Boddingtons Pub Ale Clone

[Reverend Nitro Nick]

Anyone have a good tested Boddingtons pub ale clone recipe? I just brewed a modified version of one I found on Google but the color looks way off. As for taste I’m not sure it’s still bubbling away.

[kingof14ers]

The closest thing I have for you is a friend of mine did one a year ago and I thought it was excellent despite being partial mash, but it could give you some ideas. The only thing I recommended was a bit more lactose for the creaminess especially since he also doesn't do nitro. Even being a partial mash I thought the color of his was spot on (like a light gold almost "honey" color). If interested I can get it and post it here. Might just be a stepping stone until you dial in the AG recipe you want.

[Reverend Nitro Nick]

Update on my Boddingtons pub ale clone. I brewed two batches form a random recipe I found surfing the net. I batched the first run with Marris Otter base malt, which I’ll call my version or v1. The recipe called for 2-row base malt, we will call v2. The recipe can be found quarter way down the page posted by “Steve” at this link: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7281

I made a few process modifications to fit my system, i.e. infusion mashed for 45-50min rather than the ridiculous step process the author is using. I also used Burton Water salts from Brewcraft rather than Epsom salts.

V1 started with a gravity of 1.038, v2 with 1.035.

I pitched v2 on top of the cake from v1 one week after the start of v1. I kegged v1 and racked v2 to secondary last night tasting both. V1 had a gravity of 1.009 and v2 was 1.007. To my surprise I found v2 taste significantly bitter compared to v1. Any ideas why this is?

I’m having a hard time understanding what happened with on the only real change to the process being change in base malts, and fresh yeast vs. cake. Fermentation temp was held constant at 60F. Fermentation was for v2 was much less pronounced than v1 but the smack packs always start real slow and really take off after 24hr from my experience.

[Jason Reinhardt]

I think you've already solved your question.
marris otter has more malty character. My money is here.

I reuse my yeast but do so after rinsing it. I don't pitch onto old cakes where there are old trub and dead yeasties. I know of others who pitch on old cakes with great success, and swear by it. This may just be preference.
you do have a slightly lower OG and FG and this is where you may taste the lack of residual sugar as compared to the Marris, thus accentuating the hops.
If v2 is young, it may need a bit to age and mellow as v1 has had time to do.

Either way, nice experiment.

[Reverend Nitro Nick]

Jason,

I’m having a hard time thinking that the variance of bitterness could be so extreme with only a change of base malts. I’m a huge fan of Marris Otter and I know it can have a significant impact on a beers taste. As for the cake if I’m going to use the yeast more than twice I’ll wash it. I did a series of 8 hefe’s this past summer in a row off the same yeast washing from the third batch on. I saw no significant change in how it turned out. I also split the yeast off on the third or fourth batch to see if I can keep it alive for an extended period. All of which is great for another topic of conversation.

I too thought the gravity might be a factor but it’s so little difference. I’m thinking I’m going to keg v2 before the gravity changes too much more.

Thanks for your input Jason it’s a strange result that might take more experimenting.

I’ll also like to note I just pushed the first beers off v1 through my nitro tap and it’s real good. I will put it to a head to head test against the real deal maybe next weekend. V1 could be slightly less bitter than the original but till the true test its damn fine beer!

[Jason Reinhardt]

You do have a couple of variables, like grain bill and yeast generation, but since you brewed the batches separately that is another variable.

To me I see two things that really jump out and that is the base malt and gravities. Unless you had a more vigorous boil the second and did a better job of isomerizing the hops, what else could explain it?
As Sherlock Holmes has said, "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

here is my latest experiment
Recently I brewed a 10g IPA batch. I split the batch into two separate carboys. in 5g I used WLP001, and in the other I used WLP002. So here in my experiment the only variable was the yeast.
FG wlp001 =1.008
FG wlp002=1.013

As far a flavor, what I can say is the WLP001 had more hoppy character- whereas in the WLP002 the hop character seemed a bit subdued or maybe not as bright.

I like your 8 use hefe run. I was recently considering making the same beer once a month, each time reusing the yeast from the previous batch and continuing for 1 year. I'm hoping my biggest obstacle will be temperature control as the temp of my basement changes throughout the year.
good luck on your next exp.

[Reverend Nitro Nick]

The boil is a great thought. It very well could have been the issue, it was windy during v1. In my notes from the first batch I had a boil over due to over compensating with heat for the wind.

The one year run would be epic. Well worth you going for it. I can only see one issue, that's a lot of the same beer to drink. I have to say I'm not as excited about a glass of hefe after consuming 7 of the 8 so far.