Badger Poachers Choice clone

ManseMasher · Mar 11, 2015

Really like this beer. Anyone had any success with a clone? Recipe I'm going to work with is

5 kg Maris Otter
350g Crystal malt
160g Chocolate malt
37g Admiral - boil 60 mins
28g EKG - boil 0 mins
230g plums - boil 10 mins (can't find Damsons)
1 licorice stick - boil 10 mins
Irish moss - boil 15 mins

Aiming for OG 1.056, estimated FG 1.013, ABV 5.7%

Am I close? Will I need pectolase? Thinking of steeping the plums in 70Â°c, cooling then pulping and de-stoning before adding to the wort. Not sure on the yeast front -was thinking Wyeast1332?

Mish · Mar 12, 2015

I did a version of this a few years ago based on a wherry kit! If you are boiling the fruit you might want to think of pectolase. Personally I 'dry hopped' with the plums and liquorice and it came out VERY nice. Sorry can't help you more but good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

H0PM0NSTER · Mar 12, 2015

Hey Mish, I have a Wherry kit brewing at the moment and planning to add plums and liquorice to try and create something like Poachers Choice. When you say you 'dry hopped' the plums, did you do anything in the way of sanitisation? I don't really want to stew them as I've read this can change the taste, but I don't want to risk an infection from adding untreated fruit.

Apologies for thread-jacking (although it's sort of related).
To the OP: I'm afraid I don't have any AG experience but I have read that the brewery uses Admiral for bittering and First Gold for aroma, so you may want to add them into your recipe. I'd definitely use pectolase if you're heating the fruit otherwise it will create haze in the beer.

Mish · Mar 13, 2015

Hi ho Hopmonster

Gave the Damsons a damn good washing and left in water with a couple of campden tablets for a while (was highly paranoid at this stage and thought might be avoid measure!) then added after fermentation had finished for 7 days. Sorry can't be more exact than that but was a while ago and my notes weren't too precise then. Hope this helps you and best of luck. I must admit it made a nice brew.

H0PM0NSTER · Mar 14, 2015

Thanks for the reply Mish. I'm going to follow your method with the campden tablet - that sounds like a good precaution as I think they'll give a better flavour if they haven't been stewed.

ManseMasher · Mar 15, 2015

Apologies for thread-jacking (although it's sort of related).
To the OP: I'm afraid I don't have any AG experience but I have read that the brewery uses Admiral for bittering and First Gold for aroma, so you may want to add them into your recipe. I'd definitely use pectolase if you're heating the fruit otherwise it will create haze in the beer.

Admiral and EKG in the recipe already. I was considering adding all the juices from the stewed fruit and the pulp to the wort - almost like a damson tea I suppose! Going to put the licorice in for last 10 minutes of boil, then juice after flameout. I might 'dry hop' some whole fruit as well.

H0PM0NSTER · Mar 15, 2015

Good luck MenseMasher. I've read a few threads across different forums about Poachers Choice and it seems to be a tricky beer to clone - people get tasty brews but never quite like the original. Keep us updated - I'll be really interested to hear how yours turns out as I have a huge pan on order so I can try some mini mash recipes.

ManseMasher · Mar 15, 2015

H0PM0NSTER said:
Good luck MenseMasher. I've read a few threads across different forums about Poachers Choice and it seems to be a tricky beer to clone - people get tasty brews but never quite like the original. Keep us updated - I'll be really interested to hear how yours turns out as I have a huge pan on order so I can try some mini mash recipes.

Will do! And no matter what happens it's bound to be alcoholic so no losers really!

Mish · Mar 18, 2015

Good luck and sure you will enjoy it.

Covrich · Mar 18, 2015

I had it a few times and I like it (I know many do not) It is sweet I think so I think it may be tricky to emulate with the liquorice too.

Interested in how that will turn out

cheshirehomebrew · Mar 18, 2015

I would use pectolase if it were me, and possibly quick clear later on as well

ManseMasher · Mar 18, 2015

cheshirehomebrew said:
I would use pectolase if it were me, and possibly quick clear later on as well

Thank you - will do!

Buster · Mar 23, 2015

Any updates on this, I thought I was the only nutter trying to clone this for the last 2 years :-?. I have just managed to get hold of 750ml of pure Damson Juice ( no additives, just juice) just a thought but I tried Liquorice root ( 1 stick ) and it left no taste at all so I am going to try Star Anise this time. :thumb:

ManseMasher · Mar 23, 2015

Buster said:
Any updates on this, I thought I was the only nutter trying to clone this for the last 2 years :-?. I have just managed to get hold of 750ml of pure Damson Juice ( no additives, just juice) just a thought but I tried Liquorice root ( 1 stick ) and it left no taste at all so I am going to try Star Anise this time. :thumb:

Where did you get your damson juice please? As for licorice, somewhere I heard people have used brewers licorice (google is ace).I'll let you know how it goes!

ManseMasher · Mar 23, 2015

http://www.copperkettlehomebrewing.co.uk/home-brewing-products/516/liquorice-sticks

http://store.homebrewheaven.com/mobile/brewers-licorice-stick-p194.aspx

Mish · Mar 24, 2015

I used 25g of chopped up pontefract cakes for my liquorice!

ManseMasher · Mar 24, 2015

Mish said:
I used 25g of chopped up pontefract cakes for my liquorice!

And how did it turn out? Was it for a Poachers clone or something else?

Buster · Mar 25, 2015

The Brewers Liquorice Sticks arrived this morning, excellent service from The Copper Kettle. Also decided to to make a starter with WLP028 Edinburgh Scotch Ale Yeast so brewing will commence tomorrow. I will brew short to 20ltrs and maybe add 500g of Medium Dry Malt to up the anti a bit. SG to follow on brew day.

Mish · Mar 25, 2015

ManseMasher said:
And how did it turn out? Was it for a Poachers clone or something else?

Turned out really well and yes it was for a poachers clone using a wherry base.

ManseMasher · Mar 25, 2015

Mish said:
Turned out really well and yes it was for a poachers clone using a wherry base.

Cakes it is then - thanks very much!

Badger Poachers Choice clone

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