Ballantine IPA Clone Recipe

Beer Recipes
1

This goes back to a HBD discussion that Jeff Renner was involved in 12-14 years ago. The recipe is pretty straight forward. It makes a beer that tastes “hoppy”, not like citrus or pine. It is also bracingly bitter.

I have been upping the dry hops of late. The last version used BRY-97, but that is not carbed up yet, so I can’t give an honest evaluation yet. The sip I had when it went into the keg made me say “oaky”. The beer never touched wood, and I can only attribute the oaky flavor to the Bullion hops.

This recipe made a strong beer, I have been targeting more in the 1.070 range or a little less. I have also used British C-60 in the last batch.

I tell people it was made with 6-row, flaked corn, Crystal malt, Bullion and Cluster hops, all considered to be inferior in some ways. Makes a great beer, though.

Ballantine IPA

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics

Batch Size (Gal):        10.50    Wort Size (Gal):  10.50
Total Grain (Lbs):      29.50
Anticipated OG:          1.079    Plato:            19.04
Anticipated SRM:          9.8
Anticipated IBU:          69.3
Brewhouse Efficiency:      78 %
Wort Boil Time:            90    Minutes

Formulas Used

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used:  Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.00

Grain/Extract/Sugar

%    Amount    Name                          Origin        Potential SRM

74.6    22.00 lbs. Pale Malt(6-row)              America        1.035      2
20.3    6.00 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize)          America        1.040      1
  5.1    1.50 lbs. Crystal 80L                                  1.033    80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops

Amount    Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time

2.00 oz.    Cluster                          Whole    8.00  21.8  90 min.
  2.00 oz.    Bullion                          Pellet  5.30  13.5  60 min.
  2.00 oz.    Cluster                          Whole    8.00  15.6  30 min.
  2.50 oz.    Bullion                          Pellet  5.30  12.9  30 min.
  2.25 oz.    Bullion                          Pellet  5.30  5.5  10 min.
  3.00 oz.    Goldings - E.K.                  Pellet  7.20  0.0  0 min.
  6.00 oz.    Brewer’s Gold                    Whole    7.00  0.0  Dry Hop

Yeast

WYeast 1056 Amercan Ale/Chico

Water

Use a pale ale profile, get the sulfate up to 250-300 ppm.

2

Thanks for posting this, Jeff. I think I am going to make this for my next brew. One question for you. I have never used Bullion, and therefore never have it on hand. I’ve heard that it is similar to Brewer’s Gold. Do you find them comparable, or will this be a completely different brew if I just use Brewer’s Gold?

3

I think they are similar enough to substitute. They are sisters from an early British breeding program.

4

One of my friends in the AABG club said this looks like a CAP with some crystal malt, add Bullion hops, and the Chico ale yeast.

5

I was thinking that as well. I think I may split it, and pitch half with 833.

6

Thanks Jeff. Will be trying this out eventually

7

Just tell everyone it is old school!

8

after alot of research years ago, this is what I found:
Echoes of Ballantine
10 Gallon / All-Grain
Grist: Mash 60 minutes @ 152F
18 lbs British pale
1 lb British crystal 55L
1 lb Carafoam
3 lbs Flaked maize/corn
1 lb Flaked barley
90 minute hops:
2 oz Cluster (AA% 6.5-7.0)
60 minute hops:
2 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)
30 minute hops:
2 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)
15 minute hops:
1 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)
End of boil/Flameout hops:
1 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)
Water modified to Burton profile.
Wyeast # 1056

I know its nothing close to the original but boy is it good. I wish I could find some old timer who actually drank the original and remembers what it tastes like to get some feedback. Either way… this is one of my most brewed recipes. I actually have it on tap right now.

9

There was a comment in the Steele IPA book that there were many recipes for this beer over the years. That looks like it makes a tasty ale and the cluster and brewers gold will be much like Bullion and cluster in the one I posted, which I have been making about once a year.

10

Ballantine IPA was a 6-row based beer.  Imported malt is going to give the beer a different malt profile.

