Stella clone (again!)

[scanman]

Ok guys, I know this subject has been covered many times before, but suggestions and comments always seemed to end up resulting in a mish'mash of all grain and extract suggestions, which makes it hard to sort out which recipes are best for the average brewer.
Now I know the all grain brewers will argue that you can't make a Stella clone from an extract, you can probably get something close or similar. Being that I am still not an all grain brewer, and there are probably more extract brewers out there then all grain brewers, I thought maybe that those who have come up with some good extract brews that are close to Stella Artois might want to share their results.
I have tried 2 so far and I am on my third attempt to get close as possible. My first attempt was pretty good, and I am stil trying different things to improve my experimental skills to get a close clone of this great beer. Lately it has started to become what I am aiming for as a regular beer to produce most of the year, as I love Stella.

So the final question should be, whats is everyones best recipe for an extract Stella clone beer....


Cheers

[rohanbutler]

Dunno Scanmann, but I would be interested to see what your extract/partial recipe is?

[scanman]

My first two Stella clones were straight from the brew shop. First one was a TCB Stella clone, which turned out OK, but not even close to Stella. It still went down well and was a nice drop.
The second was a Brewcaft Stella Kit. Again, turned out not to bad, but lacking in hops or decent flavour. Certainly needed different or extra hops, or maybe even finishing hops. Still drinking this one.

Third one I am currently doing is one I got from oenof the other threads. It used a PIlsener kit, and Brewcraft brew enchancer No62, and few other ingredients which escape me at the moment, I would have ot look up the recipe if you really wanted to know. Not sure this one will come out close to a Stella either, as it seems a bit wrong to the style. I think my next attempt will be based around a wheat beer, since Stella seems to be a wheat based lager. Not sure what hops they use, but a bit or research on the net shows they also claim that they use corn in this beer as well, maybe corn sugar?? Not sure.
This is whay I asked about other peoples attempts at an extract for this one, and how it turned out.

[Trough Lolly]

Not much on Google (beyond this website) for an extract recipe...

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?s=adb5df95a57ee6ed038029fac5d2d886&showtopic=41731

But I did stumble across this partial mash recipe on Beertools that should be convertable into an extract brew:

Batch size = 23L Boil Volume = 29.3L
OG 1.068 FG 1.011 (7.5% abv)
Colour 4.5 SRM
Bitterness 25.5 IBU

2.42 kg. Belgian Pils
0.21 kg. Belgian Cara-Pils
2.52 kg. Dry Extra Light Extract
0.28 kg. Candi Sugar Clear
21 g. Northern Brewer (Pellets, 8.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
17 g. Saaz (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 15 min.
17 g. Hallertau (Pellets, 4.50 %AA) boiled 1 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale

Cheers,
TL

[scanman]

Thanks Trough Loilly!, Thats something like I am after. Would not be hard to substitute the grains for a easily available Belgin beer kit or malt of some sort.
I wish I had the time to get into AG brewing but for me its just not doable at the present. Maybe when the kids grow up a bit more.
I was particularly interested to know what Hops to add into an extract Stella clone to give it the similar taste.
Might give one of these a go in the near future, and see how it goes.

[Trough Lolly]

No probs....I must admit that I'm not too sure about the hopping schedule with Northern Brewer and Hallertau in it. I would have thought that a closer version would be all Czech Saaz hops. Saaz is german for Zatec which is the region in northwest Bohemia where they're grown - good luck if you can find/buy them! And if you can, ask the supplier if they sell sacks of Moravian malt whilst they're at it and buy a bag for me!!

Cheers,
TL

[scanman]

Doing some research on Stella reveals that they also use Rice and Corn in their beer. Not sure what these owuld be for. Maybe rice malt possibly????? Not sure about the corn either..

[aceuass]

I just kegged my Grumpy`s Stella Pride and its a good example of a Stella, nice bitter taste, crisp, clean, I made it with 1oz of extra saaz in flavouring and aroma and used a coopers light extract.
Cheers Paul

[Trough Lolly]

Doing some research on Stella reveals that they also use Rice and Corn in their beer. Not sure what these owuld be for. Maybe rice malt possibly????? Not sure about the corn either..

You sure they weren't brewing a CAP? (Classic American Pilsner??!!) Perhaps the use of rice and corn was to account for the unique properties of the Moravian malt that the brewery uses? I've seen the odd reference to adjuncts in stella like recipes but I've never seen any online info that's been released by the makers of Stella?

Cheers,
TL

[scanman]

Agree there. Nothing form the people who make stella suggests they use this. Funnily enough, on their site they say nothing about using wheat either, but every time I have drunk a stella the ingredients on the bottle say wheat. They do say they use sazz hops as well. I'm still on the hunt for a decent extract version of this. Many of those recipes out there seem to not even be close to whats in Stella, specially when it comes to the hops they use in the extract recipes.

