Anchor Steam Clone (AS)

Sudzers had a comp to brew Anchor Steam, so this was my attempt.

Brewed 5.0 gallons on 2017-02-20

Preboil gravity: 1.048

Original gravity: 1.052

Final gravity: 1.014

ABV: 5.0%

Apparent Attenuation: 73.1%

Link about this beverage American Homebrewer's Association (for original recipe)

Process notes

2017-02-21

Active fermentation 24 hours after pitching yeast.

2017-03-04

Kegged. No blowoff needed with this beer. A bit of ripe peach aroma. Color is in line w/ Anchor Steam (hopefully it clears). Some earthiness and stonefruit. Medium-low body. Tastes decent, but more hop character than expected.

Boil for 60 minutes

While sparging

1 ounce of 7.2% Alpha Acid Northern Brewer pellets

At 15 minutes

1 Whirlfloc Tablet

At 0 minutes

0.5 ounces of 11.8% Alpha Acid Chinook pellets (Homebrew shop didn't have Northern Brewer, so I had to substitute.)

While cooling

0.5 ounces of 11.8% Alpha Acid Chinook pellets (Added at 180° while cooling.)

Mash

[85.71%] 9 pounds of German Pilsner (Weyermann)

[9.52%] 1 pound of Caramel 40L (Briess)

[4.76%] 8 ounces of Special Roasted Malt (Briess)

Single infusion mash. Mashed with 4 gallons (1.52 quarts per pound) of reverse osmosis water for 60 minutes. 10lb 8oz of grain was used in the mash. (Amber Balanced water profile)

Strike water temp: (0.2/1.52) * (148 - 67) + 148 = 158.6

1.40g calcium chloride, 1.80g gypsum, 0.20g epsom salt, and 0.80g baking soda added to water

After 0 mins

mash is 148°

After 30 mins

mash is 148°; pH is 5.37

After 60 mins

mash is 148°; pH is 5.42

Sparge

Sparged for 70 minutes with 5 gallons of 170° reverse osmosis water.

1.80g calcium chloride, 2.30g gypsum, and 0.30g epsom salt added to water

After 0 mins

pH is 5.27; specific gravity is 1.079

After 25 mins

pH is 5.26; specific gravity is 1.071

After 45 mins

pH is 5.41; specific gravity is 1.024

After 60 mins

pH is 5.42; specific gravity is 1.019

After 70 mins

pH is 5.51; specific gravity is 1.013

Yeast

2017-02-20

Pitch 2 packs of 2112 California Lager (Wyeast) at 60°.

Tasting notes (5.50/10; 4 ratings)

2017-05-20

[6/10] Amber/copper. Clarity is decent, but there's some haze. Slightly off-white head, with decent lacing. A bit of pine, grapefruit, maybe some toasty maltiness. Fairly well balanced, but maybe too much zesty hop aroma. Medium mouthfeel, kind of slick? Maybe some diacetyl apparent in mouthfeel and maybe aroma. If present, then it's light. Favor is slightly toasty, light caramel, a bit bready. Orange zest bitterness, pine finish. Not a style I drink often, so not sure if it's within style, but probably too hoppy.

2017-07-18

[5/10] Great clarity golden/copper. Definitely an off aroma. Cooked corn, maybe diacetyl? I wonder if I need a 90 boil or a diacetyl rest? Not sure if I did a rest or not.

2018-04-13

[5/10] Brilliant clarity. Copper color. Sweet cracker, slight caramel, no hops. Slight grassiness, maybe a bit metallic. Kind of a chalky/mineral flavor. Not getting the butter or cooked corn anymore.

2018-04-15

[6/10] Last pour. This is better now than it was a year ago. Still has a metallic character, but the caramel/nuttiness is decently balanced w/ the grassy hops.

Beer competition results

Scored 32 in 2017 Alameda County Fair Homebrew Competition (BABO).