Fat Yak Changed My Life

[beerDingo]

Best CUB beer that I can think of.

Yep - Matilda Bay Brewing is part of CUB group

 

[HoppingMad]

Spoke to the Matilda Bay guys at recent Micro Showcase. From what I gather they pretty much use two malts from what I heard - one base (pale?) and a cara (could be caramunich, carapils or JW caramalt - got me beat there). So don't try to add too many flavours in on the malt side - this is a hop driven beer.

For big breweries, simple recipe = cheap and keeps bean counters happy.

The late hopping tastes all cascade to me. Believe they use flowers in the late hop. Haven't been to the garage brewery where it's made but would suspect they use a 'hop back' to add them, circulating hot wort through the hops prior to chilling.

If you check out their website is says 'A hint of Nelson Sauvin' so I would go easy on the amounts of NS. When I've brewed with lots of NS you get a wine-like flavour and this beer doesn't get a bit hit of this - meaning the floral cascade is the dominator.

Hopper.

 

[DKS]

I just so happen to have one ear,

American Pale Ale


Type: All Grain
Date: 10/02/2010
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Brewer: Daz
Boil Time: 75 min
Taste Rating(out of 50): 40.5 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4000.00 gm BB Ale (6.0 EBC) Grain 80.00 %
400.00 gm Munich I (Weyermann) (14.0 EBC) Grain 8.00 %
350.00 gm Carapils (5.0 EBC) Grain 7.00 %
250.00 gm BB Wheat (3.2 EBC) Grain 5.00 %
20.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 11.9 IBU
15.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
15.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (20 min) Hops 11.3 IBU
10.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (10 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
5.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.22 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
5.00 gm Polyclar (Secondary 1.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs Am Ale 1056 (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.044 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.67 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.43 %
Bitterness: 34.6 IBU Calories: 408 cal/l
Est Color: 10.0 EBC Color: Color


Mash Profile



Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash At 65 C

 

[Pete2501]

I must have a bad batch. I'm not rating it that high. I'd prefer my normal all cascade pale ale atm.

 

[DKS]

I must have a bad batch. I'm not rating it that high. I'd prefer my normal all cascade pale ale atm.

I would like to give that a try Pete. Can you recommend a commercial version for a target to clone?
All cascade, citrus and fruity? I'de like to give that a go. :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[Pete2501]

My favourite commercial beer atm is Hercules double IPA by Great Divide Brewing co.
I didn't mind the LC IPA but still thought it was lacking hop resin and alcohol warmth.

Fat Yak used to taste nice and hoppy with a good malt flavour but the hop flavours I'd been getting last night as the beer warmed up were earthy and the malt sweetness started to be overwhelmed by this. I could only drink this as a session beer going through them quickly so they're cold.

I like to leave my beer to warm up some times so that I can find out what the cold is hiding.


All my beers are extract. I haven't had any flavour issues.
@ 23litres
Light liquid malt extract.
800g dex
500g light malt
200g maltodextrin
300g 60l crystal
US-05
20g 60 min
20g 15 min
20g 5 min
30g+ of pellets or plugs for dry hopping.



With all that said I've had Fatyak before and rated it pretty high. I think it was just this batch.

 

[DKS]

My favourite commercial beer atm is Hercules double IPA by Great Divide Brewing co.
I didn't mind the LC IPA but still thought it was lacking hop resin and alcohol warmth.

Fat Yak used to taste nice and hoppy with a good malt flavour but the hop flavours I'd been getting last night as the beer warmed up were earthy and the malt sweetness started to be overwhelmed by this. I could only drink this as a session beer going through them quickly so they're cold.

I like to leave my beer to warm up some times so that I can find out what the cold is hiding.


I know what you mean. This is why I often change beers during a session and the main reason why I brew. To get the variety and have a choice.Start with a Helles finish with a stout is not unusual.
Keeping in mind you have to take each style on its merits for what they are supposed to be.Then again some I just don't appreciate.Doesn't mean they're bad.
ATM Fat Yak I like.( He says while drinking a Dunkel) :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[NickB]

I had Fat Yak first time just before christmas. Not impressed to be honest. I suppose like most 'micro' brews it's better off tap, but the bottled version really just had no flavour or aroma for me.

