First Non-Kit Brew: Hopslam

I've read the hopslam clone thread, wonderful information there. I'm about to click "Proceed to Checkout" and want to get some quick feedback from experts like yourselves. Beerwise, I've only brewed kits before, all extract with specialty grains.

5.5 gallon batch to be bottle conditioned.

6 lbs Pilsen LME
2 pounds sourwood honey
1 oz Centennial 60 min
1 oz Glacier 15 min
1 oz Amarillo 10 min
1 oz Amarillo 0 min
1 oz Simcoe 0 min
1 oz Simcoe dry hop 5 days before bottling.

Munton Ale Yeast

All hops are pellets, so my understanding is they are a little stronger by weight than loose hops.

Note there are no specialty grains in this, just the Pilsen LME which has some carapils content according to the vendor, I just don't know what that content is.

Any info you can toss my way is much appreciated.

Any particular reason for the Munton's ale yeast?

TB

It is cheap, and I remember reading it's mild, doesn't leave much of it's own flavor around. I don't know if that's true though.

If you can just culture some yeast from Bell's Pale ale.

The correspondence from Bell's in the Hopslam thread suggests any decent yeast will do, good attenuation and not a wheat beer yeast.

My real question is about the LME, should I go all Pilsen or will it not have enough malt profile in the final product? Should i mix 50/50 gold and pilsen? I definately want a yellow beer in the final product. I've never used pilsen malt so I don't know how much a profile it has, or if the lightness is more about color.

You won't taste the malt anyway- that beer is all about the hops! I'm not sure what you're planning for an OG, but I'd go with an OG of 1.090 or so.

I'd definitely NOT use the Muntons, since you really want this beer to attenuate- down to 1.012 or so. I'd use two packages of a good quality well attenuating dry yeast (11 gram packages) like SO5. Make sure you aerate very well, to get enough yeast reproduction to fully attenuate.

I don't think 6 pounds of LME is enough. I'd go with 10 pounds LME. I'd add 3/4 of the extract late in the boil. I'd make sure there were enough hops- probably at least 100+ IBUs and plenty of late hopping. You don't have enough hops for Hopslam.

I don't think upping the IBUs is the way to go unless Bells is lying. I actually have the clone thread bookmarked and on page 2 post 19 we get this. "Bitterness is in the upper 60 IBU range, less than most people think. Hopslam is all about hop flavor, not unrestrained bitterness."

So to me it sounds like LOTS of late addition hops.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/hopslam-clone-137117/index2.html

YooperBrew said:

I'd definitely NOT use the Muntons, since you really want this beer to attenuate- down to 1.012 or so. I'd use two packages of a good quality well attenuating dry yeast (11 gram packages) like SO5. Make sure you aerate very well, to get enough yeast reproduction to fully attenuate.

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I definitely agree with this. That's why I asked about the Muntons yeast since I didn't think it would emulate the attenuation that Hopslam gets from its yeast (although I thought maybe you chose it for a specific reason). Follow Yooper's advice and you'll get your gravity down the way Larry Bell does.

I'd make sure there were enough hops- probably at least 100+ IBUs and plenty of late hopping. You don't have enough hops for Hopslam.

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I agree that you don't have enough hops, but Hopslam isn't an overly bitter beer, so I would think 100 IBU's might be overdoing it. It would certainly be a good beer, but not shadowing the bitterness profile of Hopslam. Focus your hops more towards the end of the boil including a generous portion of flame-out hops.

smokinghole said:

I don't think upping the IBUs is the way to go unless Bells is lying. I actually have the clone thread bookmarked and on page 2 post 19 we get this. "Bitterness is in the upper 60 IBU range, less than most people think. Hopslam is all about hop flavor, not unrestrained bitterness."

So to me it sounds like LOTS of late addition hops.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/hopslam-clone-137117/index2.html

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Exactly my thoughts. I haven't cloned this beer, although I do love it, so I can't say with any authority or experience what exactly to do.

I think you'll end up with a good beer either way you go. It may or may not taste like Hopslam, but I'm sure it will be a hit.

Keep us posted!
TB

6 lbs Pilsen LME
3 lbs Gold LME
1 pound sourwood honey

1 oz Centennial 60 min 9.1 AA
1 oz Glacier 15 min 6 AA
.5 oz Amarillo 10 min 8.2 AA
1 oz Amarillo 2 min
.5 oz Cascade 2 min
1 oz Simcoe 2 min
1 oz Simcoe dry hop 5 days before bottling
.5 oz Cascade dry hop 5 days before bottling
.5 oz Amarillo dry hop 5 days before bottling

Two Packs S05. Ferment right at 70F with good initial aeration.



