Thanks! 6.5% must be the pre-prohibition Schlitz 
I think true cloning of a beer is entirely possible. The ingredients available to homebrewers are exactly the same as what the commercial brewers use. A lot of commercial brewers freely give out their recipes. So I figure it’s worth a shot trying to duplicate my favorites. I have brewed numerous clone recipes in the past, and while I never actually cloned one IMO, I always figured it was my own fault for not trying hard enough, as I rarely brew the same beer twice, always wanting to try something new. However that’s about to change, as I’ve set my heart on trying to clone two beers, Anchor Porter and Pete’s Wicked Ale, which I’ll be working on in the next few months. Now of course they don’t make Pete’s anymore, so the “cloning” bit will have to be based on my taste memory. But the Anchor, I will compare side-by-side with the real thing, brewing it at least twice if not 3 or 4 times, tweaking each time until it tastes exactly the same, if possible. Even if I can’t clone it, I think it will be fun to try and a great learning experience.
I do think an important part of the cloning process might be in aging your beer for several months. When you brew your own, it is super fresh. When you buy it at the store, it is probably already 4 months old or more (at least by the time it gets to the front of the shelves in Wisconsin). So it’s only fair to compare “old” homebrew to “brand new” store bought beer, otherwise you’re not comparing apples to apples. Then of course after you think you’ve cloned the beer, you’ll need to decide whether you prefer to drink your clone young or aged, and this is largely subject to personal preference. I guess what I’m also saying is, it’s entirely possible to clone a beer and not have it taste exactly the same as what you buy on the shelf. Your own homebrew might be a clone but taste even better than what you can buy, due either to freshness, or to slight tweaks that you have done with the recipe, or both.
All in theory. I haven’t cloned a beer… yet… but I do think it is an excellent learning experience, and the potential benefits are great, so I am going to try.
Hello Dolly!
Damn right!
I think that’s gonna depend a lot on the particular commercial beer. If I buy beer that’s brewed by a local brewery, it’s seldom more than a week or 2 old.
I’m not a cloner since I tend to faff about with stories and taste ideas, but I get the drive behind the clone - there’s something innately satisfying about hitting what you’re aiming for.
Hello Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly…
(Why aren’t they called genetic echoes?)
Words are funny things. So many problems, misunderstandings and even fights come about through incorrect interpretations of what people think another means when using a specific word. This is why in theology for example the first order of business is always to define terms.
If we don’t have a clearly defined meaning of a word that is shared by all who are in the conversation what results is assumptions. Oddly, human beings have a general tendency to assume negative motivations, states of mind, etc. in someone else, and to excuse or interpret their own actions, thoughts, conclusions much more generously. In counseling of couples, in politics, et al, this is generally referred to as ‘Negative Mind Reading.’
Why am I being so philosophical? Because I think the real issue is what one thinks ‘cloning’ means will determine whether they clone or not; or think others should.
Is brewing classic styles cloning? Is using a recipe from this website cloning? Is using a kit cloning? Is brewing a beer based on BJCP guidelines cloning? One could argue that they all are or none are.
Cloning for one person could be a general target, for another a highly rigorous, scientific process with double-blind processes and the like.
I for one don’t care. And I guess I’m also arguing for others not to care. We are all beer brewers. That is the goal. If you brew beer and you enjoy it, you/we win. I think it should matter not a whit to the home brewing community if one is motivated by making exact duplicates of something they love, or by making beers no one has ever had before.
We will alienate a lot of people if we have a list of acceptable/unacceptable motivations for brewing.
What are ewe talking about? 
::) why do I baaa-ther?
Thanks Denny. Denny was my Guiana pig. 
Can’t pull the wool over MY eyes !
Does it involve kool aid and sodium cyanide? :o
Its probably really hard to literally clone beer (genetically identical to parent), so I’m guessing that it means identical tasting, appearance, aroma.
I’ve always found the concept of brewing a “clone” amusing. I don’t know who decided to apply that word to brewing, but it is far from appropriate.
Asking for a recipe that brews a beer similar to “X” is more accurate.
When I was less experienced I used recipes as a starting point and went from there, both in brewing and cooking. Now I taste beer or food and choose the ingredients that I think are going to produce the flavor results that I want. It’s very seldom I use recipes anymore. Ingredients vary in flavor quite a lot over time. Most of the time now I choose ingredients based on what I’m trying to create, like painting from a palate of flavors, instead of colors. I learned this from cooking, and apply it to brewing too. My wife and Chef M taught me how.
Why would I want to brew a clone when I can buy the original? When I brew, I want to brew something original - something to style, but with my signature on it.
For instance, probably the best beer I brew, and a style I really enjoy drinking is Münchner Helles. However, I really like the flavor of Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops. My helles is over-hopped for flavor and aroma for someone used to the Bavarian style, but I don’t brew for Bavarians, I brew for me.
Somewhere between really hard and impossible.
But I have such a poor palate, if it is in the neighborhood I couldn’t tell the difference.
I’m with all you guys. “Clone” is the wrong word, but it sold a lot of books.
As with plenty of other homebrewers I have used clone recipes. I think they provide a good starting point. It allows you to know what the beer should taste like when it is finished. However, I agree that making the clone beer taste exactly like the original is difficult. It is possible for a homebrewer to be disappointed in the beer if it doesn’t turn out as expected. Sometimes I like to use clone or other recipes as a starting point then modify for my purposes. If there is a commercial beer I like I prefer to buy it. I like to reserve homebrewing for my own recipes.
I will be repeating myself here but… Everything you brew using and following a recipe is a clone. It never turns out the same. It turns out as a reasonable facsimile (clone). Maybe brewing in a lab and having precise control of everything you could “copy” a brew. Hops get older or are a different crop. Grains change with age and or you use new crops. Then there is the water. Yeast cell counts in starters? I could go on but I think that gets the thought out. The only time it’s not cloning is if you just decide to make something up and brew it for the first time.
It’s the same for cooking. Baking is more precise but still has factors that are clone-ish like temperature, humidity, etc…
Now, if your cloning sheep like punatic. I believe that is a different definition of “clone”.
Okay, Now I want to apologize for the rant. I had to get that out of my head. Lets brew!
Never cloned any sheep, but I did find some rubber boots on sale on Black Friday!