I toured the Stone brewery this week and based on the tour guide's comments, they must be asked about AB a lot. She told me personally that every tour includes someone asking for the recipe and that it's a mystery!

I didn't see any Special B but there was a lot of C150.

For the record, is there a practical difference in taste with C150 and Special B?

I ordered from Brewmasterswarehouse. THe grain stats are:

Special B: SRM 148 / SG 1.030
C150: SRM 150 / SG 1.035

I'm about to make this on Sunday. Any consensus as to Special "B" vs. C-150? I have both ready to go.

The Pope sez Special "B". Tasty sez C-150. Is that where we're still at?

I'm leaning toward C-150 based on the hints and Tasty's opinion. (Also I have other recipes for Special "B" none for C-150) but I find it really hard to go against the Pope's opinion.

Thanks

Rudeboy
ps A few years ago, before CYBI I made a "clone" with about 10% C-120, same basic hopping regime and I thought it was pretty close.

Maybe they hide it to confuse people who come on the tour

I'm going to do the Special B version ( show #2 that everyone but Tasty agreed on ). It may not be perfectly cloned but it sure does sound good. I have a pound of Chinook so maybe I'll do a C150 version soon after.

I just brewed this a few weeks back, and used a combination of C150 and Sp. B......and it came out closer than any of the CYBI attempts so far!! Something like 90/7/3 percentage wise.

I couldn't tell much of a difference with 10% C150L side by side and neither could my wife. I don't think there would be a large difference between Special B and C150L. My next attempt will be with special B. My hop schedule was 1oz. of Chinnook at 90 minutes and 60g at 0 min with a 20 minute whirlpool.

Well I just pulled the dry-hopped carboy from the depths of my basement. It's damn tasty after 4-months. Whatever off-flavor was present is gone. I have to think it was something to do with hop bitterness and the sulfate and maybe it just mellowed.

In any case, my faucets are much happier now.

A very well known commercial brewer who made an appearance on the Session last year mentioned that when he worked at Stone long ago they did not use Special B for Arrogant Bastard. He didn't specify which crystal malt but strongly hinted that a C-150ish or even the Simpsons Extra Dark Crystal (160L) is what he would lean towards. He did mention this was how they made it when he worked there and that ingredients may have changed slightly. Other than that he reiterated the simple grain bill and hop bill that Jamil and Tasty are using.

This has been my thoughts as well. Looking through the Stone book, none of the beers in their regular line up use Special B. Most of the regular recipes use C-15, C-75, and C-150L. The only mentions I see of Special B are one-off, vertical epics, and anniversary ales.