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Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder® - Extract Beer Brewing Kit (5 Gallons)
Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder® - Extract Beer Brewing Kit (5 Gallons)
Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder® - Extract Beer Brewing Kit (5 Gallons)
Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder® - Extract Beer Brewing Kit (5 Gallons)
 

Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder® - Extract Beer Brewing Kit (5 Gallons)

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Description

Pliny the Elder is truly an amazing beer with a cult like following and very limited quantities. However with this killer kit you can make your own Pliny and perhaps you will develop your own cult following where you are worshiped by your beer loving friends.

Light malt color, huge hops, and a dry finish. Be prepared for an outrageous amount of flavor.

This is THE original Pliny recipe, given to us directly by Vinnie at the Russian River Brewing Company. This beer is an intense double IPA: High bitterness with a dry malt finish, 8% alcohol, 6 separate hop brew additions, 3 separate dry hop additions, and intense hop flavor and aroma! Pliny sets the standard for Double IPA's!

Who is Pliny The Elder
This beer is named after Gainus Plinius Secondus, or Pliny The Elder, a Roman author, lawyer, naval man and naturalist who first mentions the botanical name for hops in his writings - lupus salictarius, which translated from latin means Wolf Among Willows. Sadly, Pliny died while helping people escape the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in August, 79 AD. Pliny the Younger was the nephew of Pliny the Elder and is the name of another outrageous and highly sought after beer from Russian River.

Russian River Brewing
If you have not tasted beers from Russian River Brewing Company, you should. This is a brewery with huge demand that keeps quality as a first priority. Owner Vinnie Cilurzo is also unique in that he still actively brews and tests recipes and ingredients (on a MoreBeer! Brewsculpture by the way) on a constant basis. Amazing.

  • Makes 5 gallons
  • Estimated Original Gravity:1.070-74
  • SRM (Color Range): 10
  • IBU's: 198-202 (this is a theoretical number, you will actually get around 100 IBU)
  • Estimated Alcohol Percentage: 8%

Our recipe kits DO NOT include grain bags, yeast or priming sugar. The recommended yeast(s) can be found below. All grains will come milled.


WLP001 - White Labs California Ale
WY1056 - Wyeast American Ale
GY001 - GigaYeast NorCal Ale #1
IYA07 - Imperial Flagship

Please Note: In order to better serve our customers, we are now offering our extract recipe kits with either Liquid Malt Extract (LME) or Dried Malt Extract (DME). The majority of our DME kits were converted from the LME version, which is why you may notice slight variances in the extract names and quantities on your recipe sheet. You may also find that your Specific Gravity and ABV% are slightly higher if you choose DME. Whether LME or DME, add all extracts provided according to the recipe sheet. For further details, please reference the conversion chart below.
 
MoreBeer! Extract Recipe Kit Conversion Chart
  
Liquid Malt Extract Dry Malt Extract
4 lbs 3.5 lbs
5 lbs 4 lbs
6 lbs 5 lbs
7 lbs 6 lbs
8 lbs 6.5 lbs
9 lbs 7 lbs
Ultralight Malt Extract Golden Light DME
Pale Malt Extract Golden Light DME
Pilsner Malt Extract Pilsen Light DME

 

 