Cheers

 

[Nath151]

i Love the fat yack
i think that it tastes better out of the bottle than off tap
my "clone" is a 3kg ESB American Pale Ale Kit
15g amarilo hops (teabag)
and US-05 Yeast
Leave in fermenter for close to 2 weeks
bottle/keg, i natural carb
leave for at least another 2 weeks
chill and enjoy
Thanks to Colin at Brew Your Own At Home for pointing me to this recipie

Cheers Nath

 

[Nick JD]

I love threads where Australians discover beer with flavour.

 

[ledgenko]

I would have to agree that FAT YAK is a great beer.. however .. A clone that does not cost you $20 a six pack is a treat to behold!! My collegue in brewing SHawn_H and I did a Fat Yak clone before Xmas but unfortunately it got an infection and we lost it.. It put up a brave fight though... but definately on the cards to be redone..

I can remember Cascade did rate highly as the HOPS of choice too.. smelt freakin awesome !!

Will get recipe and post it on here... Best of luck in making a great beer clone !!

L

 

[lobo]

i have had this beer once about 9 months ago and it was really average, to put it lightly. it was off tap, and my first thought was 'it is infected' just had that taste where everything blended into one and you couldnt taste if it was hops or malt. thats the flavour i get from an infected beer will have to have another go at it.

Lobo

 

[Zizzle]

I've seen huge variability in this beer. Some are great, nice APA. Others taste like dishwater.

I guess you can't do too much to VB to make it taste worse, all the handlers after the brewery are probably pretty lax with no adverse consequences. I'm just imagining that once or twice I have managed to get the outside case of pallet of Fat Yak that has been sitting outside in the sun for a few weeks.

 

[MarkBastard]

I've seen huge variability in this beer. Some are great, nice APA. Others taste like dishwater.

I guess you can't do too much to VB to make it taste worse, all the handlers after the brewery are probably pretty lax with no adverse consequences. I'm just imagining that once or twice I have managed to get the outside case of pallet of Fat Yak that has been sitting outside in the sun for a few weeks.

I agree.

When I first had this at the brekkie creek hotel when it was pretty new (the beer) it was great. Perfect session APA that was easy enough for swill drinkers to like.

When I had it on tap at 4 different places on the sunshine coast a few months back it was horrible at all places.

I think it's the handling, but I also think perhaps the dry hops carry this brew and when they dissipate through age or bad handling it is really lacklustre. So fresh is best which goes without saying.

 

[Steve]

Ive had it just the once from the tap at my wife christmas party at Olims in Canberra. I thought, fantastic something ive heard so much about. Pffftttt, what a disappointment. Very bland. I wouldnt go out looking for it at Dan Murphys or the likes.
Cheers
Steve

 

[bum]

If I've gotta get a sixer of something (which I rarely do) it'll either be this or James Squire IPA. That should give you an idea of how "life changing" this beer is. When you get a good one it does smell really nice but beyond that you shouldn't be too shocked to find it is a Fosters brew.

 

[Nick JD]

I prefer the new low-carb version, Skinny Yak.

 

[Effect]

First time I tried this it was like dish water...didn't know what all the fuss was about. Tried it again the other day, completely different beer.

Would agree with a grain bill of:
97/3 pilsner/caramalt
cascade to high 20s ibu
1/2 gram/L of ns and cascade at 15
1/2 g/L cascade at 0
1/2 g/L ns dry hop

wyeast 1272

well that's how I taste it.

Cheers
Phil

 

[hoohaaman]

I had Fat Yak first time just before christmas. Not impressed to be honest. I suppose like most 'micro' brews it's better off tap, but the bottled version really just had no flavour or aroma for me.

Cheers

Thought the same,no aroma but could taste cascade up front.Finished weak,probably because I'm so use to NS,I expected more.Pretty uninspiring.IMHO

 

[zoidbergmerc]

i suppose I'll try,

2KG pale Male
1KG Amber Malt
500g Dex

150g Crystal Malt

25g Cascade @ 60min
12g Nelson @20min
12g Cascade @ 20min
25g Nelson @ 0min

Suggestions? Comments? Ideas? Critique?

I just had this one the other night and it was pretty good, it was pretty dark in colour but still really nice. I think I might have steeped the crystal too long\hot as it is quite bitter and leaves a coarse dry flavour on your tongue. It's far from fat yak taste wise but me and my mates all liked it all the same. Will make again.