Magic Hat #9 clone - suggestions?

[ButtholeStupid]

This is a partial mash tweak of a Magic Hat #9 extract clone I tried earlier. I wanted a little more hop bitterness. Debating whether or not to include Grains of Paradise.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

-Ray

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Prestidigitation Mk. II
Author: Ray Ingraham

Brew Method: Partial Mash
Style Name: American Pale Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 3 gallons
Efficiency: 55% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 4.72%
IBU (tinseth): 27.92
SRM (morey): 5.53

FERMENTABLES:
6 lb - Liquid Malt Extract - Pilsen (75%)
1 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (12.5%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 20L (12.5%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Magnum for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 15, IBU: 19.23)
0.5 oz - Cascade for 30 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7, IBU: 6.9)
0.5 oz - Cascade for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Aroma (AA 7, IBU: 1.79)
1 oz - Cascade for 14 days, Type: Pellet, Use: Dry Hop (AA 7)

MASH STEPS:
1) Decoction, Temp: 158 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 1.5 qt, 2-row pale
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Amount: 2 qt, 2-row pale
3) Infusion, Temp: 158 F, Time: 20 min, Amount: 10 qt, Crystal 20L

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
0.5 tsp - gypsum, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
3 oz - apricot extract, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
1 each - whirfloc, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
1 g - grains of paradise, Type: Spice, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 72%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 59 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 70 F
Pitch Rate: 0.5 (M cells / ml / deg P)

PRIMING:
Method: Corn sugar
Amount: 5 oz

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name:
Ca2: 0
Mg2: 0
Na: 0
Cl: 0
SO4: 0
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:
pH 5.5 for mash
** Award Winning Recipe **

Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2013-05-22 08:04 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2013-05-22 08:01 UTC

 

[LarryBrewer]

What was the original hop schedule?

By the way - 14 days of dry hopping is unnecessary and can risk spoiling the batch. I now dry hop for 4 days in the primary. Braukaiser had a blog post on this:
http://braukaiser.com/blog/blog/2012/12 ... y-hopping/

 

[ButtholeStupid]

Very interesting article about the dry hopping. Goes in the face of everything I've read. I may have to try that.

The original hop schedule used about half the cascade, and came in closer to 18 IBU.

I'm still not sure about the grains of paradise. I haven't seen them used in anything other then witbier. I know it goes well with citrus, but not sure the pepper note would go with the apricot.

 

[Nosybear]

/* begin rant */

Nice, simple grain bill, simple hops in adequate quantities, should be good. The only thing I'd change is apricot extract. Use the real thing, man! Get yourself a can of apricot puree or some fresh apricots - the puree is already sterile so no need to do anything other than sanitize the rim and the can opener, the fresh fruit will have to be chopped and pasteurized but don't spoil a good beer with fruit extract! There's another thread here that should serve as a cautionary tale....

Our local brewpub makes a killer apricot blonde - they use the puree. When I make raspberry ale, I use the puree. I wouldn't dump a fruit extract in my beers for any reason, I'd rather just drink the base beer.

/* end rant */

 

[chessking]

If you use fruit extract, use it sparingly. You can always add more later.

Also your mash schedule confuses me. The decoction is unnecessary, and at sacrification temps. And the infusion rest is after the sparge. The purpose of a decoction is to raise the temperature of the mash to a higher mash rest and/or to create melanoidan flavors. With only 2 row to convert ( the 20l crystal does not need conversion), this should be a more simple process. Just mash the grains with a single infusion rest, give them a quick rinse and go on to boil.

 

[Nosybear]

Agreed, the mash schedule looks a bit wacky. If you want decoction-like flavors, add a few ounces of Melanoidin malt but this one should be easy: Single infusion, about 152° for about an hour, sparge at 170° and done.

 

[ButtholeStupid]

Yeah, I'm still fiddling around with the mash terminology. A single infusion is what I'm going for here.

The first time I tried this recipe, I used what I later found out was an imitation apricot flavoring intended for wine, and that kind of false flavor shows. The extract/partial mash recipe I came up with was adapted from what I was lead to believe on a forum was the actual Magic Hat #9 full grain recipe scaled to a 5.5 gallon batch, and that Magic Hat uses apricot extract in their process.

I can definitely see the benefit in using a puree, though.

 

[Blackmuse]

A bit of a revive here...

How did this turn out? Did you use the puree or extract?

I'm a big fan of the #9 and would love to try to clone it...