Mardi Gras Clones

The season of Carnival is upon us. The celebration begins January 6th and stretches to the height of Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, on February 24th. Unfortunately, not everyone can catch the infamous krewe parades of New Orleans or share in the festivities on Bourbon Street, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all the favorite New Orleans microbrews.

Thanks to authors Mark and Tess Szamatulski, and former BYO columnist Dawnell Smith, you can now clone Abita Amber, Abita Turbo Dog and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager — and hey, isn’t sitting back with a good Louisiana-themed homebrew sporting your purple, green and gold beads really the next best thing to the French Quarter? Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (let the good times roll)!

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Abita Turbo Dog

5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains; OG = 1.054; FG = 1.014; IBU = 32–34

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. (2.25 kg) Muntons unhopped light dry malt extract
• 1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (Schreier crystal 100 or Muntons crystal dark)
• 0.50 lbs. chocolate malt (Schreier chocolate or Muntons chocolate)
• 7 AAUs Chinook hop pellets (0.6 oz. of 12% alpha acid)
• 5 AAUs Willamette hop pellets (1.25 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 6 AAUs Willamette (1.5 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
• White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) or Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) yeast
• 3/4-cup corn sugar or 1 cup unhopped dried malt extract

Step by step   

Heat specialty grain in 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water at 152 ºF (52 ºC) for 45 minutes. Remove grains, add dry malt extract, bring to a boil and add 1 oz. (28 grams) Chinook hops.    

Boil for 85 minutes and add 1.25 oz. (35 grams) Willamette hops. Boil five minutes and remove from heat. Hold wort on the stove without heat for a rest, then add 1.5 oz. (35 grams) Willamette hops. Boil five minutes and remove from heat. Hold wort on the stove without heat for a rest, then add 1.5 oz. (35 grams) Willamette hops and let the wort settle for 15 minutes. Bring up to 5.25 gallons (20 L) with chilled, preboiled water.    

Cool to 60 ºF (15.5 ºC), add yeast, aerate and let ferment for five to six days at 55–58 ºF (13–14 ºC), or at the lower end of your yeast manufacturers recommended fermentation temperature (at about 1.016). Cool to around 45 ºF (7 ºC) and age for one week before racking into bottles or kegs.

All-grain option:    

Cut out DME and use 7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) pale malt (Schreier special pale or Muntons pale). Heat 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) to 160 ºF (71 ºC) in a brew pot and slowly mix in milled malt. Hold at 152 ºF (67 ºC) for 45 minutes, then heat the thick mash to 172 ºF (78 ºC) and hold for five minutes. Transfer to lauter unit and run-off first wort (should hit 1.070). Sparge with 3.75 gallons (14.25 L) at 172 ºF (78 ºC). Bring wort to boil and proceed as above.

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Abita Amber

5 gallons/19 L extract with grains; OG = 1.043; FG = 1.010; SRM = 11; IBU =18; ABV = 3.4%

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (226 g) U.S. 40 ºL Crystal malt
• 4 oz. (113 g) Munich malt
• 1 oz. (28 g) U.S. chocolate malt
• 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexander’s pale malt extract syrup
• 1.75 lbs. (793 g) Muntons extra light dried malt extract
• 1/3 oz. (9 g) Chinook at 12 % AA (4 HBU) (bittering hop)
• 1/4 oz. (7 g) Crystal (flavor hop)
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) Irish Moss
• 1/4 oz. (7 g) Perle (aroma hop)
• Wyeast 2308 (Munich lager) yeast (ferment at 47–52 ºF/ 8–11 ºC for four weeks then at 57–62 ºF(14–17 ºC) for the remainder of fermentation.)
• Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian lager) yeast (ferment at 47–52 ºF/8–11 ºC)
• 1.25 cups (300 mL) Muntons extralight dry malt extract (for bottling)

Step-by-step   

Heat 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to 155 ºF (68 ºC). Add Crystal, U.S. 40 ºL Munich and U.S. chocolate malts. Remove the pot from the heat and steep at 150 ºF (66 ºC) for 30 minutes. Strain the grain water into the brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) of 150 ºF (68 ºC) water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add Alexander’s pale malt extract syrup, Muntons extra light dried malt extract and Chinook bittering hops.

