Favorite Guinness clone?

[jonpecan]

I see a number of Guinness clones in the forums and other sites. I guess I'm trying to get as close to a consensus as possible as to which recipe is the most accurate clone recipe to Guinness - I know, perhaps there isn't enough replication for this, but thought it might be worth a shot. This of course includes a nitro set up.

The past year or so all of my brewing has been a collaborative process, and we tend to do 10 gallon batches that we keg. Classic guinness draught is magic, so this would be a good session beer for us to keep on hand much of the time.

Thanks for any recipes or "votes" for recipes you've tried!

 

[mrdauber64]

I just brewed the Dry Irish Stout from Brewing Classic Styles using London Ale WYeast and it is amazing! I would give that one a shot. I haven't had Guinness in a long time but this is a good beer!

 

[zachattack]

Keep in mind that unless you keg and can serve on nitro (separate beergas tank and regulator, stout faucet) you won't get something exactly like Guinness Draught. Though you can carbonate it minimally and use the "syringe" trick to make the creamy head.

 

[dermotstratton]

To really nail a Guinness clone, you need to incorporate a bit of sour mash into the beer.

 

[wailingguitar]

Not precisely a Guinness clone, but my fave Irish Stout recipe.

7# Pale Ale malt
1# Roast
1# Flaked barley
1# C90

mash 45 minutes at 152
9aau for 60 minutes
OG 1.049
SO4

 

[jonpecan]

Yeah Zach, we have kegs and all the nitro equipment. That was the motivation! From time to time we make a Russian Imperial Stout with coffee - tastes chocolatey and smooth coming from the nitro tap, belying the 10% abv.

I've been having a problem for the past year or so. Whenever I drink any stout, be it bottled, carbonated, or nitro-ed, after that first sip I'm always thinking to myself, "eh, I'd rather have a Guinness." So I'm looking to resolve this problem, and hopefully make it cheaper than it would be to buy it. Something delicious and session-able!

So, please keep the recipes coming! Looking for that recipe that made you say "yup, that's a Guinness". Be it planned or a happy accident.

Cheers

 

[zachattack]

You're all set up!

I haven't brewed a dry Irish stout (yet), but while wailingguitar's recipe looks good there shouldn't be any crystal malts in a classic dry stout. I've brewed many recipes from BCS and I've loved all of them, that's always where I start with a style. So I'd second mrdauber64's advice to try Jamil's recipe.

 

[wailingguitar]

You're all set up!

I haven't brewed a dry Irish stout (yet), but while wailingguitar's recipe looks good there shouldn't be any crystal malts in a classic dry stout. I've brewed many recipes from BCS and I've loved all of them, that's always where I start with a style. So I'd second mrdauber64's advice to try Jamil's recipe.

I think you will find that some Irish breweries do use crystal, not Guinness, but some do. I find it adds a touch of smoothness that I prefer in my stouts. Despite being a full pound it is very subtle. This beer is closer to, while not a clone of, Beamish.

Besides, as I have often said, all that matters is what hits the glass.

 

[solbes]

I used Maris, flaked barley, 1 lb of roasted barley, and a splash of oats (maybe 3-4 oz). I also added a little more lactic acid than normal for "souring" (3.5 mL vs my standard 2). It maybe passed the sour note of real Guinness. It's on tap, but I have no nitro setup so it doesn't pour the same

 

[LibertyBrewer]

I've brewed the Ode to Aurthur Irish stout recipe in the recipe section. It's got some acid malt in it to give that slight sour flavor. It's good both in keg and bottle.

If you bottle, let it sit for about 4 weeks to get better flavor.

 

[brewsme]

Yeah Zach, we have kegs and all the nitro equipment. That was the motivation! From time to time we make a Russian Imperial Stout with coffee - tastes chocolatey and smooth coming from the nitro tap, belying the 10% abv.

If I knew I could make a Guinness like I've had in the UK, I would order I nitro keg kit right now!

 

[wbyrd01]

I've brewed the Ode to Aurthur Irish stout recipe in the recipe section. It's got some acid malt in it to give that slight sour flavor. It's good both in keg and bottle.

If you bottle, let it sit for about 4 weeks to get better flavor.

+1

This beer is good. I have it in a keg right now (CO2 pushed through a stout faucet) and it is really close to Guinness. Mine came in a little low on ABV because I didn't boil off enough water, but it's still really good.

 

[troutcatcher413]

I've always wanted to try this recipe.

