Heady Topper

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I'm heading up to Waterbury for a beer weekend. I'll be stopping by The Alchemist on Monday to bring home a few cases of HT. I'll do what I can to get any info to add here. I'm not ashamed to dumpster dive. :)

Are you sure you'll be able to get any on Monday? I had heard that they can the beer on Thursdays, and you have to get it Thursday through Saturday or they're sold out. Not sure if that's true.

If you can get some, are you willing to take any orders???
 
I have a sack of Pearl on the way.

I have a bunch of hops I 'm going to play with and my plan is Dennys Fav(until I get more heady and culture conan) with a decent ammount of corn sugar in the grain bill, likely no crystal.

Bittering addition, with large flame out and whirlpool additions.

To me there was an hoppy earthiness that really made the beer interesting and I am likely going to try some variations with the typical American IPA hops and include fuggles.
 
The website said they can on mondays and Thursdays I believe.
 
I've heard a lot of discussion about this recipe, and the most convincing piece of input came from a frequent visitor of the brewpub, and a Vermont native / BeerAdvocate. He said that after having a lengthy one-on-one discussion with the head brewer of Heady Topper he only managed to pick up a few definites --

1) The head brewer dislikes Citra; thinks it's a sledgehammer of a hop
2) The recipe is heavy handed on Simcoe
3) Thomas Fawcett Pearl Malt base
4) 82%-ish attenuation with a yeast similar to WLP001
5) 80-90 IBUs Rager
6) Less than 150 mash temp.
7) About 1.070 OG / 1.010 FG
8) 6 hops are used

I'm guessing Columbus, Chinook, Simcoe, Nugget, Amarillo, and Summit are the 6 hops with a HUGE focus on hopbursting and triple-stage dryhopping. I'm guessing 82% Pearl, 4% each -- Carapils, White Wheat, Golden Naked Oats, Corn Sugar, Caramalt.
great info in there. only thing i'd question is the carapils and the caramalt. pretty sure the brewer is on record as not liking/using any crystal.

my in-laws live in VT. FiL bought these for me, back in august:

heady-topper.jpg
 
great info in there. only thing i'd question is the carapils and the caramalt. pretty sure the brewer is on record as not liking/using any crystal.

Yeah, those were part of my guesses, not what the dude said. I didn't hear about that part. Good to know!

Also think Centennial would be more appropriate than Summit.
 
I'm feeling 100% confident in Simcoe, Chinook, Columbus, and Centennial. I'm 50/50 on Nugget and Cascade, iffy on Amarillo, since I read somewhere it only came out in 2008.

My hangup now, is getting to 120IBU. Do you think he calculates that and includes some sort of whirlpool IBU addition, or is that 120 without accounting for any bitterness from the whirlpool? I would think a professional would calculate for that. They need to know how many IBUs are going into it, right? This would greatly effect the amount of bittering hops needed in the boil.
 
Picked up some HT at the cannery today after some skiing at Stowe. 6 hops, multiple employees refused to divulge which hops. No ingredients lying around. Huge blowoffs from all fermentors. Great smelling place!
 
Picked up some HT at the cannery today after some skiing at Stowe. 6 hops, multiple employees refused to divulge which hops. No ingredients lying around. Huge blowoffs from all fermentors. Great smelling place!

How the skiing so far? Much open?

They are on to this thread, no doubt. Time to lay low, and with bobbrews on the case, it's only a matter of time.

I'd like to add my guess of Centennial being in there too though, for what its worth.
 
Agreed, we need to lay off before the heat picks up.

Centennial for sure, some simcoe too

Skiing is great at Stowe right now, dumping snow as we speak!
 
Woah Woah Woah. Let's not get sidetracked with how awesome Stowe is. And yes I'm jealous.
 
I'm with you on Centennial,Simcoe,Cascade,Amarillo,Chinook....maybe a pure bittering hop like Magnum early in the boil, then the rest late.
 
Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe is what I'm going with. I find it odd though in a thread on BA that the beers most people compared to HT were Surly Abrasive and Citra DIPA, both heavily Citra beers.
 
For the late hop additions what have you guys find to work the most? Would it be pretty much everything the last 15 minutes? Any ideas on the predicted hop schedule?
 
For the late hop additions what have you guys find to work the most? Would it be pretty much everything the last 15 minutes? Any ideas on the predicted hop schedule?

If we're cloning, everything 5 minutes in and get hop extract for the bittering addition. But I do not get grassy flavors from 60 minute additions of magnum or warrior, which sort of baffles me why he uses extract and claims that in order to get this hoppy, he'd have to add so many hops that they'd impart grassy flavors. The beer isn't that bitter, I don't think it's over 1.5 IBU/SG.

I'm working and moving things around based on this:

1.0oz Magnum @60

1oz Centennial @5
1oz Simcoe @5
0.25oz Columbus @5

Whirlpool for 20 minutes @ 190 degrees or so the following:

1.5oz Centennial
1oz Columbus
1oz Simcoe
0.5 Chinook
0.5 Nugget
0.25 Amarillo

Dry hop in stages, he says he goes from kettle to can in 3 weeks, that is more time than usual and must mean multiple dry hops.

Not sure about the dry hop, but some form of Centennial/Simcoe/Columbus/Nugget/Amarillo
 
I'm all for attempting to clone this, but my memory is a little rusty from the can ABG sent me several months back... I think I'm going to need one of you to send me some so I can get onboard. :drunk:
 
If we're cloning, everything 5 minutes in and get hop extract for the bittering addition. But I do not get grassy flavors from 60 minute additions of magnum or warrior, which sort of baffles me why he uses extract and claims that in order to get this hoppy, he'd have to add so many hops that they'd impart grassy flavors. The beer isn't that bitter, I don't think it's over 1.5 IBU/SG.

