Monday, December 3, 2012

Brewing a Mac & Jack's African Amber Clone


Update 4/22/13: Full list of recipes can be found here.

Just started my first attempt to clone this beer, very appreciated here in the pacific northwest.
After checking few recipes online and based on some feedback from people that love this beer, here's the starting recipe that I'm trying now, happily bubbling at 67F as I type.

10 lb British Pale Ale malt
1 lb Crystal 80L
1 lb Munich 10L
1 lb Carapils

Mashed at 160F for 1h

Boil:
3/4oz Centennial for 60min
1/2oz Cascade for 15min
1/2oz Cascade for 0min
10g wheat gluten for 10min (protein to increase chill haze)
1/2lb Lactose for 10min (bump up residual sweetness)

I'll post results once finished.

Update here

6 comments:

  1. Is it to early to ask how this batch is going?

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  2. I have brewed two other recipes after this one. The above recipe turned out too sweet and comparing to the original, not as bitter. The bitterness of the original beer sticks much longer to the tongue than the clone, something that I particularly don't like much in beers.
    Give me few days and I'll post the new recipe but basically, removed the lactose, increased the Munich malt and lowered the mashing temp. The adjustments were made to make it taste better and bring it to BJCP standards for an American Amber ale, which I'm entering for competition.
    One more thing, the dry hoping is a must, fantastic fresh taste and hop aroma.

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  3. I am interested in doing a batch of this soon. I was wondering about the mash temp and was thinking that was pretty high. Have you tried a mash between 152 and 155? I am fairly new to AG brewing, and have not mashed that hot before. Don't the higher mash temps lead to higher unfermentable sugar production leading to a sweeter beer? Thanks MC

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  4. Yes, I mashed high to aim for a sweeter and thicker body beer, but honestly, variations in mash temp can be very tricky, sometimes other factors also contribute to the perception of sweetness in the final beer. Also, the long sugar strains that would result from mashing higher may not necessarily detected as a sweet taste by some people.

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    Replies
    1. I have pellet hops for dry hopping. I am using a glass carboy for primary and secondary fermentation. At what point are you dry hopping? And should they be in both primary and secondary or can I just add them to my corny keg when its ready to ferment? I am also new to dry hopping so any tricks or techniques would be appreciated..Thanks MC

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    2. Sorry, thats add to corny keg when done fermenting

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