Pliny Clone

[robcoombs]

I've been trying to get my hands on a bottle on pliny for a while now, but as everyone knows its really difficult to find unless you're in the western US.  so I thought I would try to brew a clone in the mean time. I found this recipe online, someone had modified the grain bill for a partial mash brew. I added in the amarillo hops as I've read they are now a part of the current recipe.

Any thoughts or comments, corrections etc are always welcome. Especially regarding dry hopping, I've read you shouldn't push dry hopping past 10 days, has anyone run into problems pushing it to 14 days? Also because this is a partial mash recipe should I reserve most of the DME to add near the end of the boil? I'm just thinking boiling extract for 90mins may make the beer extremely dark.

I'm hoping for something that feels like it might strip the enamel off your teeth 

Here it is:

90 min boil

8oz Crystal 45 (steep 20mins)
8oz Carapils (steep 20mins)

8lbs DME
12oz corn sugar

3.5oz columbus @ 90min
1.0oz amarillo @ 60min
1.0oz columbus @ 45min
1.0oz simcoe @ 30min

1.0oz centennial  @ 0min (60min hop stand)
2.0oz simcoe @ 0min (60min hop stand)
1.0oz amarillo @ 0min (60 min hop stand)

1.0oz columbus dry hop 10 days
1.0oz simcoe dry hop 10 days
1.0oz centennial dry hop 10 days

0.5 oz columbus dry hop day 5 - day 10
1.0 oz citra dry hop day 5 - day 10

us 05 yeast

[Chris Craig]

First, the dry hop.  I recently read or heard that you'll get the best flavour from a dry hop that lasts only 1-3 days.  It's downhill after that.  A quick search found this Beersmith article, but it's not the one I'm referring to.  http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/11/25/dry-hopping-for-beer-revisited-part-1-of-2/

Second, your hop utilization changes with the gravity of your beer.  The higher the gravity, the lower the utilization.  I'm not positive to what degree, or if software like Beersmith would account for that.  Research required.

Third, there's a good, if not slightly bigger, Pliny clone found in Brewing Classic Styles called Hop Hammer.  It has both an extract and an all grain version. 

It's in the recipe forum here: Hop Hammer

[Chris Craig]

... and buy this book.  GREAT resource, great recipes.

Brewing Classic Styles

[robcoombs]

Thanks for the reply @Chris Craig . I'll get that book ordered. I'm looking at the Hop Hammer recipe now. It looks good as well, I will likely shorten up the dry hop and maybe take some of the dry hops and add them half way through the hop stand instead.

[robcoombs]

@Chris Craig do you happen to remember what you used? Did you feel the beer had any "grassy" flavor for dry hopping for 10 days?

edit Never mind I just missed the yeast first time around reading your recipe.

[Chris Craig]

Just make a starter or it'll finish too high.

[robcoombs]

Would you recommend using two packs of yeast in the starter? Or is one enough

[Chris Craig]

One is enough. Check out the starter calculator on Mr. Malty.