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Blockhead Bob's Brewing

Homebrew Recipe

Troegs Brewing Co.'s Mad Elf Clone

Method:
All Grain
Style:
Fruit Beer
Boil Time:
90 min.
Batch Size:
5 gal.
Boil Size:
7 gal.
Efficiency:
0
Rating:
Source:
Brew Your Own
Source Notes:
November 2019, Vol. 25, No. 7 page 44. Part of "Winter Warmer", Christmas Ale brew special. Back in 2002, Owners Chris and John Trogner decided to brew a special beer - a big Belgian-style ale with cherries and honey - for the holidays, and thus, a superstar named Mad Elf was born. The calculated SRM is the color prior to the cherry puree addition. The final color of the beer will be ruby red.
Notes:
Using 1.3 qts. per pound of grain, mash in at 146F, rest for 10 minutes, then raise temperature to 152F and hold for 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 162F for final 10 minutes. Recirculate about 10 minutes to set the grain bed then sparge and collect 7 gallons. Boil 90 minutes, adding the hops per the instructions. Add the cane sugar and honey at knockout, stirring well to dissolve. Chill rapidly to 65F, pitch plenty of yeast (at least two packs with a starter), and oxygenate thoroughly. After 24 hours of fermentation, add the cherry purees. After 12-14 days, drop the beer about 6F per day for four days to help the beer clear. Rack the beer into a keg and force carbonate to 2.7 volumes, or prime and bottle condition. If bottle conditioning, leave the beer at 70-75F for at least two weeks.

Brew Numbers

OG FG ABV SRM IBU
1.0921.015111713

Fermentables

NameAmount% Grain Bill
Lager or Pilsner Malt12.5 lbs.75.17
Munich Light2.63 lbs.15.81
Notes: Munich malt (8-10 L)
Munich Dark0.75 lbs.4.51
Notes: Dark Munich malt (20L)
Caramel Malt 800.31 lbs.1.86
Crystal Malt 3000.31 lbs.1.86
Notes: Calls for Special B malt. Guess this as substitute, high Crystal.
Chocolate Malt0.13 lbs.0.78
Total: 16.63 lbs.

Hops

Hop Shopping List


NameAmountBoil TimeUseAA
Galena0.2 oz.90Boil13.6
Notes: 2.7 AAU
Hersbruker0.5 oz.10Boil4.6
Notes: 2.3 AAU
NameAmount
Galena0.2 oz.
Hersbruker0.5 oz.

Yeast

NameLabProduct
Abbaye Belgian AleLallemand
Abbey AleWhite LabsWLP530
Belgian High GravityWyeast3787

Other Ingredients

NameAmountTimeUseType
Cane Sugar1 lb.0 min.BoilOther
Notes: Add at knockout.
Honey0.25 lb.0 min.BoilFlavor
Notes: Add at knockout.
Sweet Cherry Puree0.93 weeksPrimaryFlavor
Notes: After 24 hours of fermentation, add the cherry purees.
Tart Cherry Puree1.253 weeksPrimaryFlavor
Notes: After 24 hours of fermentation, add the cherry purees.

Mash Steps

StepNameTempTimeType
1Step Mash14610All Grain
Notes: Using 1.3 qts. per pound of grain, mash in at 146F, rest for 10 minutes.
2Step Mash15240All Grain
Notes: Raise temperature to 152F and hold for 40 minutes.
3Step Mash16210All Grain
Notes: Increase temperature to 162F for final 10 minutes.