Beer Forum

Hey,

Has anyone been able to brew a relatively successful Fat Tire Clone - something that you can do a side-by-side with the real beer from New Belgium. I'm looking for a decent all grain recipe, as it is such a good beer and we can't get it here in the North East.

Thanks!

-Okt

There's one by Hophead on the Green Board that's highly touted as very close to the real thing. I can vouch that it makes good beer. I never tasted it side-by-side so I can't say "CLONED!"

Link to Brewboard Thread

Page 28 of the book "Beer Captured".

This is a small batch size, adjust accordantly.
Still tweaking it, but it is oh so very close...
Biggest difference I need to make is that Fat Tire is a little more distinctly nutty up front and bready on the finish. Next batch I am going to up the Victory in hopes of nailing it...

Recipe: Mai Tyre AG
Brewer: D Train Brewery
Asst Brewer: Ninkasi
Style: American Amber Ale
Type: All Grain

Recipe Specifications:
--------------------------
Batch Size: 9.05 L (2.39 gal)
Boil Size: 12.45 L (3.29 gal)
Estimated OG: 1.057 SG
Estimated FG: 1.014 SG
Estimated ABV: 5.59 %
Estimated IBU: 32.0 IBU (Rager) 26.7 IBU (Tinseth)
Estimated BU:GU: 0.560 (Rager) 0.468 (Tinseth)
Estimated Color: 10.0 SRM
Brewhouse Efficiency: 69.00
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
1.970 kg (4.35 lb) 2 Row Pale Malt (Rhar) (2.0 SRM) 78.84 %
140.0 gm (4.94 oz) Victory Malt (biscuit) (Briess) (28.0 SRM) 5.59 %
130.0 gm (4.58 oz) Crystal Malt - 15L (Crisp) (15.0 SRM) 5.19 %
130.0 gm (4.58 oz) Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) 5.19 %
100.0 gm (3.53 oz) Cara-Pils (Briess) (2.0 SRM) 3.99 %
30.00 gm (1.06 oz) Pale Chocolate Malt (Crisp) (200.0 SRM) 1.20 %
15.0 gm (0.53 oz) Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) 27.2 IBU
6.00 gm (0.21 oz) Fuggles [4.50 %] (20 min) 3.0 IBU
7.00 gm (0.25 oz) Fuggles [4.50 %] (5 min) 1.7 IBU
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272)


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 2.50 kg (5.51 lb)
----------------------------
Mash In: 6.96 L (7.35 qt) of water at 74.1 C (165.2 F)
Single Infusion Step: 60 min @ 67.8 C (154.0 F)
Batch Sparge Round 1: Sparge with 2.25 L (0.60 gal) of 75.6 C (168.1 F) water ~ 10 min
Batch Sparge Round 2: Sparge with 6.70 L (1.77 gal) of 75.6 C (168.1 F) water ~ 10 min


Notes:
------
Victory is Briess Malting's name for their version of Belgian biscuit malt. Both are basically the same color and will contribute a somewhat bready, light toasty flavor to beer. There are subtle differences. Use them interchangeably

Fat Tire on the left, My Clone on the right:

i'll have to try this one.. i'm curious why you do a 9 gal batch?

I believe there is a clone recipe in the 150 commerical beer clone issues from BYO. My club brewed it a while back (extract/grains) and it tasted great, but I have not been able to have them side by side with the real Fat Tire. I would also bet an all grain version would be distinctly closer to the original as well...

I brewed an extract batch once that came pretty close

8oz 20L Light Crystal
8oz Cara-Pils
6oz Victory
8oz Munich
1oz Chocolate

5.25#'s Light DME
4oz Malto Dextrin

.8oz Willamette @ 4.6% - 60min
.4oz Fuggles @ 4.3% - 20min
.4oz Fuggles @ 4.3% - 0min

Wyeast American Ale II

I've been wanting to rebrew it for some time but haven't gotten around to it

Having never done a clone of this beer, the only thing I can offer is something from a recent experience I had - tasting two day old Fat Tire at the brewery. They are not using a clean american yeast in that one. There are definitely very subtle belgian phenolics that I only ever tasted in this fresh example. Maybe a Biere de Garde yeast, or culture from Ommegang Rare Vos bottle.


Mylo