Orfy's Hobgoblin Clone

[Niall K]

I am trying Orfy's Hobgoblin Clone this Saturday. I've heard so many good reports on it. I am going to follow Orfy’s brewing method and have a few questions.

Orfy’s Hobgoblin Clone

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Danstar Nottingham
Yeast Starter: No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Mo
Batch Size (Gallons): 6.5
Original Gravity: 1056
Final Gravity: 1012
IBU: 25
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 17
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14

Hob Goblin II

Brew Type: All Grain
Style: English Old Ale
Brewer: Orfy
Batch Size: 23.00 L Boil Volume: 30.29 L
Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.0 %
4.80 kg Marris Otter Pale (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain
0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain
0.20 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain
0.15 kg Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain
Mash Ingredients
Mash In: Add 14.09 L of water at 78.2 C
90 min - Hold mash at 69.0 C for 90 min
Add first wort hops to boiler at start of sparge
Amount Item Type 15.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.00%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 15.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops
Drain Mash Tun
Batch Sparge Round 1: Sparge with 14.67 L of 78.0 C water.
Batch Sparge Round 2: Sparge with 9.93 L of 78.0 C water.
Add water to achieve boil volume of 30.29 L
Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.042 SG with all grains/extracts added
Boil for 60 min Start to Boil.
30 min into boil Add 15.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.00%] (30 min)
30 min into boil Add 15.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (30 min)
50 min into boil Add 1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
Steep for 60 min Steep 15.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep)
Steep for 60 min Steep 15.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.00%] (60 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep)
Cool wort to fermentation temperature
Add water (as needed) to achieve volume of 23.00 L
Siphon wort to primary fermenter and aerate wort.
Add Ingredients to Fermenter
Amount Item Type 1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale
20/12/2006 Measure Original Gravity: ________ (Estimate: 1.056 SG).

Hold mash at 69.0 C for 90 min

The mash temperature is 69 C. What is the reason in having a high mash temperature and not the normal mash at around 66 C that I'm used too?

Add first wort hops to boiler at start of sparge

Does this mean that before I collect the first batch sparge into my boiler that I add the hops to the boiler? Which means that the hops will be in the pre boiled wort before reaching the boil. I normally used to adding the first hops after the boil

Steep for 60 min Steep 15.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep)

Is it dangerous the have the wort sitting around for 60 minutes after the boil in case of infection. Thats the reason in cooling the wort as quickly as possible. It takes me 35 minutes to cool to pitching temperature so another 60 minutes means its now going to take 1.5 hours?

Sorry for so many questions, I still new to all grain and still learning..

Niall

[J_P]

Hi Niall

I think I can help you with one of your questions

Hold mash at 69.0 C for 90 min

The mash temperature is 69 C. What is the reason in having a high mash temperature and not the normal mash at around 66 C that I'm used too?

I think mashing at a higher temperature ensures that the wort contains more "malto-dextrins" which apparently give the beer a fuller taste in the mouth and make the resultant brew slightly sweeter as the malto-dextrin molecules are harder for the yeast to metabolise so more of it ends up in the finished product, which in my opinion something you want with a Hobgoblin clone or any good dark beer.

[Belto]

There are so many variables in this brewing you need years on this forum.
I wonder if anyone has ever reached the ultimate beer
I am sure we all have because we brewed it

[Frothy]

There is a mistake in your recipe due to a typo in orfy's original recipe post - I've done this one and it's absolutely great, just a little light but the flavour is spot on. Orfy is a keen hobgoblin fan himself.

I believe that this is the actual hop schedule (60min boil)
15g Styrian goldings 15g Fuggles - FWH (in boiler at start of sparge)
15g Styrian goldings 15g Fuggles - 30 minutes
15g Styrian goldings 15g Fuggles - hop steep i.e. at flame out allow them to sit in the boiler for 5-10minutes

Frothy

[Ross]

Recipe doesn't look too involved to me - Simple recipe & methods used by at least one English brewery that i know of.

In answer to your questions.

1) As J_P answered - Nottingham is a pretty high attenuating yeast, so higher mash temp to get higher finishing gravity, hence more mouth feel & added sweetness - Personaly I'd stick with 67c; you risk too higher a finshing gravity at that temp than his recipe states.
2) Yes, you add the hops to the kettle before adding the wort - a lot of brewers swear by this method reckoning it adds a smoother bitterness & increased flavour from the bittering addition - Personally I'm not convinced it adds anything, but go with the recipe.
3) I think the aroma steep is meant to read "at 60 mins" rather than "for 60 mins" A typical aroma steep, is to let the brew cool naturally at end of boil for 10 minutes & then add your aroma steep hops & let them steep for 20 minutes, before proceeding to chill. There is no risk to your brew sat at high temps, you could even leave for the 60 minutes if you wanted, but anything over 20 minutes is really a wast of time.

hope this helps...

Edit; Frothy beat me to it - i must learn to type faster

cheers Ross

[Ross]

Interesting... I had always thought Hobgoblin was made with Progress, but the site says different...

"Head Brewer, Jeremy Moss, has produced a full chocolate malt flavour beer by the addition of a small proportion of crystal malt and the use of Fuggles hops blended with Styrian Goldings hops. The ruby red coloured Hobgoblin is full-bodied and has a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour balanced with a rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity character."

This description would appear to be closer to Orfy's clone

cheers Ross

[BarryNL]

This was my attempt at a Hobgoblin clone - it was cobbled together based on various clone recipes I found around on the net. It was fermented with Wyeast 1028. I think I actually mashed at 66 for 90 mins, and it fermented down to about 1.006

It's not far off Hobgoblin - if I did it again I'd probably mash at 69 and maybe reduce the black and up the chocolate - maybe 40g/90g instead of 60g/70g.