Taken from here
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/guinness-clone-recipe-66174/

Originally Posted by ericsbeerpage.com

http://ericsbeerpage.com/Beer/Recipe/guin.html

Ingredients:
9 lbs Brit pale ale
1 lb flaked barley
18 oz roast barley
12 oz carapils
1.5 oz No. Brewer hops (60 min)
1 oz East Kent Goldings hops (60 min)

First, get the "tang" the way Guinness does: Sour about 24 oz (2 bottles) of stout (pref. Guinness) by leaving it out in a bowl a week or more & then freezing it.
While brewing, thaw the sour stout & heat it to 180-190 F for 20 min.
Mash-in at 155F, hold for 1 hour, boil 1 hour & 15 minutes.
At end boil, add the sour stout.
At 70F, pitch 2 packs of Wyeast #1084.
A month or so of cold lagering (<40F) after bottling or kegging will help.
A certified beer judge could not tell this from bottled Guinness.

 

[jonpecan]

I've come across the Ode to Arthur, and was suspecting that might be the best choice. Seems to have withstood the test of time. But I've also seen a lot of commentary on the concept of pre-souring some Guinness which you pour in.

I am a little confused by the sour concept. I'll have to try some more Guinness draught. Could this "sour" concept be coming from bottled extra stout, and not draught? When I think of Guinness draught from nitro, I can't say the word "sour" ever popped into my head - "tang" perhaps, but nothing out of the ordinary for a stout beer. If I do some sort of souring, I suspect I'll try the acid malt.

Anyhow, I just started googling this sour concept. Lots of references to it, but I'm still not clear on it. I'll report back anything I learn, if I learn!

 

[brewsme]

+1

This beer is good. I have it in a keg right now (CO2 pushed through a stout faucet) and it is really close to Guinness. Mine came in a little low on ABV because I didn't boil off enough water, but it's still really good.

When you say it's really close to Guinness are you comparing what Guinness tastes like in Ireland or here in the states?

 

[Kujo]

There's a recipe in the book Clonebrew's 2nd edition. I haven't tried it yet but when i get time later I'll post it.

 

[junior]

I used Maris, flaked barley, 1 lb of roasted barley, and a splash of oats (maybe 3-4 oz). I also added a little more lactic acid than normal for "souring" (3.5 mL vs my standard 2). It maybe passed the sour note of real Guinness. It's on tap, but I have no nitro setup so it doesn't pour the same

Solbes, when do you add the lactic acid?

 

[alane1]

I brew the guinness clone from byo with a couple of modifications I think seem to help
6 lbs two row
2.5 lbs flaked barley
12 oz. roasted barley(12 oz instead of a lb will give you that red on the bottom that pub draught has)
2.5 oz kent goldings 60
white labs 002 or-safale 04 also makes a nice stout
1/2 tsp. calcium carbonate added to mash

 

[anico4704]

+1 on Ode To Arthur very similar to a guiness you woukd buy at the grocery store.

 

[LibertyBrewer]

+1

This beer is good. I have it in a keg right now (CO2 pushed through a stout faucet) and it is really close to Guinness. Mine came in a little low on ABV because I didn't boil off enough water, but it's still really good.

I have 2 batches of this in the garage. 2 kegs plus 100 bottles. As I said earlier, it gets better after about 4 weeks in the bottle or keg.

 

[solbes]

Solbes, when do you add the lactic acid?

Mostly during the mash, and about .5 mL to the sparge water.

 

[junior]

Mostly during the mash, and about .5 mL to the sparge water.

Thank's.

 

[BrewLocal365]

Actually, if you live on the East Coast, it's the same. Brewed in Dublin. There was a (more than) minor uproar here in Boston when Diageo said they would move their supply chain so that we'd be supplied from a North American facility, and they eventually backed away from the decision.

I find that Guiness that I get in Boston or New York is exactly the same as one I would get in Ireland or the UK, as long as they serve a lot of it and keep the pipes clean. Molly's Shebeen in NYC and Mr. Dooley's in Boston (actually, a lot of places in Boston) serve it well and it's indistinguishable from the "real thing". And I lived in Dublin for a year and have been to Ireland and Scotland in the past 9 months, so I have very high standards!

 

[BrewLocal365]

Sour isn't a taste descriptor, it just means that old beer from another batch is used as a starting point. See troutcatcher's response. I'm curious to try brewing that recipe!

 

[brewsme]

Actually, if you live on the East Coast, it's the same. Brewed in Dublin. There was a (more than) minor uproar here in Boston when Diageo said they would move their supply chain so that we'd be supplied from a North American facility, and they eventually backed away from the decision.

I find that Guiness that I get in Boston or New York is exactly the same as one I would get in Ireland or the UK, as long as they serve a lot of it and keep the pipes clean. Molly's Shebeen in NYC and Mr. Dooley's in Boston (actually, a lot of places in Boston) serve it well and it's indistinguishable from the "real thing". And I lived in Dublin for a year and have been to Ireland and Scotland in the past 9 months, so I have very high standards!

Okay sold! Have there been any recipes you've made that have come close? I live in Houston and was very disappointed as well as my colleague when we returned.

 

[alien]

Foreign Extra Stout recipes? That's my favourite Guinness.