Old Chico clone recipe help

[TK1]

Hi all,

I am new to all-grain but keen to experiment and try to make beers I like.

Recently I was able to try a Sierra Nevada "Old Chico" Crystal Wheat and really liked it. A very light, drinkable wheat beer. So thought I'd see if I could make one (since I haven't seen it for sale here).

I only found one recipe online, at Brewtoad, and it didn't look right compared to how Sierra Nevada describe it (in terms of grain mix and stats).

From the SN website and reviews:
65% wheat malt, 35% 2-row pale barley. Perle bittering hops and Crystal finishing, ale yeast. 4.8% alc/vol, IBU of 26. OG 12.0 plato, FG 2.7 plato

So, hoping for some critique on my Brewmate inputs below, and advice from anyone who's tried it (or hopefully tried to brew it) on any changes I should make to get it closer. Or even if my recipe looks sound, I just adjusted hops until it came close in IBU and alc/vol. I just used one lot of bittering hops at the start, so not sure how that would affect the flavour vs additions throughout (variables I tried dropped the IBU too much). Finishing hops didn't change character too much, I just picked 12g as that's a packet's worth. Just picked an ale yeast too, open to suggestions.

Thanks for any advice or input!

 

[Weizguy]

That would make a pale wheat beer in the American style.
Should be lightly hop flavoured, and balanced bitterness.
That yeast is the Chico yeast, so that's probably spot-on for the style.
Good luck with the beer, and be aware that you may need to filter, or allow the yeast to settle for a few weeks before you can drink it.

 

[TK1]

Cool, thanks! Good to know I was pretty close (even the stab at the yeast).

Will definitely look at filtering it, thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately I probably won't get to try the real thing again so will have to rely on my memory for comparison.

 

[Weizguy]

You may be surprised, as the import markets are becoming quite adventurous.
I never thought, years ago, that I would see Stone beers on tap in Newcastle, as well as some of the imported beers at Dan Murphy's.
You just can't count on never seeing that beer and tasting it.