I’ve scored some whole flower Citra hops, and am going to have a go at a Zombie Dust clone next week. If you haven’t tried this Three Floyds brew, it is just AWESOME. Huge, juicy Citra hop profile, only about 6,2% ABV or thereabouts. I’m going with a single-malt brew, just using Weyermann’s Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner malt and Chinook whole hops for a FWH addition then stuff in a couple doses of Citra towards the end of the boil and try the ''hop standing" technique. I’ll also dry hop for good measure.
I’ve never dry-hopped with whole hops, should be an adventure. I’m using San Diego Super Yeast, I was very pleased with this strain as it’s very clean and lets the hops really shine. I’m adding a twist to this by going with the floor-malted pilsner malt and a double decoction mash for fun.
I’ve been able to try it once and loved it. I did an APA with a bunch of Citra late and dry-hopped and it’s in the neighborhood, but not quite Zombie Dust. Tasty, though.
There’s an interesting clone thread on homebrewtalk that I read prior to creating my own take on a similar beer, although I’ve never tried the actual Zombie Dust. I ended up with an all-citra IPA that I really like a lot, and have more citra now so I can brew it again.
The caramel malts and a slightly high mash temp help add body for a Pale Ale.
[quote=“brewsumore”]There’s an interesting clone thread on homebrewtalk that I read prior to creating my own take on a similar beer, although I’ve never tried the actual Zombie Dust. I ended up with an all-citra IPA that I really like a lot, and have more citra now so I can brew it again.
The caramel malts and a slightly high mash temp help add body for a Pale Ale.
I have never had the real thing either, but I agree that the recipe you linked is a keeper.
Maybe someday Santa will bring me a bottle and some Dark Lord.
[quote=“brewsumore”]There’s an interesting clone thread on homebrewtalk that I read prior to creating my own take on a similar beer, although I’ve never tried the actual Zombie Dust. I ended up with an all-citra IPA that I really like a lot, and have more citra now so I can brew it again.
The caramel malts and a slightly high mash temp help add body for a Pale Ale.
I brewed pretty close to that recipe with FWH, 15, 5 and 0 min additions and a 25 - 30 min hop stand with plenty stirring, at ~200F, and 2 oz. dry hops per five gallons. With the beer at 69F I found it best to leave the dry hops about 8-10 days to retain the juicy tropical flavors that I really like. I dry hopped one keg with leaf hops from FreshHops, and one with some pellet hops I had (of course all citra), and preferred the leaf hops batch. For both, I dry hopped in a nylon sack in the keg, and just removed it when it was time. I plan to brew this again pretty soon, once I have room in my kegerator, since I like to keep the beer cold beginning immediately after the dry hop phase.
I just wanted to throw it out there that my batch is done. I think it is a great beer. The smell and taste is awesome. I need to get a taste of Zombie Dust again to compare, (It’s hard to come in my area. Only one pub has it that I know of in my area.)
Even if it’s not close that recipe is a winner in my book.
I brewed a Columbus/Centennial/Cascade IPA last weekend, but will go back to the Zombie Dust clone for the next PA/IPA batch.[/quote]
Looks great! Planning on something similar, minus the aromatic and carapils. I’ve heard that 3 Floyds house strain is an English yeast but I’m probably going to stick with 1056 for my beer.
I actually was glad for the caramel malts for a little more body since this is not insanely, intensely hopped, and is actually called a pale ale by 3 Floyd’s, a style that can have more body than the sometimes preferred bone dry IPA’s, and which works well with the tropical flavors IMHO. It was a leap of faith for me to try it this way, but I’m glad I did. The clones I saw mostly used melanoidin + carapils malts, but the aromatic + carapils worked fine.
mashing a little hotter minus the caramel malts would do about the same thing.
[quote=“Lynux”]
Looks great! Planning on something similar, minus the aromatic and carapils. I’ve heard that 3 Floyds house strain is an English yeast but I’m probably going to stick with 1056 for my beer.[/quote]
I know one of their brewers and I keep forgetting to ask him about that. I try not to talk beer too much when I see him, as I’m sure he gets tired of being asked for inside info.
I used 1969 London ESB Ale. It worked very well. The yeast formed a solid cake on the bottom of the carboy. I was able to get ALL of the beer bottled and lost none in the bottom. It was great. Surprisingly quick fermentation too for a liquid strain.
Do what all the cool kids are doing use some Brett C or the WLP644 “Trois” Drie Brett that White Labs just released. YOu will get some great mango and pineapple from the yeast!
. Just ordered some Citra and am going to brew a zombie dust influenced beer soon.
