?

Thanks
 
Brewed an attempt at this clone 4/16, and it's just about finishing fermentation. going to leave it in primary then rack it onto 1.5-2oz of oak cubes for 1 month.
 
im a bit new to the game and am an extract brewer. with that being said im not familiar with the flavors certain grains impart. i may have missed it but where does the vanilla flavor come from? my thought was add vanilla? or the vanilla flavors come from the grain?

and the toffee notes?
 
jeffmesa,

In this particular beer, you get the vanilla notes from aging the beer on toasted oak.
Your toffee like flavors can come from medium english crystal malts, but in this beer it is associated with kettle caramelization of your wort
 
heliumbro said:
jeffmesa,

In this particular beer, you get the vanilla notes from aging the beer on toasted oak.
Your toffee like flavors can come from medium english crystal malts, but in this beer it is associated with kettle caramelization of your wort
Click to expand...

ooooo gotcha ty sir
 
Glad to help jeffmesa, ur very welcome.

Recipe: Gunn Clone
Brewer: Heliumbro
Asst Brewer:
Style: Strong Scotch Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.069 SG
Estimated Color: 12.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.6 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.0 oz Chocolate Malt, Pale (210.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.0 %
1.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 19.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 4 -
2.00 oz Oak Cubes (Secondary 30.0 days) Flavor 5 -
14 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 1 97.0 %


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 14 lbs 7.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 23.10 qt of water at 163.3 F 154.0 F 70 min

Sparge: Drain mash tun, Batch sparge with 1 steps (3.34gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
Take 1 gallon of first runnings and boil until reduced to about 1 quart/litre. Add this to wort for kettle caramelization. Primary for 1 month, then rack to secondary and age on aok chips for 2 weeks or oak cubes for 1 month.

It appears everyones assesment was to remove roasted barley from the grain bill, i went with that and upped my pale chocolate malt. It's been transferred to secondary to age on med. toasted american oak cubes for 30 days before i bottle 'er up.

Cheers! Let's see if this attempt helps get us any closer
 
Thanks for resurrecting this thread. A friend of mine tried the second recipe in the thread (I tried the first) and his version was much closer than mine, I'd say it was the same style of beer, if not an exact clone. Good luck with the latest attempt, I'll probably be trying this again in the fall.
 
Just tried a sample from the carboy after 2 weeks on cubes. Faint oak nose and a little boozy. Taste is still green! dark caramel but grainy malt flavor is still a little strong. Not bad, but not really reminding me of IG right now... too early though. definitely still too dark in color.
 
heliumbro - i'm guessing the batch has been bottled and probably sampled by now! Give us an update - how close is this batch to the real deal? This is gonna be my next batch, so I'm anxious to hear how yours went. thx!
 
Just did a side by side with the wife of my attempt and Innis and Gunn. They are similar taste wise... but only similar. Definitely not cloned. The color is, still, very dark, even with only the 7oz of pale chocolate malt. That and treating this like a traditional scotch ale, kettle caramelization. The main differences between the two is that Innis and Gunn has that distinct vanilla character that is more prominent than the clone. The pale chocolate has imparted a noticeable roasty/toasty flavor that is not in IaG at all. Maybe if this ages a while, that character could soften... i don't know. I am a fan of the oak cubes though!

In the end, my wife still loves the attempted clone and thinks it relatively close.
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=103018
I think this recipe will turn out a closer beer, and it will become my next attempt... once we come close to polishing off this batch.

Hope this is helpful. Cheers!
 
okay thanks for the update! let us know how that one goes too - I'm gonna see about merging that recipe with the previous one, but I'm a bit of a rookie so we'll see how it goes - may cheat and use a couple vanilla beans soaked in bourbon to pump up the vanilla flave. I'm gonna crack an I&G Canada Day 2012 tmro to kick off the festivities - Happy Canada Day!!
 
I am going to brew this recipe this weekend of next weekend.
I will follow the recipe heliumbro posted with a few variations.
I rounded the chocolate malt up to 8oz., 2 oz. Fuggles and using Wyeast Scottish Ale yeast.

I will use the boil method to get some of the tannins out of the oak chips. I want to make it similar to the rum cask version so I am going re-soak the oak chips in 2-3 shots of Zaya rum and I will add one split vanilla bean to the mix. I don't want the vanilla to be over powering but just barely noticeable.
I'll secondary that for a couple of weeks.
This sounds like a great winter time sipper.
 
I love the Innis and Gunn beer as well and would love to make something similar. I'm wondering about the caramel/ toffee aspect of the beer though. What I've seen here is using a carmalization process of boiling down 1gal of wort to 1qt to get that rich dark flavour. I wonder though if a similar result could be achieved using malts that impart a caramel/ toffee flavour like CaraStan or CaraAmber?
 
So out of all of these, which one would you guys say came the closest? Im getting ready to make my next batch (#3 total:D) and this is the beer i want to make. Ive already made a blue berry wheat beer and have a bourbon porter in rotation. The reason i got into brewing is to craft fantastic delicious (and affordable) beer. I have my sights set on this beer and i need a direction. Which clone attempt should i go with and why? (and what would you try doing a second time around to make it even better)
 
Well I tried the first version and it missed the mark. Way too dark.
A friend tried the recipe posted from the I&G brewery and I think it was much closer. Still too dark but it had more vanilla flavor from the oak.

If I try it again I'm going with the latter.
 
