Brewfather IBU anomaly Gamma Ray Clone

[tondy79]

There's a couple of things wrong there - Gamma Ray is not in the Brewdog DIY Dog book, mainly because Gamma Ray is a beer manufactured by London brewery Beaver town not Scottish giants Brewdog.

I understand that this recipe is in the brewdog book "Craft Beer For The People":

"Speaking of recipes, we have also dialled in a section on homebrew with BrewDog recipes and the instructions on how to create ten world-beating beers from other craft breweries we love, many of which are published here for the first time. So if you want to craft a batch of Beavertown Gamma Ray, Mikkeller It’s Alive or Cloudwater’s stunning Hopfen Weisse (to name but three) now you can!"

https://www.brewdog.com/blog/craft-beer-for-the-people-is-here

 

[Davegase]

Old thread I know... I know.. just a little confused as the OP and the first few comments state that they are following the Gamma Ray recipe from the Brewdog DIY Dog publication.

There's a couple of things wrong there - Gamma Ray is not in the Brewdog DIY Dog book, mainly because Gamma Ray is a beer manufactured by London brewery Beaver town not Scottish giants Brewdog.

 

[Steveski]

Old thread I know... I know.. just a little confused as the OP and the first few comments state that they are following the Gamma Ray recipe from the Brewdog DIY Dog publication.

There's a couple of things wrong there - Gamma Ray is not in the Brewdog DIY Dog book, mainly because Gamma Ray is a beer manufactured by London brewery Beaver town not Scottish giants Brewdog.

You are right of course but amazingly Brewdog did first publish this recipe in their book called "Craft beer for the people". I have no idea why they would publish a competitors beer recipe or even know it! However, the recipe needs tweaking to get the right IBU's as per this thread.

If you are considering making this beer then look at the public recipe on Brewers Friend generated by Hairy Dog brewing. That recipe is more akin to the 55 IBU's reported on the Beavertown website for Gamma Ray. I make it many times a year to that exact recipe and can't fault it.

Ok, looks like my post was just beaten by the one above!

 

[Davegase]

You are right of course but amazingly Brewdog did first publish this recipe in their book called "Craft beer for the people". I have no idea why they would publish a competitors beer recipe or even know it! However, the recipe needs tweaking to get the right IBU's as per this thread.

If you are considering making this beer then look at the public recipe on Brewers Friend generated by Hairy Dog brewing. That recipe is more akin to the 55 IBU's reported on the Beavertown website for Gamma Ray. I make it many times a year to that exact recipe and can't fault it.

Ok, looks like my post was just beaten by the one above!

Although the recipe in the BrewDog book was apparently shared by Beavertown. The numbers don't add up. Book saying 45 IBU, calculator saying 18 IBU and Beavertown website saying 55 IBU

 

[phildo79]

In fairness, if you punch those exact numbers into the SMPH calculator, you get 48.74 IBUs. Not all calculators take IBUs from dry hopping into account. I have copied the Hairy Dog recipe and tweaked it for my system/volume etc. on BF. It is telling me the IBUs are 30 (Tinseth) and 33 (Rager), but 57 with SMPH.

 

[Cheers-Big-Beers]

Ok so I see, so I am right its not in the DIY Dog book as stated in the first posts. I Did actually make an attempt at a Gamma Ray clone, a couple of years ago, on a digiboil 35 litre with false bottom and malt pipe.

I have no reliable method to measure the IBU's, but I do remember it turned out to be one of my best beers, not exactly a true clone but definitely the same ball park, and it didn't last long.

There does appear to be some quite big disparities between IBU's published by Brewdog on their homebrew recipes, and what the online calculators and software advise you will get.

Their punk IPA 2010> recipe states an IBU of 40, but a whole lot of hops at various stages through the boil and dry hopping, but even with much tweaking and pushing back addition times the lowest I can get a calculator to give is 78 IBU, (using all the hops stated) , and thats at the lowest end of the AA% for the hops listed.

But I have given it a go anyway and its currently in the fermenter and should come in at around 78 IBU's.

Again it probably wont be a true clone, certainly more bitter, but should be packed with flavour.

Guess I'll find out in about 6 weeks!

 

[phildo79]

Ok so I see, so I am right its not in the DIY Dog book as stated in the first posts. I Did actually make an attempt at a Gamma Ray clone, a couple of years ago, on a digiboil 35 litre with false bottom and malt pipe.

I have no reliable method to measure the IBU's, but I do remember it turned out to be one of my best beers, not exactly a true clone but definitely the same ball park, and it didn't last long.

There does appear to be some quite big disparities between IBU's published by Brewdog on their homebrew recipes, and what the online calculators and software advise you will get.

Their punk IPA 2010> recipe states an IBU of 40, but a whole lot of hops at various stages through the boil and dry hopping, but even with much tweaking and pushing back addition times the lowest I can get a calculator to give is 78 IBU, (using all the hops stated) , and thats at the lowest end of the AA% for the hops listed.

But I have given it a go anyway and its currently in the fermenter and should come in at around 78 IBU's.

Again it probably wont be a true clone, certainly more bitter, but should be packed with flavour.

Guess I'll find out in about 6 weeks!

Punch the numbers into the SMPH calculator and see what they say. The result might surprise you.

https://jphosom.github.io/alchemyoverlord/

 

[Cheers-Big-Beers]

Ok thanks for that, so it appears that there is also a huge disparity between IBU calculation methods and scales, and the various available online calculators, and on this basis among a vast number of other unpredictable variables including such things as, (by no means an exhaustive list):
- water profile
- water treatment
- malts
- ingredient quality
- yeast type, quality, health
- mash temperature, stages, length, ph
- hop quantity - type - quality - addition timings, AA‰
- boil, vigorous or simmering, length
- equipment used
-accuracy of timings and temperature etc etc.

I may or may not get a beer somewhere near the intended result.

I think I'll let the taste buds decide, now I need a pint

 

[phildo79]

Yip, it's a minefield. But FWIW, I have been using the SMPH calculator for over a year now (10-12 brews) and can't say I have had any complaints about the bitterness aspect of them.