Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale Clone – EXTRACT
While I was hoping to branch out and try something different in my fourth batch of homebrew, I decided to stay with ale style, opting to try my hand at another clone. This time, it’s Bell’s Brewery and their popular American IPA, Two Hearted Ale. This beer has been voted as the best beer in American for 2018, the second year running by Zymurgy Magazine. It’s “perfectly balanced” brewed with 100% Centennial hops with an aroma ranging from pine to grapefruit.
Name: Two Cheaters Ale
Brewed: November 24, 2018
Bottled: December 8, 2018
Enjoyed: December 27, 2018
Fermentables:
- 8 lbs. Ultralight Malt Extract
- 0.5 lbs. Light Dry Malt Extract
- 4 oz. Maltodextrin
Specialty Grains:
- 0.5 lbs. Crystal 10L
- 0.5 lbs. Carapils
Boiling/Bittering Hops: 2 oz. Centennial
Aroma Hops: 2 oz. Centennial
Dry Hops: 2 oz, Centennial
Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Original Gravity (OG): 1.060
Finishing Gravity (FG): 1.014
ABV%: 6%
There is a story to be heard behind the Two Cheaters Ale. Josh and Brandon, displaced Midwesterners making a life in New York, host a weekly fantasy football (soccer for Americans) podcast called Always Cheating. I decided to join as a Patreon this year and was referred to as the “Always Cheating brewer.” I felt it was my duty to pay homage these guys and brew up a batch of homebrew, which quickly became known as Two Cheaters Ale.
This batch of home brew is my fourth, first in what I am calling the Fantasy Premier League or FPL Series, which will feature two more fantasy related releases in the coming months. When I asked Josh and Brandon what style of beer they enjoyed to drink their answer was Bell’s Brewery, Two Hearted Ale. As luck would have it, my local home brew shop carried a clone kit. Looking back, I should have remembered that Bell’s Brewery sells their own Two Hearted Ale recipe kit, which has some different ingredients.
Brew day commenced and I decided to have some fun with the FPL Twitter community, providing video shorts detailing the brewing process, to dry hopping and bottling. You can also watch the First Sip video on the Two Cheaters Ale. Cheers!
Video 1: Brew Day
Video 2: Cleaning & Sanitizing
Video 3: Malt Additions
Video 4: Bring Up The Boil
Video 5: Hop Additions
Video 6: Aroma Hops
Video 7: Cooling Wort
Video 8: Fermentation Bucket
Video 9: Measure OG
Video 10: Airlock Bubbles
Video 11: Dry Hopping
Video 12: Bottling Day
Video 13: Liquid Transfer
Video 14: Measure FG
From JC, my main test drinker and reviewer. “Long lasting head and lacing. Slight caramel and toasted orange rind smell. Carbonation is just right. Smooth with subtle, creamy texture. Soft malt and burnt caramel sweetness along with toasted orange rind. I’m getting a littel Chardonnay flavors as I exhale. The hops are there in the beginning but build and linger in the finish. This is a winner! My favorite thus far. It’s good! There’s nothing that overpowers. Everything is equally balanced.”
In another review from JC, he followed up with another similar review. Just wanted to make sure those bottles filled late in the bucket were the same as the one filled first from the bottling bucket.
“Your beer it identical! Taste just like the first time. Toasty malt with subtle sweetness coming from the malt. Not getting any fruit. Maybe some toasted orange rind in the smell but just a touch. Ok maybe a hint of melon in the flavor? Think I sense more yeast aromas this time. Bitter hops, again, during the fiish. And the head keep! Excellent. Long hop finish.”
You can read about the bottling day and bottling day. As the Four Brewers would say, “brew the shit out of it!” Cheers!