All Grain Recipe: #27 Mirror Pond Pale Ale Clone

For this recipe, I thought I'd make a clone of Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, from Can You Brew It.

Another not so great brew. This time, the problem was the yeast. I created a starter from a repitch of WLP007 (instead of the WLP002 the recipe called for). The first sign of trouble came when I smelled the starter, which was way more "Belgian" than it should have been. I thought it might just be the starter, so I pitched it.

I soon discovered it wasn't just the starter. Samples taken from the fermented beer tasted more like a Saison than an APA. They weren't bad, and the flavor mellowed over time. If it was an infection, they would get worse over time. I decided to roll with it, after letting it sit for twice as long as I normally would. I dry hopped it and bottled it, and when I tried it two things jumped out at me:

1) The carbonation was correct, unlike many of my other brews which were way overcarbed.
2) It wasn't bad! The Saison with citrusy cascade hops wasn't a bad combination.

After this brew I decided I'm going to stop repitching yeast. When it works, it is great, but it is too inconsistent. Yeast can mutate too much after only a few repitches, especially if the harvesting isn't done just the right way. I suspect the lack of attenuation in many of my beers may even be caused by less healthy yeast from repitching. It will only be fresh vials from here on out.

Recipes after the break.


Here's my 3-gallon recipe, adjusted for my efficiency and changes, followed by the original CYBI recipe for 6 gallons.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

Type: All Grain	Date: 9/11/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 12.000 qt	Brewer:
Boil Size: 17.999 qt	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Brew Pot, Full Boil All Grain (5 Gallon, Low Efficiency)
End of Boil Volume 12.896 qt	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 9.500 qt	Est Mash Efficiency 77.5 %
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 6.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 - 1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 5 lbs 6.4 oz Pale Ale Malt, US (3.0 SRM) Grain 3 90.8 % 7.2 oz Crystal/Caramel Malt - 75L (75.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.6 % 1.6 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.7 % 18.00 g Cascade [5.20 %] - Boil 85.0 min Hop 6 26.2 IBUs 14.00 g Cascade [5.20 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 10.4 IBUs 0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 - 0.25 tsp Wyeast Nutrient Blend (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 9 - 14.00 g Cascade [5.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 3.4 IBUs 14.00 g Cascade [5.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) [35.49 ml] Yeast 12 - 14.00 g Cascade [5.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 0.50 tsp Gelatin (Secondary 1.0 weeks) Fining 14 -
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.5 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.1 %
Bitterness: 41.2 IBUs	Calories: 173.5 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 10.1 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: BIAB Single Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 15.2 oz
Sparge Water: 10.469 qt	Grain Temperature: 74.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 160.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 10.267 qt of water at 160.0 F 152.0 F 60 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 20 min 168.0 F 0 min
Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 10.469qt) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes:
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle	Volumes of CO2: 2.2
Pressure/Weight: 48.30 g	Carbonation Used: Bottle with 48.30 g Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 68.0 F	Age for: 28.00 days
Fermentation: My Aging Profile	Storage Temperature: 70.0 F
Notes
Subbing WLP002 out for WLP007, because I hate WLP002. Increasing mash temp to compensate. Batch #18 attenuated 74.4% with WLP007 mashed at 157, while Mirror Pond supposedly attenuates just under 74% mashed at 154. I increased the mash temp to 156. Also adjusted for the high rate of AA decay in cascades.
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Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

Type: All Grain	Date: 4/26/2010
Batch Size (fermenter): 24.000 qt	Brewer: Deschutes Brewery
Boil Size: 37.802 qt	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
End of Boil Volume 27.040 qt	Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 24.000 qt	Est Mash Efficiency 75.8 %
Fermentation: My Aging Profile	Taste Rating(out of 50): 50.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 11.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 - 11 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Ale Malt, US (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 91.5 % 14.1 oz Crystal/Caramel Malt - 75L (75.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.0 % 3.0 oz Carapils (1.5 SRM) Grain 4 1.5 % 28.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 85.0 min Hop 5 22.5 IBUs 28.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 11.5 IBUs 28.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 3.7 IBUs 28.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.00 ml] Yeast 9 - 21.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.5 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.2 %
Bitterness: 39.6 IBUs	Calories: 176.9 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 9.8 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: BIAB Single Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 9.1 oz
Sparge Water: 24.472 qt	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 168.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash Step Add 20.112 qt of water at 156.8 F 149.0 F 60 min
Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 24.472qt) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes:
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 131.15 g	Carbonation Used: Bottle with 131.15 g Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 68.0 F	Age for: 28.00 days
Fermentation: My Aging Profile	Storage Temperature: 70.0 F
Notes
1.050 - 1.054 OG 38-42 IBU 5-5.2% ABV 14 SRM 90 min boil, 4 additions 90 30 5 0, all cascade briess carapils ~1.5%, crystal 75-ish ~7%, great western pale malt 149-152 mash temp cool fermentation for low esters, 61-65 very pure water, super soft, small gypsum addition recommends dry hop of 0.1 lb per barrel Try to go for 1.013 FG, lower the better. 1.053 OG, 42.6 IBU rager, 90 min boil 91.5% (5.23 kg) pale malt 7% (0.4 kg) crystal 75 1.5% (0.09 kg) carapils 28 gm Cascade 6% at 85, 30, 5, 0 7 gm Cascade dry hop WLP002 149 mash with gypsum ferment at 65 + diacetyl rest Not cloned. "Thin" flavor, wrong malt character (not 'biscuity' enough), not enough hops. Re-brew: Switched to using "Pale Ale" malt from Great Western. JZ made a mistake and said Pale Malt instead of Pale Ale Malt. Wasn't enough dry hop, raised to 21 gm. Dropped gypsum to 11 gm. Re-brew is slightly too bitter (10% more?) and slightly more attenuated. Well fermented, good beer.
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