[Frankenbrew]

I've decided that my new project is "cloning" Sierra Nevada's Sidecar. Based on the information on their website and the ingredients I have on hand, this is what I've come up with:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.47 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.47 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.056 SG
Estimated Color: 7.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 35.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 79.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type                          #        %/IBU         
8 lbs 8.0 oz          Pale Ale Malt, Northwestern (Great Weste     Grain         1        84.5 %       
1 lbs                    BEST Munich (BESTMALZ) (7.6 SRM)            Grain         2        9.9 %         
8.0 oz                  Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)                              Grain         3        5.0 %         
0.78 oz                Magnum [11.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min              Hop           4        35.0 IBUs     
0.50 oz                Cascade [6.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool  0.0      Hop           5        0.0 IBUs     
0.50 oz                Equinox (HBC 366) [15.00 %] - Steep/Whir   Hop           6        0.0 IBUs     
0.50 oz                Mandarina Bavaria [8.50 %] - Steep/Whirl    Hop           7        0.0 IBUs     
1.0 pkg                Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)    Yeast         8        -             
1.0 oz                  Fruit - Orange (0.0 SRM)                             Adjunct       9        0.6 %         


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge.

The website lists Magnum as the boiling hop, and Cascade, Mandarina, and Equinox as finishing hops.

So my two questions are:

How does my grist look? And, will I get the aroma and flavor I want (to match the original) from a 30 minute whirlpool at 170 F?

Of course, any comments are welcome.

[Iliff Ave]

I like that beer and like what you have. I think Equinox has a pretty high oil content. I would increase the ratio of cascade and mandarina to equinox (2:2:1?) and maybe bump up the total whirlpool addition a tad?

How are you using the orange?

[reverseapachemaster]

I would imagine the orange is peel rather than whole fruit or juice.

[Frankenbrew]

I would imagine the orange is peel rather than whole fruit or juice.

Usually, I buy organic oranges and zest them myself.

I like that beer and like what you have. I think Equinox has a pretty high oil content. I would increase the ratio of cascade and mandarina to equinox (2:2:1?) and maybe bump up the total whirlpool addition a tad?

How are you using the orange?

Thanks, good advice on the whirlpool!

[fermentednj]

Sorry to revive an old post. How did this turn out? I just put together a very similar recipe to brew next week.

[Frankenbrew]

It was really close. I did a side-by-side tasting with a beer buddy, and I thought it was dead on. My buddy thought it tasted the same but had a better mouth feel. I just figured that the only difference had to do with mine being fresh and on tap, while the Sidecar was in bottles. In any case, if I were to brew it again, I wouldn't change it at all.

What's your recipe?

[Iliff Ave]

It was really close. I did a side-by-side tasting with a beer buddy, and I thought it was dead on. My buddy thought it tasted the same but had a better mouth feel. I just figured that the only difference had to do with mine being fresh and on tap, while the Sidecar was in bottles. In any case, if I were to brew it again, I wouldn't change it at all.

What's your recipe?

Did you use the original posted recipe?

[Frankenbrew]

I upped the cascade and the Mandarina in the whirlpool to .75 oz. Everything else was the same.

[dct333]

Frankenbrew, thanks for the clone. The only one I could find on Google. Did you add your orange zest to the boil or after fermentation was complete? Did you think you got a good amount of orange flavor?