Two Birds Sunset Ale Clone

[WoopWoop]

Had a glass of the Two Birds Sunset Ale at the Freo Beerfest the other week and it was superb - excellent malty/biscuity character with tropical fruit tastes and aromas. So I have decided I'd like to put a batch on for a Christmas keg. Anyone have a good clone recipe?

This is from the website:

"Two Birds Sunset Ale is brewed using a distinct combination of malts, including pale, wheat and Crystal malts to provide round, rich, toffee notes. The addition of US Citra and Australian Cascade hops adds a twist of grapefruit and and tropical notes to balance the biscuity malt base."

4.5%, 26 IBUs

I had a chat to Jayne the brewer about it actually, she says they use a whole raft of malts, including Pale, Vienna,, Light Medium and Dark Crystal, and some Wheat.

Anyone have a suggestion for the malt bill percentages and hop shedule?

 

[WoopWoop]

Had a crack at the recipe and brewed it last weekend, my recipe is below. Not sure if i went for enough Vienna Malt. The Citra smelt amazing. It's in the fermenter now and will be going into a keg in a week or so.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 43.06 l
Post Boil Volume: 39.73 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 35.00 l
Bottling Volume: 35.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 29.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 26.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.2 %
Boil Time: 80 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.17 kg Barrett Burston Pale Malt (5.0 EBC) Grain 1 41.7 %
1.88 kg Vienna Malt (6.9 EBC) Grain 2 24.7 %
1.01 kg Barrett Burston Caramalt (39.4 EBC) Grain 3 13.3 %
0.67 kg Barrett Burston Medium Crystal Malt (150 Grain 4 8.9 %
0.53 kg Wheat, Rolled (3.2 EBC) Grain 5 7.0 %
0.34 kg Bairds Dark Crystal (270.0 EBC) Grain 6 4.4 %
15.02 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 14.8 IBUs
41.08 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 3.3 IBUs
41.08 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 8.1 IBUs
42.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
42.00 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
2.8 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [ Yeast 12 -

 

[damoninja]

I'll be brewing this in the new year.

 

[dicko]

Had a crack at the recipe and brewed it last weekend, my recipe is below. Not sure if i went for enough Vienna Malt. The Citra smelt amazing. It's in the fermenter now and will be going into a keg in a week or so.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 43.06 l
Post Boil Volume: 39.73 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 35.00 l
Bottling Volume: 35.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 29.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 26.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.2 %
Boil Time: 80 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.17 kg Barrett Burston Pale Malt (5.0 EBC) Grain 1 41.7 %
1.88 kg Vienna Malt (6.9 EBC) Grain 2 24.7 %
1.01 kg Barrett Burston Caramalt (39.4 EBC) Grain 3 13.3 %
0.67 kg Barrett Burston Medium Crystal Malt (150 Grain 4 8.9 %
0.53 kg Wheat, Rolled (3.2 EBC) Grain 5 7.0 %
0.34 kg Bairds Dark Crystal (270.0 EBC) Grain 6 4.4 %
15.02 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 14.8 IBUs
41.08 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 3.3 IBUs
41.08 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 8.1 IBUs
42.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
42.00 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
2.8 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [ Yeast 12 -

Over 20% crystal may be a tad too much in that style.
I would consider dropping the caramalt an up the base malt to compensate.

Let us know how it comes out

Cheers

 

[roverfj1200]

I just bottled something close to this,Bit lighter. Out of the fermenter it tasted great. I to would cut back on the crystal but that is to late now. But it should be a good drop anyway..


Cheers

 

[tiprya]

That is waay too much hops for sunset ale. It's a very 'approachable' beer, not much bitterness, hop or malt flavour.

 

[WoopWoop]

That is waay too much hops for sunset ale. It's a very 'approachable' beer, not much bitterness, hop or malt flavour.

Hmm, I did wonder about the hops, didn't have much of an idea so was all guesswork. Will see how it turns out. Fermentation is winding down now.

 

[tiprya]

If you like hops, your beer is going to turn out better than sunset ale :chug:

I will be interested to see how that much crystal turns out though - report back.

 

[Spiesy]

I've tried this beer on 3-4 different occasions, some bottled, some on tap - and been very disappointed each time. Hardly any noticeable hop flavour or aroma, which it claims to have.
Out of the bottle I have detected a metallic flavour.
Not great.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Spiesy, appreciate the opinion mate. But this thread is a 'recipe wanted' thread, not a commercial beer critique thread.

Can we please ensure this remains on topic for @OP.

 

[WoopWoop]

Kegged my clone attempt the other night. The smell coming out of the fermentor was pretty amazing, litterally smelt like tropical fruit juice! Taste was delicious, nice and fruity. Doesn't have the nice malty/biscuity taste of the Two Birds Sunset Ale yet.

Will be drinking the final product in less than a week so I'll post anopther update then.

 

[damoninja]

Kegged my clone attempt the other night. The smell coming out of the fermentor was pretty amazing, litterally smelt like tropical fruit juice! Taste was delicious, nice and fruity. Doesn't have the nice malty/biscuity taste of the Two Birds Sunset Ale yet.

Will be drinking the final product in less than a week so I'll post anopther update then.

How'd it go?

 

[WoopWoop]

My clone attempt turned out as a nice beer, although it certainly wasn't a Two Birds Sunset Ale, unfortunately. The flavours from the crystal malts were far too strong, and the hop flavour was also a bit rich. It didn't end up being the easy drinking summer beer I was hoping for!

If I were doing it again I would probably halve the crystal malt, increasing the Vienna to compensate. And perhaps half the finishing hops as well.

 

[Cocko]

Colour is cray.

Good beer... wanna make one.