I don't know how to calculate IBU's, but it seems like a boil with an ounce of Centennial Pellets for an hour, then 1.5 oz of other hops for 10-15 minutes, should be plenty bitter. It's definately alot more hops than I've ever brewed with before. I'm not a big fan of bitter hops, and the thing I liked about Hopslam was that it wasn't very bitter.

More importantly, why should most of the malt be added near the end?

Thanks!

Fletch78 said:

6 lbs Pilsen LME
3 lbs Gold LME
1 pound sourwood honey

1 oz Centennial 60 min 9.1 AA
1 oz Glacier 15 min 6 AA
.5 oz Amarillo 10 min 8.2 AA
1 oz Amarillo 2 min
.5 oz Cascade 2 min
1 oz Simcoe 2 min
1 oz Simcoe dry hop 5 days before bottling
.5 oz Cascade dry hop 5 days before bottling
.5 oz Amarillo dry hop 5 days before bottling

Two Packs S05. Ferment right at 70F with good initial aeration.



I don't know how to calculate IBU's, but it seems like a boil with an ounce of Centennial Pellets for an hour, then 1.5 oz of other hops for 10-15 minutes, should be plenty bitter. It's definately alot more hops than I've ever brewed with before. I'm not a big fan of bitter hops, and the thing I liked about Hopslam was that it wasn't very bitter.

More importantly, why should most of the malt be added near the end?

Thanks!

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You could try some free brewing software- you certainly don't have enough IBUs to call that an IIPA.

The others say that Bell's isn't as high in IBUs and I think it is- they may be right. But keep in mind that it's all about balance. With an OG of 1.080 (which is where I would peg Hopslam), an IBU of less than 75 will NOT be an IIPA. I'd guess that it's higher than the others say. Keep in mind that with a BIG beer, you need more hops just to balance the malt.

In your recipe, you have an OG of 1.070 and IBUs of about 40ish. Not even close to balanced towards hops. You barely have enough bittering hops for an APA.

I'd go with an OG of 1.080 (or higher, since Hopslam is 10%) and add some hops.

I read in the hopslam clone thread that it's meant to be consumed while young and the hop aromas are still intact, and in my experience with fermentables, anything near 10% ABV needs some aging. That is a dilemma I'm facing. I don't mind making a lower gravity beer. 7.5% would still be the strongest beer I've ever made. Like you said, it's all about the hops.

Secondly, why should 3/4 of the malt extract be added at the end? I was already planning on adding the honey at flameout, to preserve some of the essence. I don't have a problem with adding malt at flameout, I actually like the idea. I'm just curious to know why.

For software, I've just been using the mead calculator at GM for fermentables, although I see they've recently eliminated malt extract from the choices, but 80% fermentability corresponds to honey as a substitute, for mathematical purposes.

Thanks!

Try plugging your inputs into this calculator hosted by another homebrewer (Powers Brewery). I've used it a couple times for complex brews and it will certainly walk you into the ballpark. It's free, too.

TB

I like adding the bulk of the extract at flameout for a couple of reasons- the best being the color. Not boiling the extract means less darkening in the kettle. The extract's been processed- no reason to boil it again.

Also, there is some debate about this but it's been my experience that you get better hops utilization in a wort that has less extract. John Palmer is saying now that it has to do with break material, and Basic Brewing Radio thinks it doesn't exist , but my own experience has shown at least a slight increase in hops utilization when the bulk of the extract is added at flameout.

Another reason is because it takes up less room in the kettle. I used to have a 7.5 gallon kettle, and boiling more than 6 gallons was a bit hairy! Adding the extract at the end meant there was a bit more room in the kettle- 6 pounds of LME takes up a ton of space!

I don't know what you mean about honey and malt extract being 80% fermentable. Honey is almost fully fermentable, and it's good in this recipe so you'll get a bit drier finish and not a cloyingly sweet beer.

If you want to make a lower ABV beer, I definitely understand that. I do that often myself. Just know that it may be great- but it won't be an IIPA and definitely not a Hopslam clone. Part of the beauty of the IIPA is a huge malt presence to support all of the hops. That's why they approach 10%- just because of the amount of malt needed to balance the hops. You can make a very nice APA that comes in at 6%, and even an IPA that comes in at 7.5% though.

Honey is around 20 to 25% water, which is why it's 80% fermentable by weight in the calculator on GM.

I like your theory on extract at the end.

Tiber_Brew said:

Try plugging your inputs into this calculator hosted by another homebrewer (Powers Brewery). I've used it a couple times for complex brews and it will certainly walk you into the ballpark. It's free, too.

TB

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Thank you for this. This is very helpful and has the honor of being one of only three things I have bookmarked in Chrome.

Fletch78 said:

Thank you for this. This is very helpful and has the honor of being one of only three things I have bookmarked in Chrome.

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Welcome.

Give Mr. Powers some positive feedback on his website if you get the chance. Seems like a nice guy and might appreciate people getting use out of his software.

Keep us updated,
TB