Tooheys Old Dark Ale Clone (21 L / 5.5 gal)

One of the few truely great commercial beers available in almost any Australian Pub, so here we show you how to clone it to have on tap in your own home! A smooth, sessionable Australian dark ale inspired by the iconic Tooheys Old. Deep brown with ruby highlights, light chocolate roast, and a subtle Pride of Ringwood bitterness, this beer delivers classic pub-style drinkability with a fruity, roasty finish.

Stats

• Style: Australian Dark Ale / Dark Mild
• ABV: 4.5%
• OG: 1.041
• FG: 1.007
• IBU: 14
• Colour: 61 EBC
• Carbonation: 2.4 vols CO₂
• Batch Size: 21 L (5.5 gal)
• Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.7%
• System: BrewZilla 65L Gen4

Ingredients

Grain Bill (3.78 kg / 8.33 lb total)

• 3.26 kg (7.19 lb) Golden Promise Pale Ale Malt — 86.2%
• 260 g (0.57 lb) Medium Crystal 240 — 6.9%
• 260 g (0.57 lb) Dark Chocolate Malt — 6.9%

Hops — Pride of Ringwood (34 g / 1.2 oz total)

• 6 g (0.21 oz) @ 60 min — 7 IBU
• 28 g (1 oz) @ 5 min — 6 IBU

Yeast

• 11 g Fermentis SafAle US-05

Water Profile (Stout-Style Balanced)

• Ca 51 ppm
• Mg 9 ppm
• Na 15 ppm
• Cl 57 ppm
• SO₄ 46 ppm
• HCO₃ 101 ppm
• SO₄/Cl ratio: 0.8
• Mash pH: 5.56
• Sparge pH: 5.5

Mash Additions

• 5.3 g Calcium Chloride
• 1.5 g Epsom Salt
• 1.5 g Gypsum
• 1.3 g Slaked Lime

Mash Schedule

• 65 °C (149 °F) — 60 min
• 77 °C (171 °F) — 10 min mash out

Mash water: 20 L (5.3 gal)
Sparge water: 15 L (4 gal) @ 80 °C (176 °F)

Fermentation Schedule

• Primary fermentation: 20 °C (68 °F) for 14 days
• Carbonation: 2.4 vols CO₂

Step-by-Step Brewing Method

1. Mash In
Mash 3.78 kg (8.33 lb) of grain in 20 L (5.3 gal) water at 65 °C (149 °F). Hold for 60 minutes for a highly fermentable wort.

2. Mash Out & Sparge
Raise to 77 °C (171 °F) for 10 minutes. Sparge with 15 L (4 gal) at 80 °C (176 °F) to collect approximately 29–30 L (7.8 gal) pre-boil wort.

3. Boil – 60 Minutes
Add Pride of Ringwood hops:

• 6 g at 60 minutes
• 28 g at 5 minutes

Boil on 2500–3500 W for strong evaporation and colour development.

4. Chill & Transfer
Chill wort to 20 °C (68 °F) and transfer to fermenter. Pitch US-05 yeast.

5. Fermentation
Ferment at 20 °C (68 °F) for 14 days until gravity stabilises around 1.007–1.008.

6. Package
Bottle or keg and carbonate to 2.4 vols CO₂. This beer drinks well young but improves after a week of conditioning.

Brew Notes

• Brew Date: 11 Feb 2026
• Fermentation Start: 11 Feb 2026
• Bottled: 25 Feb 2026
• Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.032
• OG: 1.041
• FG: 1.007

Brewfather Link

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