Troeg's Mad Elf Clone Recipe (PM)
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    This discussion was created from comments split from: is there much of a difference?.
  • homebrewertoddhomebrewertodd
    Posts: 12
    ok. here is the recipe tweeked a little.
    7 lb pilsner lme
    4 lb pilsner dme
    1 1/2 lb honey malt
    2 lb munich malt belgium
    3 oz belgium chocolate malt
    1 oz US hellertau, 4.7 AA ( at 90 min)
    1/2 oz czeck saaz, 4.0AA ( at 10 min left)
    2 lb raw honey
    wlp 545 strong belgium yeast, or blend wlp 550 and wlp 500 make a starter at this is a big beer
    2.5 lb sour cherries
    2.5 lb sweet cherries

    steep specialty grains for one hour at 150-160 degrees
    bring to boil, remove from heat and add lme,dme.
    bring to boil, follow hop schedule
    at flame out add honey
    top off to 5.25 gallons, cool.
    add yeast, ferment until measurements are the same
    transfer to secondary, puree cherries and add to secondary
    a second mini ferment will occur.




  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    What is the style? Belgian strong?
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    Idk. I put it in with specialty but it could be a Belgian strong
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    Based on the recipe, I would put it as a BJCP 20 FRUIT BEER (cherry), with the underlying beer style being a belgian golden strong ale 18D.

    however BJCP sites Troegs Mad Elf as a commercial example of 21B. Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer

    Since i haven't tasted it, and the recipe screams cherry, im moving it to FRUIT BEER unless someone wants to argue otherwise.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    Truthfully, there is no way this recipe would fit anywhere near the 21B. Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer category, so im curiious as to how close a facsimile of the Mad Elf this really is.

    5lbs of cherry is a massive addition for a 5gal batch to impart "Fruit peel (e.g., oranges, lemon) may be used, as may subtle additions of other fruits. " and there are no spices in the recipe.

    @homebrewertodd have you side by side compared this to the original? how close is it?

    Either way i bet this is a delicious beer.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    BA lists it as a Belgian Strong Ale. Rate beer lists it as an American Strong Ale. And the Troegs site doesn't say.
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    FWIW, the original does not come across as overly fruity. It's in the background.
  • homebrewertoddhomebrewertodd
    Posts: 12
    I put the recipe up, if you don't like the way it looks, don't make it. As far as taste, I stated its slightly more malty than the original, but it compares closely. The Spice flavor comes from the yeast. And the amount of cherries does not give it a strong cherry flavor. Now, I use a slight bit more chocolate malt because I like it that way. The recipe I put up here does not have that extra. I thought I messed something up, because I didn't think it tasted like mad elf, so I went to Troegs and tried theirs and it tasted remarkably like it. Friends also confirmed that. If you choose to brew it, good luck, and if you have any questions about the ingredients, or brew process, please ask, but please don't criticize it. I wouldn't have posted it unless I were asked. I like the way it comes out and thats all that counts to me.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    homebrewertodd said:

    I put the recipe up, if you don't like the way it looks, don't make it. As far as taste, I stated its slightly more malty than the original, but it compares closely. The Spice flavor comes from the yeast. And the amount of cherries does not give it a strong cherry flavor. Now, I use a slight bit more chocolate malt because I like it that way. The recipe I put up here does not have that extra. I thought I messed something up, because I didn't think it tasted like mad elf, so I went to Troegs and tried theirs and it tasted remarkably like it. Friends also confirmed that. If you choose to brew it, good luck, and if you have any questions about the ingredients, or brew process, please ask, but please don't criticize it. I wouldn't have posted it unless I were asked. I like the way it comes out and thats all that counts to me.



    For what its worth .... nobody was critical about the recipe ... just trying to determine what style category it should fall under... the only criticism was aimed at the BJCP... and deservedly so .....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • homebrewertoddhomebrewertodd
    Posts: 12
    I want to say something here, and ill be done ranting! Lol some of us don't need to catagorize our beers, or try to make a living doing it, or feel the need to enter them into a contest to validate our skills. Some of us are looking for just one thing, GOOD BEER! What is good beer you ask? That would be anything you, or I want to create, and drink. That's why most of us call it a hobby. I'm getting ready to do an Edmund Fitzgerald porter that I've tweeked the recipe, and going to add vanilla to. Am I concerned with the way its going to come out? No. I know it will be good beer, and that's all that matters to me. Ok, I'm done now;)
  • homebrewertoddhomebrewertodd
    Posts: 12
    Here is the beer. A little on the darker side, because of the extra choc. Malt
    IMAG0149-1.jpg
    1450 x 2216 - 579K
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    And that my fellow homebrewer .... is why we critisize the BJCP so much ....

    Unfortunately .... in order to make it easy to find, we put recipes in the most appropriate category .... (most of mine end up in specialty beer....)

    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,786
    homebrewertodd said:

    I want to say something here, and ill be done ranting! Ok, I'm done now;)



    Hold on, now! this is the internet, it's 83% ranting. if everybody stops, there will only be cat videos and naked people.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    ceannt said:

    homebrewertodd said:

    I put the recipe up, if you don't like the way it looks, don't make it. As far as taste, I stated its slightly more malty than the original, but it compares closely. The Spice flavor comes from the yeast. And the amount of cherries does not give it a strong cherry flavor. Now, I use a slight bit more chocolate malt because I like it that way. The recipe I put up here does not have that extra. I thought I messed something up, because I didn't think it tasted like mad elf, so I went to Troegs and tried theirs and it tasted remarkably like it. Friends also confirmed that. If you choose to brew it, good luck, and if you have any questions about the ingredients, or brew process, please ask, but please don't criticize it. I wouldn't have posted it unless I were asked. I like the way it comes out and thats all that counts to me.



    For what its worth .... nobody was critical about the recipe ... just trying to determine what style category it should fall under... the only criticism was aimed at the BJCP... and deservedly so .....


    Yep. Wasn't a criticism of the recipe. Just general confusion as to what is up with BJCP. It's odd that they cite Mad Elf as a winter spiced ale, if a solid facimile of it has no spices in it, but does have fruit.

    I definitely need to try the commercial example, I've never had it so I really don't know what its supposed to taste like in the first place.

    FWIW, I think BJCP is usually pretty wrong, but I still use it for classification taxonomy since there isn't much better out there.

    Thanks for posting the recipe.

    Oh and I'd be interested in your take on the Ed Fitz recipe too.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    FromZwolle said:

    homebrewertodd said:

    I want to say something here, and ill be done ranting! Ok, I'm done now;)



    Hold on, now! this is the internet, it's 83% ranting. if everybody stops, there will only be cat videos and naked people.


    ahhh...the good old days.
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    What, am I to blame for asking what style? Well **** me for tryIng to understand what type of beer it was. Human nature is to categorize things, I guess they are all just beer, who am I to try and determine what one might taste like before brewing?
  • homebrewertoddhomebrewertodd
    Posts: 12
    hey all. i dont know if this is a dead issue, but ive made another batch of mad elf, and it came out pretty close to the original. i believe the type of beer they consider it to be is belgian strong ale. has anyone tried this recipe? wondering how it came out.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    I did a beer similar to this but I didnt have the cherries available to me at the time. It turned out pretty good. I have no idea what troeg mad elf actually tastes like though. Ive never seen it around here.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    I've had it. Belgian Strong makes sense. It's pretty yummy. Yummy like a Belgian Strong.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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