[Trough Lolly]

I won't drag out the old "you need grains if you're going to get authentic" line, but that said, the main reason why you may detect wheat like flavour notes in the beer is thanks to their unique base malt. The Moravian Malt is a key ingredient in the real thing. As you know, barley ain't always barley - take Golden Promise and Mariss Otter. They are sold by the same maltster (Bairds) yet they impart substantially different flavour profiles in the final product. Any decent beer judge should be able to pick them if you make the same brew with each malt.

So, even when you're making an all grain version, you may get close with a base malt that's similar to Moravian Malt, such as Weyermann's Bohemian Pilsner malt but we often compensate with a touch of wheat, or carapils or some other grain, to get as close as we can to the real thing. And I suspect that this is why some brewers recipes advocate the use of corn or maize in their grist...

As for an extract version, you would need a pale euro malt extract to get somewhere near it - and I'd recommend you avoid a kit unless there's a specialty / premium Eurolager kit out there that has nothing but Saaz in it.

Cheers,
TL

[scanman]

Thanks again TL. Looks like I am going ot have to start looking for a decent pale euro malt to give my next attempt a go. What about a decent wheat malt itself? Or even some of the better pilsener kits out there? I agree that you probably won't as close with an extract or a kit then AG, but many of us don't have the time for AG, as much as I woudl like to give it a go. Closest I have ever done to AG is a Country Brewer wet pak, which mind you turned out very nice.
Back to the topic, i wonder recipes are out there that people have that is close. There are a few on other threads on this forum, and if anything, there probably more on this forum then most other brew forums out there on the internet.

[gregb]

Long shot/passing thought: Coopers Brewmaster series Pilsner with a tin of Coopers Wheat Malt Extract. Saaz for 30 & 10.

Cheers,
Greg

[scanman]

Sounds like something to try Greg. I was hoping people would input idea like this for a simple extract Stella clone. You wont get the same, but you should get something similar. Maybe use a decent Lager yeast with this as well as maybe some distilled water even.

[earle]

I've been doing some reading of old threads and other stuff planning a Pilsner Urquell style for winter. Apparently it also uses Moravian malt (like Stella) and the BYO clones magazine suggests a touch of munich added to pilsner malt will bring it closer in flavour (along the lines of what TL posted) to the moravian so I'm thinking of adding about 100-150g of caramunich.

[earle]

Also have a look at Olivers pilsner recipe No. 44. Pretty basic but they thought it tasted like Stella. Maybe the Cooper pilsner is an ok base for a kit version.

[scanman]

Thanks again guys. Some good ideas there for an extract only Stella clone. Anyone else got any ideas???

[tazman67]

Just got a copy of Dave Lines book..."Brewing Beers like you Buy".
Its is an old book... so feel free to crunch the numbers in your beer software.
AG Stella Artois

3500gm Lager Malt.. use a good Pilsner Malt..eg. Weyermann Pilsner
400gm Wheat Malt
45gm Hallertau & 90min
45gm Saaz & 90min
15gm Saaz at flameout for 15 min
1 tsp Irish moss & 15min

Two step mash.. 55d for 30min
66d for 90min
Boil for 90 Min

Yeast ????
Id use a liquid...Any of the Lager or Pilsner yeasts should do... I would use Wyeast 2042 Danish Lager strain. Ive used this in most of my "Euro Lagers".
Or...use S189 or 34/70. Your choice..

Cheers

Hope this gets you in the ballpark

[Trough Lolly]

Just got a copy of Dave Lines book..."Brewing Beers like you Buy".
Its is an old book... so feel free to crunch the numbers in your beer software.
AG Stella Artois

3500gm Lager Malt.. use a good Pilsner Malt..eg. Weyermann Pilsner
400gm Wheat Malt
45gm Hallertau & 90min
45gm Saaz & 90min
15gm Saaz at flameout for 15 min
1 tsp Irish moss & 15min

Two step mash.. 55d for 30min
66d for 90min
Boil for 90 Min

Yeast ????
Id use a liquid...Any of the Lager or Pilsner yeasts should do... I would use Wyeast 2042 Danish Lager strain. Ive used this in most of my "Euro Lagers".
Or...use S189 or 34/70. Your choice..

Cheers

Hope this gets you in the ballpark

I can highly recommend the Wyeast 2000 Bud lager strain for this brew - it's a nice clean euro lager strain that IMHO, is the lager equivalent to 1056...It can sometimes take up to 5 days to kickoff so make sure you're not in a rush to make the batch! Oh, and I'd consider maybe using a kilo or two of Weyermann Bohemian Pils malt to give that hint of honey flavour that stella has....well, at least that's what my amateur palate tells me!

Cheers,
TL