[redrocker652002]

+1 to the other comments, plus to get even closer you will need to mimic the adjusted brewing water of the brewery.  Instead of “cloning”, try an homage to the commercial brew.  Denny said that way back when and it got me to move away from attempts at strict duplication….which helped my mindset greatly.

I like this. I'd put this in the same category as playing guitar. Sure, I can buy the guitar and amp that Angus uses but I can't buy the fingers he uses to play. If I get close, it's still rock and roll. Working towards an exact copy of a beer is useful as a technical exercise but it's brutal to compare yourself to someone with a different equipment set up and (in my case) decades more experience in brewing. If I can get close, I'll call it good.

Agree completley.  Thanks.  And for me it would be Eddie van Halen, but that is an unattainable goal for about 90% of guitar players out there. LOL.

I use the Eddie  Van Halen analogy myself. I give my Stratocaster to Eddie and ask him to play Eruption. He plays it perfectly and hands the guitar back and says "Do it just like that". After that, I hang my head and walk away......fail. But I still try, eventually I'll get better. Right?

Absolutely   LOL   

[redrocker652002]

I have basically let the beer sit, tasting it every day just to see.  And it seems the finish flavor that I was tasting is subsiding a bit.  Not a huge amount, but enough where I can say to myself it isn't as strong as it was when I tried my first taste.  So, that gives me hope that maybe I am ok.  Gonna let it sit another week or two and see where it ends up.  Thanks to all who replied and gave me some great info going forward.  Lots of things to consider on my next brew day and beyond.