Clone Attempts

[MackemBrew]

I've done a handful of all grain kits now where the grain/hops have all been provided and set out when I need to add to the boil etc. I now want to try and clone some of my favourite beers.

A number of breweries happily tell you what malt and hops are in there, the IBU and ABV obviously so I feel like the information is out there.
Is it case of working backwards and trial and error or is their any software or ways of been able to get close to what they put out?

Wouldn't mind if it wasnt perfect but close would be great

Any advice from any one that has successfully cloned any recipes would be great

Cheers

 

[The Baron]

Yes use your beer calc App and play with it although it is very hard to replicate most beers as many variables come into play such as some use a strain of yeast that is there own and even with the recipe it may not give the exact hop additions and times. This is what homebrewing is about experimenting and straining to reproduce sometimes a beer with no recipe just clues to what is in it. As regards recipes I have never managed to faithfully reproduce a commercial beer but the favourite one seems to be Hobgoblin with a few very near recipes floating around the net and in this forum

 

[MackemBrew]

Yes use your beer calc App and play with it although it is very hard to replicate most beers as many variables come into play such as some use a strain of yeast that is there own and even with the recipe it may not give the exact hop additions and times. This is what homebrewing is about experimenting and straining to reproduce sometimes a beer with no recipe just clues to what is in it. As regards recipes I have never managed to faithfully reproduce a commercial beer but the favourite one seems to be Hobgoblin with a few very near recipes floating around the net and in this forum

Do you have any apps you could recommend?

 

[The Baron]

I use Brewers Friend which is free for the the first 5 recipes

 

[chrisb8]

Some breweries offer full recipes of their brews. This thread might be of interest: https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/uk-breweries-that-offer-recipes-of-there-brews.81957/

Otherwise it is usually possible to find snippets of recipes, hints to ingredients etc or other people's attempts online. I then use brewers friend to piece these things together. Bear in mind that you are probably looking to make a beer 'based on the style' of the one you are looking to clone, a definitive clone is difficult to reproduce.