It looks like the IG recipe posted on the Northern Brewer forum is the closest one so far. Its been pretty lean for my family, so I haven't been able to do a rebrew, but I would start with that recipe. Innis and Gunn isn't a Scotch ale (wee heavy)... more a loosely-based Scottish shilling ale with higher ABV, I would think. Good luck and let us know how things turn out.
 
Its WAY darker than I thought it would be but here's my fermenting brew from the recipe.

FERMENT.jpg
 
which recipe? there have been several posted. and let us know how it turns out. (Im a firm believe in function over form):mug:
 
Sorry Ace, it was this recipe 13lbs UK 2-row
1.25lbs Caramel 60L
0.25lbs Chocolate Malt
1.50 oz East Kent Golding 5% 60 mins Boil
Wyeast # 1728 Scottish Ale
2 oz of Bourbon Soaked Oak Chips for 10 days in Secondary . I just racked it to a secondary yesterday did a sample for my hydrometer had a little sip, it was quite tasty! the smell was bang on but taste wasn't all the way there yet but still excited as heck to try it in a few weeks.
 
im getting ready to brew this week ill let ya'll know how its going.
13 lb marris otter
8 oz chocolate malt
1.5 oz fuggles 60 min
.5 oz goldenings 30 min
2 vanilla beans split
2 oz oak in secondary
Wyeast #1728 scottish Ale
 
bottled yesterday the only regret is using the whiskey soaked oak chips, will have to do some experiments with something else, it was WAY too oakey/whiskey smelling, not a bad brew but not exactly what I was looking for. we'll see in a week or two how it feels after carbing.
 
I'm new here and just found this great thread. I'm looking forward to trying the Innis & Gunn clone recipe, but was wondering how everyone's results turned out (especially Veinman, ace54062 and wingnutjr and others I might have missed)? Any revisions to the recipe? Was the oak taste too pronounced?
 
I'd say start with the latest version, the first recipe is too dark and roasty. I'm not sure about the oak, mine was not vanilla enough.
 
exactly what matt said, not enough vanilla, im going to be adding vanilla beans to mine. I finished a chai beer recipe a few weeks ago with vanilla beans and it gave me a hint of a innis and gunn flavor. So I would really ease off on the oaking maybe 50 grams of chips soaked in bourbon.
 
Thanks Matty and wingnutjr. The amount of oak did seem a little high, and I appreciate the advice about the vanilla flavor. I don't think I&G actually add vanilla (unless it's a "secret" ingredient), so their flavor must otherwise be part of the process/ingredients. But if the addition of vanilla works, then I'm for it. It's the final taste that matters.
 
Here's what I found at a "Ratebeer" site:

"American oak is seamed with flavour, which Innis & Gunn unlocks using a unique style of maturation that imparts a light vanilla oak character to this fruity Blonde beer."

So it looks like the vanilla flavor actually comes from American oak and the maturation process.
 
Its in the bottles now. Should be good by tomorrow. Only regret is its a little lighter(my effeciency suuuuucked) than I would have liked and the I should have added .5 oz of fuggles at the last 2 minutes of boil for aroma. Ill let you know when its fully carbonated.
 
Well, I took out the chocolate malt and it came up very simulair. I would add one vanilla bean in secondary and leave the 2oz medium toast oak on in scondary around 8-9 days and throw .5 oz fuggles in at 2 mins for aroma. But aside from that, pretty much spot on lol
 
Thanks for the advice! That is very helpful. They were selling new 500 ml cans of Innis & Gunn Original for the first time near here, but it didn't taste as good as the glass bottles. The homebrew version may be better yet!
 
Innis and Gunn Original

So I hybridized the recipes I found from HBT, Northernbrewer, Beersmith and Innis and Gunn's website.
EOG: 1.072 It is believed that IG is 1.068.
FG 1.010
ABV 7.1 which is a half a percent higher than IG at 6.6.
AG 5.50 batch size:
BIAB 16gallon Kettle:

Grains
1 oz Roasted Barley
12 lbs Golden Promise
2 lbs Crystal 60L
1 lb Flaked Wheat

Mash at 152 degrees for 75 minutes. I will probably going to shoot for 150 because IG is between Light and Medium body.
Sparge or Mash out for 10 minutes at 168.

Boil Time 60m
Add 7g of Gypsum
Add 7g of Burton Water Salts
55m .5oz of Aurora AKA Super Styrian
20m .5oz of Aurora

3 vials of Eddinburgh Ale Yeast WL WLP028 without a starter or
2 vials with a 1.5 Liter starter
Ferment at 67 for 10-14 days
Secondary over 2.5 oz of American Medium Toast (The IG site says Bourbon barrels so soak the chips in bourbon during the primary fermentation but you could use whatever spirit suits you).
Secondary 30 days @ 67 degrees
(If you go by IG site then this could be extended to 77 days but for the last Couple weeks drop the temp to 65 degrees.)
Bottle or keg and condition at 65 for 30 days.

So why is mine a touch off from the original…because I like round numbers. So if it says 15oz of x grain I tend to round up. Same with hops .9oz of hops becomes 1 oz. Heck if it says .5oz of hops then that may become 1oz as well the extra may just become a flameout edition. The smallest amount I can buy at my LHBS is an oz of something and I don't like having stuff laying around.

I am brewing this next weekend 11/30/13. I will let you know how it goes and how close I get.

Cheers

Tekn0
 
Tekn0ph1sh said:
Innis and Gunn Original

So I hybridized the recipes I found from HBT, Northernbrewer, Beersmith and Innis and Gunn's website.


I am brewing this next weekend 11/30/13. I will let you know how it goes and how close I get.

Tekn0
Click to expand...

Looking forward to the results. Let us know!
 

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