11

Not in my experience…it all depends how you treat it.
in the 30+ years I’ve been brewing a BIPA clone, I’ve freely substituted the 6 Row with  a variety of imported pale ale malts depending upon what was available to me.  Any differences have been very subtle (if noticeable at all).  Around 20 years ago I even started adding in a bit of imported Munich malt as well;  it actually wasn’t until I did so that I finally hit upon the taste I was looking for, remembering the boatloads of the original Newark brewed Bally IPA I was consuming in my youth  (even though it’s fairly certain that the original never used any Munich malt, in my setup and my procedures it proved to be the missing link in the taste). 
Clusters and Bullion (or Brewer’s Gold) are, of course,  definite musts in recreating the original.  The recent revival of the product, while quite good, fails somewhat  in the ‘hop character’ department by using different varieties, some of which introduce citrus notes that shouldn’t be there.

Also…if you want to get closer to the yeast used in the original, don’t use 1056, US04, or any of the variants of that strain:  instead, use Bry97 or ECY “Old Newark Ale”.

12

I have been saying that for quite some time.  BRY 96 (a.k.a. “Chico,” Wy1056, WLP001, US-05) is the Ballantine “beer” strain from the old Schalk Brothers brewery.  BRY 97 is the Ballantine “ale” strain from the big ale brewery.

The Ballantine strains are held openly in the USDA ARS NRRL Collection.

NRRL Y-7407 (a.k.a. Siebel BRY 96)
  Accession numbers in other collections: Lange 2
  Isolated from (substrate): BR, Beer pitching yeast
  Substrate location: Ballantine Brewery, New Jersey, USA
  Comments: ID from 26S renal partial sequences.

NRRL Y-7408 (a.k.a. Siebel BRY 97)
  Accession numbers in other collections: Lange 4
  Isolated from (substrate): BR, Ale pitching yeast
  Comments: ID from 26S rDNA partial sequences

This photo should be a dead giveaway that BRY 96 (a.k.a. “Chico”) was not used at the ale brewery:

bally_wort_zpsefc076fb.jpg

13

There’s The Professor! Long time, no speak! I have been dying to taste the new Ballantine they released but its only back East from what I understand. Haven’t been able to find it anywhere in the PHX area.

Would you mind posting your recipe that uses Munich malt? I’d like to try another variation.

I’ve had to change up the hops in the past due to availability and have to admit, the recipe I posted is by far the best in my opinion. I’m always up for trying different variations though. I think I’ll give Hopfen’s receipe a try too.

14

As I said, my last iteration used BRY-97. Should be carbed up and ready to give a critical taste soon. I will post that. I am also thinking of torpedoing one keg with a healthy dose of Brewers Gold in the hop rocket. Use about four ounces and transfer back and forth between purged kegs several times. Brewers Gold because I only have Bullion in pellets, though I might add Bullion pellets in a bag to the other keg for comparison.

I am another that would like to see the Professor’s Ballantine IPA recipe. Yes, please!

15
  • another on seeing the recipe.  It would be great to have a recipe from someone who has an idea of what the original tasted like, and from what I have read, the Professor has done a lot of research.  I have brewed the clone recipe from BYO and Im not sure how accurate it was.  I have done batches using 1056 and ECY old Newark ale and I really preferred ECY, which may become a regular for me. I have also brewed variations of it using Golden Promise and Munich, which I really liked too. Not sure how close any of them are to the original though.
16

Professor! reminder, if you would sir, to post your recipe please!

17

One thing that the story of the re-release of the BIPA is the fact that it was indeed a darker maltier beer. The spec for color is 14 SRM. I read on another thread that an old timer that remembers the flavor of the late 60’s early 70’s renditions(may have been out of Cranston)as mixing 50% SN Celebration Ale with 50% Bigfoot Barleywine. It does look like that they may have used EKG’s at flameout and of course their distilled hop oils in the fermenters. Bullion/Cluster/Brewer’s Gold should all have a play in the Bittering/Flavor profiles I would imagine. For an interesting twist on the hop bill check out Legacy and Comet Hops. Here is my latest session I brewed and is on tap right now:

