By Cliff Goodman
Note from the editors:
Years later, Cliff’s Beer will still come up in conversation. For many, it was the only beer some would buy, and we still remember sadly finishing our last growler of his IPA. It joined the long, sad list of lost Island institutions.
Still having his number, on a whim we texted and asked if he’d write and share a bit on how he made his beer? He answered promptly, not only dusting off his notes, but updating them to better fit the needs of an individual brewer!
We’re forwarding this recipe to The Loop’s personal brewmeister, so count on a progress report in a couple of months. We also hope to hear from other brewers on Vashon.
I was recently asked by The Loop to share a favorite recipe of mine from my days of running Vashon Brewing, aka “Cliff’s Beer.”
The first recipe that came to mind was my smoked porter. Originally smoked with alderwood chips, it was later re-launched using cherrywood chips to smoke the malted barley. My wife was very upset with me for changing her favorite beer, but ultimately agreed it was a good change.
I shared this recipe because it was tasty, fairly easy and forgiving to brew, and remained popular until we closed the brewery and retired. Be sure to let The Loop know if you have any other favorites you’d like them to publish!
Recipe adapted for a 5-gallon all-grain homebrew batch
Note on Water
This recipe assumes you will use distilled or reverse osmosis water. The high Ph and chlorine levels in District 19 water make it unsuitable for brewing unless you take steps to remove the chlorine, adjust the Ph level of the water and account for the high residual alkalinity.
Brewing Method
This recipe assumes you are an all-grain brewer. You can still use the recipe if you use malt extract or dried malt, you’ll just need to make that conversion yourself.
Ingredients
- 9 lbs US Pilsen Malt, 1.3° Lovibond (L)
- 1 lb US Vienna Malt, 3.1° L
- 15 oz UK Dark Crystal Malt, 58° L
- 10 oz UK Chocolate Malt, 333° L
- 6 oz, US Roasted Barley, 473° L
- 0.4 oz US Warrior Hops,15.5% AA, first wort hopped
- 0.25 oz US Calypso Hops, 12.0% AA, first wort hopped
- 4 oz smoked malt*
- 2 grams gypsum (calcium sulfate)
- 1 gram calcium chloride
- SafAle S-04 yeast
* I used to smoke my own malt in an electric smoker using cherrywood chips, so substitute a smoked malt that is as mild and sweet as you can find.
Brewing Instructions
- Start with 5.7 gallons of water for the mash. Heat water to a strike temperature of 170° F before mixing in the grain. Add gypsum and calcium chloride.
- Add grains and stabilize the mash for 60 minutes at 145° F. Heat 3 gallons of sparge water to 170° F.
- Pre-boil volume will be 7.4 gallons, boil for 60 minutes. Batch volume will be 6.1 gallons; ferment at 65° F.
Expected Stats
- Original Gravity, 1.056
- Final Gravity, 1.012
- International Bitterness Units, 29
- Alcohol by Volume, 5.8%