I'm working and moving things around based on this:

1.0oz Magnum @60

1oz Centennial @5
1oz Simcoe @5
0.25oz Columbus @5

Whirlpool for 20 minutes @ 190 degrees or so the following:

1.5oz Centennial
1oz Columbus
1oz Simcoe
0.5 Chinook
0.5 Nugget
0.25 Amarillo

Dry hop in stages, he says he goes from kettle to can in 3 weeks, that is more time than usual and must mean multiple dry hops.

Not sure about the dry hop, but some form of Centennial/Simcoe/Columbus/Nugget/Amarillo

That looks like a good hop schedule, don't know how close it will get, but should be a damn tasty brew anyway. I'm gona go with Magnum at 60 as well, cause I'm not keeping hop extract on hand for just one brew. I also don't get grassy from Magnum, and don't feel Heady is all that bitter so 1oz at 60 should be good.

I'll probably leave out the Columbus and nugget. I think Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, and Chinook should get me close.

I'm still on the fence about a little wheat in the mash. I might go with some biscut as well/instead.
 
I will probably have wheat in mine too. Might do a little oats, not sure though. Any reason behind leaving out the Columbus and Nugget?
 
I will probably have wheat in mine too. Might do a little oats, not sure though. Any reason behind leaving out the Columbus and Nugget?

Mainly because I don't have Columbus or Nugget on hand:D That and if it is a 6 hop brew, they'll put me over the limit. They lean a little on the spicy/herbal side, and the Chinook should take care of the "spice" side of things.
 
Highly doubt any Magnum is used in the real beer. 100% American Pacific Northwest hops all the way. No Citra.

Kimmich may rely on 100% late additions. Or he may simply bitter with the first addition at 20 IBUs and let the late additions take care of the rest.
 
The brewer said he uses hop extract in HT and magnum/warrior are just clean hops to use in avoiding the extract, not something anyone has said is in the real thing.
. Although I agree it makes no sense to use extract, because this beer is not that bitter, I see no real reason to say he uses extract to throw us off the trail.
 
Thoughts on adding the extract to secondary instead of the boil?
 
Skelator said:
aroma/flavor. And because it hasn't been asked.

How do you suppose adding malt extract to a fully fermented beer would be beneficial to "aroma/flavor"?

What is the logic behind this question?
 
There isn't much value in adding hop extract post boil since it will only add bitterness (most of the hop extract I've seen comes from high alpha low flavor/aroma hops to maximize utilization %).

I doubt you get much in the way of flavor and aroma, but I have never tried that technique before. Also in Mitch Steele's new book, IPA, he said it's basically pointless to add hop extract post boil unless you severely missed your target IBU.
 
Also, from BA:

I have come across some information regarding this beer:

CO2 hop extract is used as the only bittering agent in the beer to avoid grassy tastes.
All hops are added at 5 minutes or less. Nothing longer than 5 minutes.
There is no Citra in the beer. They use a NZ hop variety.
Private yeast strain, called Conan, is responsible for "a lot of the aroma and character"
 
Also, from BA:

I have come across some information regarding this beer:

CO2 hop extract is used as the only bittering agent in the beer to avoid grassy tastes.
All hops are added at 5 minutes or less. Nothing longer than 5 minutes.
There is no Citra in the beer. They use a NZ hop variety.
Private yeast strain, called Conan, is responsible for "a lot of the aroma and character"

So what NZ hop varieties have been available for as long as Heady Topper has been around?
 
Recipes and processes can change slightly whenever the head brewer deems necessary.

The Heady Topper you got several years ago may not be exactly the same as the one you're drinking today.

I personally think they're using all American Pacific Northwest hops, but I wouldn't completely exclude the possibility of a lone NZ hop in the late boil or dryhop.
 
So what NZ hop varieties have been available for as long as Heady Topper has been around?

That was me saying that. He has been known to use Riwaka and Moteuka from some readings and conversations with other brewers that have brewed with him. That said, all the signage on HT adverts says American hops.
 
Went to the local craft beer store and asked about Heady knowing we can't get it in PA, but figured what the hell, I'd give it a shot. The guy there said they can't get it (which I knew), but when I mentioned wanting it for the yeast more than anything, he perked up pretty quick. After a talking a while about myself and my brewing,(and why I really wanted it) he took my phone number because a friend of his goes up once a month and picks up a few cases. He also said his buddy has been doing this for a while, and will try to chat up some of the guys he knows there for any info. I don't know what might come of it, but I'll post any good info I get.
 
There isn't much value in adding hop extract post boil since it will only add bitterness (most of the hop extract I've seen comes from high alpha low flavor/aroma hops to maximize utilization %).

I doubt you get much in the way of flavor and aroma, but I have never tried that technique before. Also in Mitch Steele's new book, IPA, he said it's basically pointless to add hop extract post boil unless you severely missed your target IBU.

This is contrary to my understanding (which, admittedly, may be incorrect). From what I've read and experienced - if it's CO2 extracted, it will not simply add bitterness - it'll work just like a late hop addition. Isomerized hop extract, on the other hand would simply jack up your bitterness.

That said, the Northern Brewer hopshots, at least, are a nondescript blend of hops. Personally, I want to know what I'm adding.
 
This is contrary to my understanding (which, admittedly, may be incorrect). From what I've read and experienced - if it's CO2 extracted, it will not simply add bitterness - it'll work just like a late hop addition. Isomerized hop extract, on the other hand would simply jack up your bitterness.

That said, the Northern Brewer hopshots, at least, are a nondescript blend of hops. Personally, I want to know what I'm adding.

You may certainly be correct on that. I was only aware of the isomerized hop extract, I'll see if I can dig up and post Mitch Steele's comments on the hop extract.
 
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