ABV %8
IBU200
SRM10
Beer StyleIPA & Imperial IPA
Ready to Drink Within2-4 Weeks
Alcohol ContentHigh (7-9%)
BitternessVery High (71ibu+)
Fermentation Temp Range64-72
Brewing MethodExtract
Pre-MilledY
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Community Q&A
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Browse 8 questions Browse 8 questions and 79 answers
Why did you choose this?
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High Reviews
Jeffrey S on Jul 1, 2020
Never tried before
Stan H on Jun 30, 2020
High Reviews
Jeffrey S on Jul 1, 2020
Have been to Russian River and Pliney The Elder was amazing! Can't wait to see how this kit turns out.
S O on Jun 30, 2020
Never tried before
Stan H on Jun 30, 2020
Reputation
Curt on Jun 26, 2020
Great beer.
Scott Jordan on Jun 25, 2020
Wanted to make my Brother-In-Law's favorite beer
Kenneth S on Jun 18, 2020
My sons favorite
Gregory H on Jun 18, 2020
epic beer
Sea Rogers W on Jun 16, 2020
I have made it before and its awesome
Sean T on Jun 12, 2020
This is probably the best IPA recipe that I've brewed!
Aaron Bailey on Jun 10, 2020
Can’t get the original in Ohio.
Alan V on Jun 4, 2020
Brewed before and it was very good
Richard F on May 28, 2020
One of my favorite beers, hope it tastes great!
Michael F on May 28, 2020
If it's half as good as the real thing, I'll be doing cartwheels
James D on May 23, 2020
Love Pliny and want to try brewing it
Tim W on May 20, 2020
I love this beer
Richard F on May 20, 2020
I like Russian river
Christopher D on May 20, 2020
Good reviews, in stock.
James R W on May 19, 2020
I like Pliny
DRUE J. on May 16, 2020
Love it
Matthew C on May 15, 2020
My husband loves Pliny the Elder
Sylvia W on May 13, 2020
It's one of my favorites that I can't get locally.
Valued C on May 13, 2020
I love this beer and was curious to see if I could make this at home
Sundesh S on May 12, 2020
Yummy
Dean H on May 7, 2020
Best beer and kit ever!
Trevor F on May 6, 2020
Brewed this once and it came out well.
Ken M on May 5, 2020
Delicious
Ron B on Apr 25, 2020
Popular
Kip F on Apr 21, 2020
First time
Al G on Apr 15, 2020
We're going to use it to make some kind of spicy beer.
Daniel Blakemore on Apr 14, 2020
Because there is no better beer.........
Kelly O on Apr 13, 2020
Was asked to brew a batch
John V on Apr 11, 2020
Great reviews, like that style of beer
Robert J V on Apr 4, 2020
I have used before and like it.
Jamie V on Mar 31, 2020
Had it once and thought it tasted good
Tim W on Mar 31, 2020
I've made this several times. It's an excellent kit.
Thomas V on Mar 31, 2020
I love that beer
angie r on Mar 21, 2020
Love this kit!
Robert M on Mar 18, 2020
Friend recommendation
Edward R on Mar 16, 2020
love pliny
Nicholas C on Mar 13, 2020
I’ve gotten this kit before, makes a great beer
Matthew M on Mar 11, 2020
Husband likes it
Valued C on Mar 2, 2020
My Sons love it, making it for Fathers Day
Janet B on Feb 27, 2020
Heard it's the best beer, hard to find in NY
Frank S on Feb 11, 2020
Great beer.
Terry D on Feb 7, 2020
quite fond of Russian River beers
Ken P on Feb 6, 2020
taste
bryan k. h on Jan 31, 2020
Want to have beer at the house
Joseph K on Jan 17, 2020
Like the beer
kenneth b on Jan 17, 2020
cause its good
James H on Jan 13, 2020
Have been to Russian River and Pliney The Elder was amazing! Can't wait to see how this kit turns out.
S O on Jun 30, 2020
Reputation
Curt on Jun 26, 2020
Which yeast is preferred for Pliny The Elder, White Labs or Giga Yeast?
Steve Burgess on May 31, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Russian River uses white labs brand yeast, however all of the strains and companies are suitable, high quality brewing yeast. Zach is right that pitch rate is one of the bigger considerations and you should aim at pitching 2 trillion cells or more per 5 gallons.
Hello all, I am making Pliny the elder using the extract kit. I started fermentation today. I am trying to figure out when should I add the dry hops? The instructions say 3-7 days primary fermentation. Does that mean I wait 3-7 days and then add them or since it is a 2 week fermentation they should go in at the end with 3-7 days left? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Best, Josh
Josh Freilich on Mar 5, 2020
BEST ANSWER: Josh - As Sam mentioned and in the instruction card. Add dry hops after fermentation is complete, allow 3–7 days of contact time before packaging.
How long is the recommended fermentation time? I’ve seen on the instructions a recommended 2 weeks with no secondary. It’s the first kit I’ve used from this company and the prior company I’ve used recommends 3-4 weeks.
Aaron Bailey on May 8, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We recommend just 1-2 weeks for fermentation which will always depend on your yeast, temperature, and a host of other variables. After your fermentation is complete and the krausen has subsided you add the dry hops. Nowadays most breweries dry hop for up to 7 days, if you're doing multiple rounds of dry hopping like this recipe and add the first round on a Saturday then the second round on Tuesday and keg/bottle on the following Saturday. All in all it should take about 2.5 to 3 weeks from brewing to bottling.
For Pliny the Elder using extract, It says to add 1lb of Corn sugar to last 10 minutes of boil which I did and will start fermenting tomorrow. Do I also add the 40z corn sugar prior to bottling?
James M Clark on Apr 16, 2020
BEST ANSWER: The other answers are correct that the 4oz corn sugar package is to be added before bottling so the yeast have some more food to create the carbonation in the bottle. If you're ever kegging the batch and force carbing then you can add it with the other lb of sugar.
What kind of hops come with this kit?
Jeremy Blundo on May 8, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Enter an answer to this question.according to the website it has columbus hops, simcoe hops, centennial hops and amarillo hops
Pliny Direct Pitch Yeast

As this is a DIPA with a full pound of corn sugar addition in the boil, it seems like it will need as strong yeast pitch to convert it. I am not set up to do a starter or aeration/oxygenation. Best I can do is shake the glass carboy as best as I can and direct pitch.

