I’m attempting to crack the code on the Spotted Cow recipe. Got close with a 3rd place ribbon at the DelMar fair in cream ale cat. Recipe is all over the net.
I figure my last adjustment is water. I’m using RO water now and hoping someone has the New Glarus water profile or something close.
I have THE ACTUAL recipe from Dan Carey. There is no corn in the beer anymore. Soft water. He runs a RHB compliant German brewhouse.
Wawawaaaaa?!?
Riiiiiiight… Even if you do have the real recipe, I’m sure Dan doesn’t want you talking about it.
You think I would lie about something like that?
Or is the riiiiiiiiiight in regards to something else?
It’s true and besides, you should know better to assume that a recipe gives you the beer.
To the OP: take the soft water advice on this one. It came straight from the brewmaster.
I do know better. Just don’t think Dan feels the same way.
FWIW, I would agree that I think they use soft water. Should have said that on the other post.
I would never disseminate the recipe. Only things he would tell someone who would email him.
And to that he would say. " spotted cow is no longer brewed with corn or flaked barley. It is brewed RHG compliant as it’s easier. It’s NOT a cream ale. "
These guys have both flaked barley and maize in their “clone”
Interesting the brewer says he follows RHG. Say that here and you get slapped. LOL
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.
Note that it says “no longer” In what was posted about the recipe.
Hey, they make a Strawberry Rhubarb beer, among other beers that use fruit, so RHG compliant? Or is that only the Hill top brewery?
Possible dyslexic brain-fart of Dan Carey vs. Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch? I don’t recall whether Dan Gordon is strict with RHG but I think it’s likely.
Interesting. On their website they say that it’s brewed with flaked barley, but no mention of corn (which I know there used to be).
Heh… sounds like another case of “do whatever the heck you think is right”. They won’t tell us the recipe and even issue conflicting reports of what’s in, not in, used to be in, no longer in… so obviously it just doesn’t much matter… People will buy it no matter what because it’s New Glarus. Way overhyped mediocre beer IMO, nothing special about it except it’s a little hazy, ooh, ahh, lure in the masses of hipsters this way, drink local, only available in Wisconsin, yadda yadda. It’s genius the way they’ve got us wrapped.
I do think they use soft water. But no one really knows, except maybe for the chosen few. If anyone is interested, I know exactly how to look up the municipal water quality in New Glarus, I know how to do that, I gave the Green Bay Rackers many of the water numbers reported on their website. But it’s not to say that the municipal water is necessarily the raw water they use either. They probably treat it somehow.
Cheers all.
To the OP: use soft water not because anyone on this forum says so but because Dan Carey, the brewmaster and seemingly all around nice guy from New Glarus, says so.
I’ve heard they have moved from the black spotted Jersey cow to the spotless red Guernesy.
Directly from the FAQ on the website.
Q:
DOES NEW GLARUS BREWING CO. USE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IN SPOTTED COW?
A:
We have, and always will, strive to make pure and honest beers for our friends in Wisconsin. Spotted Cow is brewed to the standards of the German Purity Law – that is with only malted barley, malted wheat, hops, yeast and water. All our beers are Non-GMO and Vegan Safe. We do NOT use high fructose corn syrup. That is used in soda pop not beer.
I’ve always thought they used 029 for it.
Yup, they do.
Is it adding up for anyone yet? 
It has been several years since I’ve had SP C. I had not been brewing too long and was in the Clone phase. I didn’t use corn. Funny I didn’t taste it in it. I did use Briess 2 row. I thought I could taste that husky, narly Briess sig. flavor. I did 85/15 w wht wheat and 029. I can’t remember the hop, thinking Tett. It was super close. The last time I brewed that style, and the last time I used Briess.