Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone

Beer Recipes
1

The latest Zymurgy has the results from the 8th Annual Best Beers in America listed. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale came in #2 this year. At the end of the article they did not include the recipe because it was printed in the July/August 2003 issue. I was not a member then and would really like the recipe for this beer.

Does anyone have the issue with the recipe for Bell’s Two Hearted Ale printed in it and will share it with me???

Thank you,

Dave

2

Lots of people say Northern Brewers Three Hearted Ale is very close.

You can culture their yeast from the bottle. I’ve heard that the yeast from their Amber cultures better than the Two Hearted

3

I couldn’t find the Zymurgy one, but here’s BYO’s: http://www.xxlbrewing.com/hb/recipe.html

I don’t think that recipe would be quite right though. I’ve brewed one that’s all but identical: THA Cloning « SeanTerrill.com

I think your best bet as far as culturing the yeast is Oberon.

4

thats what I have always read/heard - its a lower OG beer so the yeast is in better shape.

5

Oberon and the Amber are the same ABV

6

Jeff is right, Oberon and Amber = 5.8%.  The pale ale is 5.2%.

There was some debate in out club if Bells is now using a bottling yeast strain vs. the house fermentation strain.  I have done a clone that was very close about 6 to 8 years ago.  They moved into the Galesburg facility in 2006, and may have gone to a bottling stain then.  Fred claims to have heard this directly from Larry at the AHA rally.

7

I think the Oberon strain might be different than the one Bell’s uses for Two Hearted (but I can’t remember where I heard this).  In any case, I cultured Two-Hearted yeast from a six-pack and have a nice culture of it in my fridge now.  Here’s my recipe, which is based on a Zymurgy recipe from several years ago.  It tastes/looks remarkably similar.

Bell’s Two Hearted Clone
14-B American IPA

Size: 5.15 gal
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 83.0%
Calories: 211.02 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.064 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.011 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 10.92 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 6.99% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 60.4 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
8 lb 2-Row
3 lb Light Munich
1 lb Caramel Malt 20L
1.35 oz Centennial (9.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 oz Centennial (9.0%) - added during boil, boiled 20 min
.50 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.50 oz Centennial (9.0%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
2 L starter Bell’s Ale Yeast

Notes
Single infusion batch sparge

  • Add 1/2 tsp CaCO3 and 1/4 tsp gypsum to mash
  • 15.6 qts @ 164 ==> Saccharafication @ 151 [60 min]
  • 4.66 qts @ 212 ==> Mashout @ 165 [10 min]
  • 14 qts Sparge H2O @ 185 ==> Sparge @ 170 [10 min]

Ferment between 62-64

8

[quote=“, post:7, topic:2424”]

Here’s my recipe, which is based on a Zymurgy recipe from several years ago.  It tastes/looks remarkably similar.

Thanks for the advice and recipes. I have not cultured yeast from a beer yet, but htink i might give it a try.

Dave

9

Brewing With Wheat says Oberon uses the house strain, and that’s from Larry Bell.

10

Does it seem like it really comes it at 11 SRM? THA seems to be ~8 SRM to me. I ask because if the Munich and crystal proportions were a little lower, our recipes would be very similar.

11

It comes in at 11 SRM using the Noonan color formula, which seems to err on the darker side.  It’s probably more like 8-9 using the Morey formula.  The software I use to formulate my recipes (BeerTools Pro) only employs the Noonan color formula.

12

Good to know!  I guess there’s no reason to have “both” strains anymore.  :wink: