Ballantine IPA?

Beer Recipe Design
1

Sometimes I get obsessed with things for unknown reasons. Currently I am obsessed with making a Ballantine IPA clone. I never had the original, or even the later day versions of it.

I have found several different recipes for a clones online as well as the BYO version. They all look to be in the same ballpark but there are enough differences that I am unsure which to go with. The one thing I keep reading over and over is that it should age for a long period, 8 months to a year.

I’d rather not wait a year and realize the recipe wasn’t what it should have been.

Anyone make one they like? Anyone have the original and make something close to it? Any tips on oaking it without it being overpowering?

Thanks.

2

First of all , there’s no oak. It’s a misconception re any oak flavor in that beer. At least that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Yes the original (from Newark) and the version from the old Narragansett Brewery in RI were “aged in wood” but the barrels were not oak and they were lined. Anyways, that’s that part. For the beer itself the old stuff had a close to 1:1 ratio of OG:IBU with old line hops like Cluster, Bullion and Brewers’ Gold for the bittering and Goldings for finishing. I have been brewing a version derived from the old Balantine for years and it is not a clone but does have many of the flavor essences of the old brew. Eight to twelve months of aging is hardly necessary, IMO, although this beer does need some mellowing time to reach its’ prime. Mine is bulk aged for 3-4 weeks after primary and then for another 2-3 weeks after kegging before it is tapped. While it’s drinkable before that, the extra time definitely gives the beer a more finished profile. My starting point suggestion would be a roughly 80/20% blend of pale malt and flaked maize with a touch of medium crystal for color. Use a blend of Cluster and Bullion/Brewers’ Gold for bittering and Goldings for mid and late additions. The original brew had perhaps both OG and IBU in the high 60s although my more modern interpretation bumps up both of those numbers. California Ale Yeast 1056/001 is supposedly the old Ballantine stain although I prefer a British yeast with modest esters like London Ale 1028/013. :cheers:

3

Sorry, you’re wrong about there being no oak character in Bally IPA.
I know, because I lived 15 miles from the Newark brewery and I drank a boatload of the stuff in the late 60’s and through the 70’s (when the brew moved to Cranston, RI).

Now, whether the oakiness came from the huge oak tanks it was aged in (in Newark, at least…I think Naragannsett’s tanks were cypress), or whether it was added later (like they did with their home-made hop oil for aroma) there was a definite oak character present in the IPA (as well as their special Burton Ale). In recent years I’ve tasted bottles of both of the IPA and Burton and even though far past their prime and with hop character being pretty much lost with age (understandable after 40 years), the oak definitely still comes through. Besides the notable bitterness and intense hop aroma, the oak was a very noticeable component of the flavor of the brew.

For what it’s worth, the OG of the IPA varied over the years (even the prime years) but in the 1960’s it was around 1.075, and roughly 65-70 IBU (according to people I’ve spoken to over the years who worked in the Newark plant).
The numbers changed a few times once the brew got to Cranston, then Fort Wayne, and then (once Pabst owned the brand) at other breweries. The aging time went from 1 year to 8 months, then 6 months, then less than 12 weeks (and the flavor suffered with each change).

In any case, I sure do wish the original stuff was still around…these bottles on my shelf are, unfortunately, way past their prime.

4

[quote=“The Professor”]

Sorry, you’re wrong about there being no oak character in Bally IPA.
I know, because I lived 15 miles from the Newark brewery and I drank a boatload of the stuff in the late 60’s and through the 70’s (when it the brew moved to Cranston, RI).

Now, whether the oakiness came from the huge oak tanks it was aged in (in Newark, at least…I think Naragannsett’s tanks were cypress), or whether it was added later (like they did with their home-made hop oil for aroma) there was a definite oak character present in the IPA (as well as their special Burton Ale). In recent years I’ve tasted bottles of both of the IPA and Burton and even though far past their prime and with hop character being pretty much lost with age (understandable after 40 years), the oak definitely still comes through. Besides the notable bitterness and intense hop aroma, the oak was a very noticeable component of the flavor of the brew.[/quote]

Perhaps we can agree to disagree. I can see where oak [i]character[i] could be perceived but, and I am not saying this as fact only from what I know and remember, I don’t think there was any actual contact between raw oak and the beer. The high gravity, hop rates and distilled hop extract could certainly been factors.

[quote=“The Professor”]In any case, I sure do wish the original stuff was still around…these bottles on my shelf are, unfortunately, way past their prime.

[/quote]

On that we can absolutely agree. I get a mixture of blank stares and polite smiles when I try to describe the old brew to younger craft beer drinkers. :cheers:

For what it’s worth here is a version of my recipe. Again, it is not a “clone” but does capture some of the flavor and character of the fine old brew.

The former brewmaster at the old Narragansett Brewery sampled this beer about 15 years ago and gave it a thumbs up so I knew I was on the right track. I get a 1.072/1.073 OG with this beer. I have done a number of versions with different blends and quantities of those same hops over the years and currently throw in another couple of ounces of Goldings from the mid to late additions.

Echoes of Ballantine

10 Gallon / All-Grain

Grist: Mash 60 minutes @ 152F
18 lbs British pale
1 lb British crystal 55L
1 lb Carafoam
3 lbs Flaked maize/corn
1 lb Flaked barley

90 minute hops:
2 oz Cluster (AA% 6.5-7.0)

60 minute hops:
2 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)

30 minute hops:
2 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)

15 minute hops:
1 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)

End of boil/Flameout hops:
1 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)

5

Thanks Bryan and Professor for the information.

It does seem the oak character causes controversy every time the subject comes up. I keep reading that the wooden tanks were lined with pitch so no oak flavor could come through. At the same time they proudly proclaim on the bottles that the beer is “aged in wood”. Was it just marketing to add the word wood?

Bryan, your recipe looks good, thanks for posting it. Yours does diverge from most I’ve seen in not using 6 Row. That helps get the color up though.

Professor, those are some nice looking bottles. Even in the green glass it is clear that the beer is relatively dark.

I appreciate you guys who have put the time into recreating this beer sharing your knowledge.

6

[quote=“Belpaire”]Thanks Bryan and Professor for the information.

It does seem the oak character causes controversy every time the subject comes up. I keep reading that the wooden tanks were lined with pitch so no oak flavor could come through. At the same time they proudly proclaim on the bottles that the beer is “aged in wood”. Was it just marketing to add the word wood?[/quote]

There is no doubt the beer was aged in wood, at least at the original Ballantine brewery in New Jersey and then at the Narragansett Brewery in Rhode Island. As The Professor said the wooden tanks at Narragansett were made of cypress. As for the old Ballantine tanks I’m not sure. Perhaps they were oak, perhaps another wood and AFAIK the old labels like the ones pictured in The Professor’s post and the later labels from the RI brewery only said “aged in wood” and did not specify a variety. Was it just a marketing gimmick? Partly, as I know nobody in the consumer beer market in those days had even the slightest knowledge of beer production and history. However, as the wooden tanks at both facilities probably dated back to the late 1800s it at least gave the brew a connection to the past and the long aging period certainly contributed to the beer’s profile.

Six row pale was very likely a part of the old commercial recipes. As I said, my recipe isn’t intended to be a clone but is designed to produce a brew that captures some of the old flavors from the original beer that I enjoyed so much. The UK pale does give a nice color and richness to the beer that I prefer. The deeper malt body also helps support the additional IBUs compared to the real Ballantine.

By coincidence I brewed a batch this past weekend. I’d be happy to send each of you a sample once it is ready and would enjoy hearing your feedback. :cheers:

7

Bryan,
So it sounds like the “aged in wood” was along the lines of Bud’s “beechwood aged”?

Do you dry hop your recipe?

I appreciate the offer of the sample. Since I never had a real one, I certainly couldn’t make any type of judgment as far as being anything like the original but of course I would like to try it. Thanks.

I just ordered some Brewers Gold and Cluster hops from NB, so I can start planning for the beer.

8

[quote=“Belpaire”]Bryan,
So it sounds like the “aged in wood” was along the lines of Bud’s “beechwood aged”?[/quote]

Maybe in part, however, since the beer did spend time in large wooden containers there was at least some of the mysterious organic processes that go on in such a vessel. The beer would have probably have been subjected to some of the “breathing” that even a lined wooden vessel undergoes and perhaps even some small temperature changes.

I do not. For the most part I’m not a big fan of dryhopping and prefer the impact of large additions of late hops.

[quote=“Belpaire”]I appreciate the offer of the sample. Since I never had a real one, I certainly couldn’t make any type of judgment as far as being anything like the original but of course I would like to try it. Thanks.

I just ordered some Brewers Gold and Cluster hops from NB, so I can start planning for the beer.[/quote]

Brewers’ Gold is the ticket. I’ve used Bullion to sub sometimes over the years when I couldn’t find the BGs but they do the best job IMO. Send me your address and I will send you some to try. Be patient it will be probably late in January before it’s ready. :cheers:

9

[quote=“Belpaire”]…So it sounds like the “aged in wood” was along the lines of Bud’s “beechwood aged”?
.[/quote]

I wouldn’t characterize it that way since the wood aging was done for a different reason. AB uses beechwood chips during its comparatively short lagering period simply to help clear the beer. They add nothing to the flavor of the beer nor are they intended to (and they are repeatedly washed and re-used).
The wooden tanks at Ballantine in Newark (confirmed as oak)served as aging tanks for the year long aging of the IPA (and for some years, Brown Stout).

As to how the brew was done after the move to Cranston, BryanH seems to have a much better handle on that than I do, so I’ll defer to his comments regarding the post-Newark time. The Ballantine brews did, after all, change after a time in Cranston, and radically changed in subsequent moves after Cranston closed. The final iteration of Bally IPA in the hands of Pabst was a bit of a joke.

In the last few days I’ve canvassed a number of other people who drank a lot of the IPA 40+ years ago and without any prompting from me, the oak character was the second thing they remembered about the brew (first was the pungent hop aroma and bitterness).

It is very reasonable to assume that the giant wooden vessels (at both breweries) should have been coated in some way, so the question of whether the oak presence in the Newark IPA got there by contact or by an extract addition will remain a mystery, I suppose.
It was a subtle presence…but it was there.

10

This may sound crazy, but you may also want to invest in the yeast BRY-96 from Siebel. I know it is supposedly the same as 1056 and WLP 001, but I do not care for those two yeasts for beers made with East Kent Goldings. The BRY-96 does work well with East Kent Goldings in my opinion. A friend of mine grew up a slant a few years ago, and several of my friends brewed with it. It made some really tasty IPAs and pale ales with Cascades and with East Kent Goldings. I can’t explain why I liked it better since it was so long ago, but it is supposedly the Ballantine original yeast that came from a Burton brewery. Unfortunately, I have never tasted Ballantine IPA from any of it’s breweries.

11

Professor, your knowledge of Ballantine is most impressive. Oak it is.

SA, I am not familiar with the Siebel yeast but a new entry into the yeast market, East Coast Yeast, produces a strain that is supposedly the exact Ballantine strain. I plan on fermenting with that but its availability is quite limited.

12

I am really enjoying this conversation and I am intrigued to try and make this beer. I am a novice and do not have the means for all grain. Could any of you help me with a partial mash recipe for this beer? I am looking at the one posted previously by Bryan.

Here are my tweaks the best I know.

5 Gallon / Partial

Grist: Mash 60 minutes @ 152F
9 lbs Pale Extract
.5 lb British crystal 55L
.5 lb Carafoam
1 lbs Flaked maize/corn
.5 lb Flaked barley

90 minute hops:
1 oz Cluster (AA% 6.5-7.0)

60 minute hops:
1 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)

30 minute hops:
1 oz Brewer’s Gold (AA% 6.5-7.0)

15 minute hops:
.5 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)

End of boil/Flameout hops:
.5 oz East Kent Golding (AA% 4.0-5.0)

Yeast- Danstar Windsor
Bottle aged for 2-3 months???

I have access to local organic brewer gold hops and would like to use them in this.

13

[quote=“colombo117”]I am really enjoying this conversation and I am intrigued to try and make this beer. I am a novice and do not have the means for all grain. Could any of you help me with a partial mash recipe for this beer? I am looking at the one posted previously by Bryan.

Here are my tweaks the best I know.

5 Gallon / Partial

Grist: Mash 60 minutes @ 152F
9 lbs Pale Extract
.5 lb British crystal 55L
.5 lb Carafoam
1 lbs Flaked maize/corn
.5 lb Flaked barley[/quote]

OK, that’s not a partial mash recipe yet. You will need to replace 2 lbs of the extract with maybe 3 1/2 lbs of pale malt and you’re good to go. The local Brewers’ Gold sounds interesting. :cheers:

14

Thank you sir!

Yes, there has been a big increase in hop farming up here in northern Michigan.

Check them out, you can order directly from them. I have used there cascades and they were great!

15

Bry 96 is first on the list in the Siebel catalogue of yeasts. I am sorry, I don’t know how to add a link. I just did a yahoo search for bry-96 yeast and Siebel was the first thing that popped up. Keep us informed how your brew turns out no matter which yeast you use.

16

I did take a look at the Siebel yeast cultures, thanks for the heads up. While I would like to create something authentic tasting, I’m not going to spend $133 on 2 slants of yeast.

I can wait for the ECY to come in or just use 1056, as it is supposed to be derived from the Ballantine yeast back when.

17

[quote=“Belpaire”]I did take a look at the Siebel yeast cultures, thanks for the heads up. While I would like to create something authentic tasting, I’m not going to spend $133 on 2 slants of yeast.

I can wait for the ECY to come in or just use 1056, as it is supposed to be derived from the Ballantine yeast back when.[/quote]

I didn’t investigate but a friend told me about this guy: http://solarhomebrew.com/East_Coast_Yeast.html

Not sure if they’re in or out of stock but he lists what are at least labeled as Ballantine yeasts. :cheers:

18

I didn’t investigate but a friend told me about this guy: http://solarhomebrew.com/East_Coast_Yeast.html

Not sure if they’re in or out of stock but he lists what are at least labeled as Ballantine yeasts. :cheers: [/quote]

That they are…Princeton Homebrew is currently the primary source for the ECY products. The Ballantine strain they offer (“Old Newark Ale”) is the strain used originally for the Ballantine Ales. By the way, it is a different strain from Chico/1056/001 etc., etc.

I’ve been brewing a lot lately with the ‘Old Newark Ale’ and it’s great. Highly recommended.

19

[quote=“The Professor”]That they are…Princeton Homebrew is currently the primary source for the ECY products. The Ballantine strain they offer (“Old Newark Ale”) is the strain used originally for the Ballantine Ales. By the way, it is a different strain from Chico/1056/001 etc., etc.

I’ve been brewing a lot lately with the ‘Old Newark Ale’ and it’s great. Highly recommended.[/quote]

Professor, do you know what the difference is between the ‘Old Newark Ale’ and the "Old Newark Beer’? It sounds like to ‘Old Newark Beer’ is sort of the opposite of 2112, being an ale yeast that should ferment at almost lager temps.

20

That’s pretty spot on. The “Old Newark Beer” strain was evidently used at Ballantine for their “lager” beer.
It is technically identified as an ‘ale’ yeast. The current thinking, as suggested in the descriptions from ECY, is that "Old Newark Beer’ could possibly be the parent of what has come to be known in the last 30 years as the “Chico” strain. That possibility makes sense to me, given that Chico/1056/etc. is a strain well known for it’s clean profile and the ability to make very convincing “lager” when treated right. And indications are that it’s exactly how they made “lager” at Ballantine.

So it seems that the “lager” beer made by what was for years the 3rd largest brewer in the US was a “bastard” lager. I never would have guessed; while Ballantine Ale was a pretty distinctive product flavor wise (at least in it’s original Newark days) , Ballantine Beer was definitely more in the category of (and successfully competing with) the other mainstream big brewery lagers of the day…Schlitz, Pabst, Budweiser, etc.

I was always partial to the ale, but I remember that Ballantine Beer was one of my Dad’s two favorites (the other being Horlacher, from Allentown PA)