Clone Brews
I don't ever expect to perfectly clone a beer but I think the "Clone Brews" and "Beer Captured" books are extremely helpful to reference as they lay some guidelines for you to get close to the style you want. I reference them almost every time I brew.
I have a couple of the clone brews books and have never been satisfied withthe results. In particular it seems like the all-grain recipes are off, as the whole book is written for partial mash, and then a box on the side gives all-grain specs.
I did my Sam Adams Ale Clone kit on Friday, one of my favorites, keeping my fingers crossed but as long as its close i will prob not be disappointed, hell as long as its drinkable i wont be, LOL!!
Sam Adams is a good one to clone, almost can't go wrong as long the fermentation temp and lagering goes right.
I've tried a couple of clones with mixed success: not quite the original but good beers in their own right. That said, I've got a BYO recipe for Stone's Ruination IPA I've been itching to try.
Would you mind posting that Ruination Recipe?

