Pliny the Elder clone recipe

The recipe that defined the American Double IPA. Vinnie Cilurzo first brewed Pliny in 2000 at Russian River; it has since become arguably the most-cloned beer in homebrewing history. Vinnie has published a homebrew-scale recipe in multiple interviews — which is why this clone is unusually close to the source.

Brewery

Russian River

Style

Double IPA

ABV

8.0%

IBU

100

OG / FG

1.072 / 1.011

SRM

First brewed

2000

About this beer

Pliny is a paradox: 8% ABV, 100 IBU, and yet it drinks lighter than most West Coast IPAs at half the strength. The trick is the simple, pale malt bill, the heavy dose of sugar to thin the body, and a precisely-timed hop schedule that bitters cleanly while layering on pine and grapefruit. Brew this well and you'll understand why every West Coast brewer makes some version of it.

Grain bill (5-gallon batch)

Grain	Weight	%	Role
2-row pale malt	13.5 lb	80%	Domestic American 2-row. Vinnie has emphasized using fresh, high-quality base malt — old grain hurts this recipe more than most.
Crystal 45L	0.75 lb	4%	Light caramel hint, color. Don't substitute darker crystal — it muddies the hop expression.
Carapils / Dextrin	0.5 lb	3%	Head retention, mouthfeel without sweetness.
Corn sugar (dextrose)	2.0 lb	13%	Critical — added at the end of the boil. Thins the body and boosts ABV without leaving residual sweetness.

Hop schedule

Hop	Amount	When	Purpose
Columbus (Tomahawk)	3.5 oz	First wort / 90 min	Bittering backbone
Simcoe	0.75 oz	45 min boil	Mid-boil bitterness + flavor
Centennial	1.0 oz	30 min boil	Flavor
Simcoe	1.0 oz	Flameout / whirlpool	Aroma
Columbus (Tomahawk)	1.0 oz	Dry hop · day 0	First dry-hop charge
Centennial	1.5 oz	Dry hop · day 0	First dry-hop charge
Simcoe	2.5 oz	Dry hop · day 0	First dry-hop charge
Centennial	0.25 oz	Dry hop · day 5 (re-rack)	Second smaller charge after fermentation completes
Columbus	0.25 oz	Dry hop · day 5	Second smaller charge
Simcoe	0.25 oz	Dry hop · day 5	Second smaller charge

Yeast

Wyeast 1056 American Ale / White Labs WLP001 / Safale US-05

Clean, neutral, lets the hops dominate. Pitch healthy, ferment at 66–68°F.

Water profile

Soft to medium with calcium sulfate boost. Target ~150 ppm sulfate, ~50 ppm chloride. Avoid carbonate — keep alkalinity low.

Process notes

Mash at 151–152°F for 60 min — drier finish to support the high ABV
Add the corn sugar at the very end of the boil to avoid scorching
Aim for ~70 IBU calculated bitterness; the 100 IBU number is theoretical (whirlpool + dry hops contribute)
Two dry-hop charges: first at the start of fermentation (3-day contact), second after re-racking (5-day contact)
Vinnie's note: 'Drink it fresh — don't cellar it.' Bottle/keg conditioning ~5 days, then drink within 4 weeks of packaging.

Why it tastes like that

The interesting part of a clone recipe is understanding why each ingredient choice matters. Here's what each element of the recipe contributes:

Columbus does most of the bittering work — it has high alpha acid but a clean bitterness that doesn't bring vegetal or harsh notes.
Simcoe provides the resinous pine character that's the signature of Pliny — almost half the dry hop charge is Simcoe.
Centennial adds bright grapefruit-citrus that lifts the pine.
The 13% corn sugar is what separates this from heavier DIPAs — it thins the body so the hops feel sharp and the 8% ABV is invisible.
Two-stage dry hopping is the technique that became standard for West Coast DIPAs after Pliny. The second smaller charge dosed onto fermented beer (not active fermentation) avoids biotransformation, keeping the hop character bright and citrusy rather than juicy.