Stella clone

[PerthRod]

5 kg pilsner
250 oat husks
50 + 15g saaz
Mangrove Jack Bohemian Lager yeast

60 minute mash at 66°C
Fly a large at 70°C

60 minute boil

Late hops + 1/2 protofloc for last 15 mins

From heating mash water to pitching yeast.........4 hours.

First time using home-made immersion chilled......well impressed :thumb:

 

[stigman]

Fair play to you pall, but why on earth would you want to clone stella

 

[nigelnorris]

kkkk

 

[PerthRod]

Fair play to you pall, but why on earth would you want to clone stella

It's for her indoors !

 

[Covrich]

Fair play to you pall, but why on earth would you want to clone stella

My mum and dad not knowing much bought me ingredients to clone "Stella"

whilst I appreciated the birthday gift I looked at it this was

I had pilsner malt wheat malt saaz and safale s23 yeast.. still good to make a great AG beer and forget about the stella thing.

 

[Saisonator]

I doubt it will taste like Stella, probably much better.

 

[MyQul]

I really like your 'boiler' what kind of catering equipment is it and how many litres does it hold?

 

[PerthRod]

I really like your 'boiler' what kind of catering equipment is it and how many litres does it hold?

Had it for years.....aquired it from a works canteen....holds 25 litres

 

[ITMA]

Stella used to be quite decent 20 odd years ago and I'm guessing this clone will produce roughly what is used to be like. I've brewed similar recipes and they are 500% better than Stella.

Anyone know what they did to it to ruin it? Do they use sugar instead of barley? Less hops?

Edit: two ABV cuts in that period won't have helped. 5.2% -> 5% -> 4.8%

Maybe its just advertising. "Reassuringly expensive Stella Artois" probably tastes better than "Wifebeater" even if the ingredients are identical.

Edit again (sorry): "Stella Artois is advertised as containing "only 4 ingredients: hops, malted barley, maize and water" - ok, then HOW do they end up with what's in that can?

 

[Sheepish]

Edit again (sorry): "Stella Artois is advertised as containing "only 4 ingredients: hops, malted barley, MAIZE and water" - ok, then HOW do they end up with what's in that can?

...asked and answered...

 

[ITMA]

Indeed it is! Presumably they've constantly upped the proportion of Maize over the years.

 

[BeerCat]

The stuff they brew here is nothing like the Belgium beer. 4 hours is very impressive. Take me about 7!

 

[-Bezza-]

Anyone know what they did to it to ruin it? Do they use sugar instead of barley? Less hops?

Edit again (sorry): "Stella Artois is advertised as containing "only 4 ingredients: hops, malted barley, maize and water" - ok, then HOW do they end up with what's in that can?

No yeast then?

If you're comparing UK Stella over the years, I dunno. But for the Belgian vs UK versions, I heard something about it being the water that caused the issue. The stuff from the Leuven brewery used to be comparatively nice whereas the stuff brewed under licence in the UK had a (and I'm not saying this to be clever) slightly ****** element to it. Assuming all the other ingredients to be common - grain, hops and yeast would presumably be the same, just shipped to the different breweries - the only difference would be the water? I also wonder whether there were slight differences in the recipes too - the Belgians make a fuss about lager having good head retention as it keeps the beer fresh underneath so there could be a slight difference to account for these styles. Pull a pint of lager with a decent head in the UK and people often ask for a top-up.

 

[serum]

Most mass produced lagers made in the UK are worse than overseas. Less body and often lower ABV. The fact they market a 4% version of Stella over here as some sort of speciality says it all. People over here love weak beer with no body. A proper lager isn't like that.

 

[ITMA]

No yeast then?

They're quoting the ingredients that make the final product - and it will be pasteurised, so no yeast. God knows what else goes into and doesn't make the final product.