Add water until the total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9.5 L). Boil for 45 minutes then add: Crystal flavor hops and Irish Moss. Boil for 10 minutes and Perle aroma hop. Boil for five minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and chill the wort for 20 minutes.    

Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain 51/8 gallons (19.5 L). When the wort temperature is below 80 ºF (26.6 ºC) pitch the yeast. Keep the primary fermenter at 60–62 ºF (16–17 ºC) until fermentation begins (approximately one day). Move the primary fermenter to 47–52 ºF (8–11 ºC) and ferment for seven days or until fermentation slows. Siphon the wort into the secondary fermenter (5 gallon glass carboy).

Bottle when fermentation is complete, target gravity is reached and beer has cleared (approximately five weeks) with the 1.25 cups (300 mL) Muntons extra light dry malt extract (boiled for 10 minutes in 2 cups (473 mL) of water). Let prime at 70 ºF (21 ºC) for approximately four weeks until carbonated, then store at cellar temperature.

Partial-mash Method:   

Mash 2.25 lbs. (1.02 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt and the specialty grains at 150 ºF (65.6 ºC) for 90 minutes. Then follow the extract recipe omitting 1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) Muntons extra light dry malt extract at the beginning of the boil.

All-Grain Method:   

Mash 7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt with the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 25 minutes then at 140 ºF (65.1 ºC) for 90 minutes. Add 3.3 HBU (18 % less than the extract recipe) of bittering hops for 60 minutes of the boil. Add the flavor hops, Irish Moss and Aroma hops as indicated by the extract recipe.

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Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager

5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains; OG = 1.056; FG = 1.013; IBU = 25; SRM = 27; ABV = 5.4%

Ingredients:

• 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) U.S. 80 ºL crystal malt
• 1 oz. (28 g) U.S. black malt
• 2 oz. (56 g) U.S. chocolate malt
• 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexander’s pale malt extract syrup
• 2.75 lbs. (1.25 kg) Munton's light DME
• 0.33 lbs. (0.15 kg) rice solids
• 1.5 oz. (42 grams) Mt. Hood 4.3% AA (6.5 HBU) (bittering hop)
• 0.25 oz. (7 grams) Cascade (flavor hop) at 45 minutes
• 0.25 oz. (7 grams) Mt. Hood (flavor hop) at 45 minutes.
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) Irish moss
• 0.25 oz. (7 grams) Cascade (aroma hop) at 55 minutes
• 0.25 oz. (7 grams) Mt. Hood (aroma hop) at 55 minutes
• Wyeast 2035 (American lager) or Wyeast 2007 (Pilsen lager) yeast
• 0.75 cup (180 mL) corn sugar

Step by step:   

Crush and steep crystal, black and chocolate malt in 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) 150 ºL (65.5 ºC) water for 20 minutes. Strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) water at 150 ºF (65.5 ºC). Add water to the brew pot for 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) total volume. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove, and add Alexander’s pale malt syrup, Muntons light DME, rice solids, and of Mt. Hood hops for bittering.

Add water until total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9 L). Boil for 45 minutes and add flavor hops, and Irish moss. Boil for 10 minutes then add aroma hops. Boil for five minutes, remove pot from the stove and cool for 15 minutes.

Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain five gallons (18.9 L). When the wort temperature is under 80 ºF (26.6 ºC), pitch your yeast. Ferment in the primary fermenter five to seven days or until fermentation slows, then siphon into the secondary fermenter. Bottle when fermentation is complete with corn sugar.
Partial mash:   

Mash 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) U.S. 2-row pale malt and the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 30 minutes and 150 ºF (65.5 ºC) for 60 minutes. Then follow the extract with grains recipe, omitting the 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) DME at the beginning of the boil.

All-grain method:   

Grind 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) rice, then boil for 20 minutes until soft. Mash 7.25 lbs. (3.3 kg) British 2-row lager malt and 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) U.S. 6-row ale malt with the specialty grains at 122 ºF (50 ºC) for 30 minutes and 151 ºF (66 ºC) for 60 minutes. Add 4.7% HBU (31% less than the extract with grains recipe) of bittering hops for 90 minutes of the boil. Add the flavor hops and Irish moss for the last 15 minutes of the boil and the aroma hops for the last five minutes.

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The recipes for Abita Amber and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager were adapted from Mark and Tess Szamatulski's books, “Beer Captured,” and “Clone Brews,” respectively.