Arrogant Bastard Clone. . . Sort of

Originally posted by Unclerudy
Probably just use some Crystal 80.

in lieu of the entire 1.5lbs?

Do a search on brewing newtork "can you brew it" I’m sure they have a podcast dedicated to an arrogant bastard clone

From everything I’ve heard, it sounds like it’s just pale and Special B malts. So couple that with all chinook and what else I know about how they brew at Stone and this is your outline:

Pale malt (extract)

Special B (not sure about amount, but 1# would be a safer bet than 1.5)

All chinook hops with a large charge (like 4-5 ounces at end of boil and the rest at 90 minutes to hit your target BU (probably about 60-70).

Ferment with WLP 007 in the mid-high 60s and carbonate to about 2.5 volumes

Check those Brewing Network podcasts for some more detail but I don’t know if they’ve ever been perfectly happy with their recipe.

Originally posted by Steve_0

Originally posted by Unclerudy
Probably just use some Crystal 80.

in lieu of the entire 1.5lbs?

Yes.

Just a pound.

If you browse through the reviews here, you will see that no one with a decent palate said raisin. Therefore, there is no way it’s Special B. I recall it has a woody quality to it, so maybe it has some Fuggles additions at 20 minutes unless Chinook can taste woody too. I’ve never brewed with Chinook.

Originally posted by Steve_0

Originally posted by Unclerudy
Probably just use some Crystal 80.

in lieu of the entire 1.5lbs?

Yes. Both of the recipes seem a little "dark" as is. But maybe that’s just me.

I kinda like what you have going on here in Recipe 2. You’re using various caramel malts that tend to have a bit more nuanced flavor than their Crystal equivalents. My guess is that if you’re off the track you’re off in a good way.

It has been a while since I’ve done an extract brew, but I always thought that using amber DME was a bad idea. Better to use all light DME, and bump up your specialty malts a bit, rather than get some random contribution to color.

I’ve read the rumor, from more than one place, and from people claiming to be in-the-know, that Arrogant Bastard is a single malt + single hop recipe. Special-B and Chinook.


I don’t know how that’s possible. I don’t know how they get the efficiencies they do with 10-20 minute mashes either but they do. I’m not saying the recipe claim is true, but that’s such a bold beer and brewer I’m not ruling it out.

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum//viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50010&hilit=arrogant+bastard#p527096

Single malt as in single specialty malt? You can’t make beer with just Special B. Well, I guess you could, but it would be horrible.

It’s all but been given out by Stone that it’s pale malt and special b, with just chinook. Special b can taste like more than raisin, so that’s not a valid argument against it. Put the rest of the puzzle together and it should only take a couple attempts if you are a good brewer. I’ve never tried because I have no interest in having any quantity of that beer.

Originally posted by SamGamgeeSingle malt as in single specialty malt? You can’t make beer with just Special B. Well, I guess you could, but it would be horrible...

Not saying you’re wrong, because I know you’re an accomplished brewer, but I don’t think you can say that if you’ve never tried.
You can buy Special-B in different levels of darkness, and they all appear to me an uneven bake. Thus, it’s theoretically possible to brew a 100% mediumish Special-B recipe, which due to its uneveness might resemble a grainbill of pale + caramel + roast. I’m just saying it’s possible, and they’re arrogant enough bastards to try that kind of shit. Think about it, that beer is very caramelly, toasty, melanoidy, fruity.

I think we sometimes get too caught up in the absolutism of labels: base malt vs. specialty malt, for instance. I have brewed a beer with no base malt, just tons of Munich, Special B and home-roasted wheat. It came out very similar to Arrogant Bastard, minus all the Chinook.

Originally posted by seymour
Thus, it’s theoretically possible to brew a 100% mediumish Special-B recipe.

Maybe, if you lean heavily on chemicals. It won’t self-convert.

Originally posted by seymour
I’ve read the rumor, from more than one place, and from people claiming to be in-the-know, that Arrogant Bastard is a single malt + single hop recipe. Special-B and Chinook.


I don’t know how that’s possible. I don’t know how they get the efficiencies they do with 10-20 minute mashes either but they do. I’m not saying the recipe claim is true, but that’s such a bold beer and brewer I’m not ruling it out.

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum//viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50010&hilit=arrogant+bastard#p527096

A couple of problems here:
1. If you brew with all Special B, you will have a wort as dark as a stout.
2. I believe Special B malt has somewhere near zero Lintner, so if you mash with all Special B alone, you’re going to have almost no diastic power. Even the lighter crystal malts will have this problem, and Special B has been stewed pretty heavily.

Just for grins, I put 15 pounds of Special B as the only malt in a five gallon batch. It came up with 128 SRM (way too dark for RIS) and 3.5% alcohol (way too "light" for RIS).