So, to ensure I get a solid fermentation, my plan is to direct pitch 2 packs of the White Labs WLP001 California Ale yeast.

Is that a good idea or is it unnecessary?
Scott Jordan on Jun 24, 2020
BEST ANSWER: Your instincts are right, as it is always a good idea to pitch extra yeast in stronger beers. We do recommend using 2 packages at least of White Labs 001 until you can get starters going or can harvest your previous yeast. You could try out our Propper Starter canned wort which you can dilute and ferment in a sanitized 2L soda bottle as a way to get more yeast for your buck.
Sounds like you're doing everything right to ensure you're getting as good a fermentation as possible which is absolutely the most important part of brewing great beer.
I heard somewhere that you should use more yeast than normal for this recipe to ensure complete fermentation of the high initial sugar content. Is this true? Does the kit ship with the correct amount of yeast or should I purchase more separately?
Gabriel Hein on Apr 2, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Hi Gabriel - We recommend using a yeast calculator to find out how much yeast to use (https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/). And the yeast is purchased separately (recommended yeasts can be found on the product's page).
Reviews
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4.9 / 5.0
120 Reviews
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Star
111
8
1
0
0
Just as good as the real Pliny
With 4 people doing a blind taste test versus the real Pliny, it was a tie.
May 16, 2020
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
A Huge Favorite
This is my very favorite kit among the many I have tried from MoreBeer. Excellent results every time, and I am not an expert home brewer. Big hops and flavor, not for the hop-timid taste. Friends say it is an exact replica of the Russian River original. I get many compliments on this one and have to force myself to try other recipes.
April 16, 2020
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
A new favorite
After a 10 year hiatus, I have returned to brewing. I bought a few equipment items and was sent a marketing email with this product on sale. The rest of you rated it highly so I thought, why not. I bought the extract version with the White Labs yeast. (I've always had great results with White Labs)

Anyway, I finally got to taste the fruit of my efforts. WOW.

I followed the instructions to the letter. I see others will vary the recipe a bit, but I didn't.
December 24, 2019
Purchased
 6 months ago
Very Nice Clone of Pliny the Elder!
This is the 2nd time I've brewed using this kit and, again, it turned out awesome! I used Imperial Organic Flagship yeast in a 2-step 2000-ml starter and pitched into a wort temperature of about 65 °F. Dry-hopped at 7 days. No secondary, straight to the keg after 2.5 weeks in the primary. Added gelatin solution to clear. Amazing results!
August 13, 2019
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Homemade "Pliney the Elder"
I was very surprised when I saw this for sale on MoreBeer.com. The ease of this brew made it very fun. It is fermenting now and I am very excited.
March 8, 2019
Purchased
 1 year ago
Result tastes very similar to commercial bottle
Great value with loads of hops, no issues brewing and happy the result was so close to Pliny from Russian River. I call mine Pliny the Younger.
December 15, 2018
Purchased
 1 year ago
We Made a Great Beer
The consensus is that although we didn't make Pliny the Elder exactly, we made a great beer. Amber, rich in flavor from the all the hops, and everyone enjoyed it, both from the bottle and from the keg. It came out much darker than the original, with the hop aroma similar similar to the original. Will brew this again.
September 19, 2018
Purchased
 1 year ago
Very good 5 stars but not the best I've brewed but definitely up there
September 14, 2018
Purchased
 1 year ago
A favorite Double IPA of mine.
I have brewed this many times and it is always wonderful. Some friends and I tried this side by side with the origninal Pliny and most preferred this one. US-05 yeast. This is the authentic recipe with the correct hops.
September 7, 2018
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
A friend of mine took a tour at Russian River Brewery brought me back a bottle of which I thoroughly enjoyed!
I bought this kit from more flavor, the directions in the beginning seemed a little odd, but I decided to follow them to the T, as a result this beer tastes identical or even better then the one I had gotten in a bottle from Russian River. very happy with the way this beer turned out.
I would make it again.
User submitted image
Added Apr 24, 2018
April 25, 2018
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
 
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