2015-01-21  Ballantine IPA Project Beer

A ProMash Brewing Session Report

Brewing Date: Wednesday January 21, 2015
Head Brewer: 
Asst Brewer: 
Recipe:      Ballantine IPA Project Beer

Recipe Specifics

Batch Size (Gal):        11.00    Wort Size (Gal):  11.00
Total Grain (Lbs):      27.00
Anticipated OG:          1.075    Plato:            18.20
Anticipated SRM:          14.6
Anticipated IBU:          79.7
Brewhouse Efficiency:      80 %
Wort Boil Time:            90    Minutes

Actual OG:  1.075  Plato: 18.24
Actual FG:  1.014  Plato:  3.57

Alc by Weight:  6.33      by Volume:  8.11  From Measured Gravities.
ADF:            80.4      RDF        67.2  Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Actual Mash System Efficiency: 80 %
Anticipated Points From Mash:  66.62
Actual Points From Mash:      66.79

Formulas Used

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used:  Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops:        2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops:      10 %
Additional Utilization Used For First Wort Hops: -10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar

%    Amount    Name                          Origin        Potential SRM

74.1    20.00 lbs. Pale Ale Malt                America        1.037      4
  9.3    2.50 lbs. Crystal 75L                  Great Britian  1.034    75
  7.4    2.00 lbs. Cane Sugar                    Generic        1.046      0
  7.4    2.00 lbs. Munich Malt                  Germany        1.037      8
  1.9    0.50 lbs. Crystal 45L                  Great Britain  1.034    45

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops

Amount    Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time

3.00 oz.    Bullion                          Pellet  7.90  36.8  First WH
  2.00 oz.    Cluster                          Whole    7.00  19.8  First WH
  2.00 oz.    Comet                            Whole  10.30  23.2  30 min.
  4.00 oz.    Legacy                            Pellet  6.20  0.0  Dry Hop

Yeast

East Coast Ye  ECY10- Ballantine Ale Strain

Water Profile

Profile:          Burton On Trent
Profile known for: Strong Pale Ales

Calcium(Ca):        268.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg):        62.0 ppm
Sodium(Na):          30.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4):        638.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl):        36.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3):  141.0 ppm

pH: 8.33

Mash Schedule

Mash Type: Single Step
Heat Type: Direct

Grain Lbs:  25.00
Water Qts:  40.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal:  10.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.60

Tun Thermal Mass:      0.00
Grain Temp:              70 F

Dough In Temp:              160  Time:  5
Saccharification Rest Temp: 150  Time:  90
Mash-out Rest Temp:        168  Time:  10
Sparge Temp:                180  Time:  40

Runnings Stopped At:  1.010 SG      2.56 Plato

Total Mash Volume Gal:    12.00  - After Additional Infusions

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

Fermentation Specifics

Pitched From:          Starter
Amount Pitched:      0 mL
Lag Time:            0.00 hours

Primary Fermenter:    Plastic
Primary Type:        Closed
Days In Primary:      18
Primary Temperature:  68 degrees F

Secondary Fermenter:  Plastic
Secondary Type:      Closed
Days In Secondary:    14
Secondary Temperature: 68 degrees F

Original Gravity:  1.075 SG    18.24 Plato
Finishing Gravity:  1.014 SG    3.57 Plato

Tasting Notes

early tasting notes…green…needs more carbonation…huge heritage
hop presence along with heavy British Carmel malts that do not disrtact…
…a mini Barleywine if you will…this can only get better…stay tuned

Notes

Upon racking to the kegs, add  .25 ounce of med American toasted oak chips
per keg, carbonate and let it age at cellar temps for  1 year. Then stand b
ack and wait for Nirvana in the glass.

18

I think the sugar will be in mine next time with BRY-97 to dry it a little more.

19

Jeff,

I got 80.4 ADF. It went from 1.075 down to 1.014. It’s an 8% beer so the ECY-10 did what it was supposed to and more. I think with the crystal and Munich malts, it left some residual mouthfeel which is not a bad thing.

20

Yeah, I had more mouth feel with the BRY-97, and think a little sugar would help.