Hopslam Clone...

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Here's what I made:

Hopslam Clone - All-Grain
14C-India Pale Ale(IPA)-Imperial IPA

1.078 OG
1.012 FG
83.6% apparent attenuation
8.8% ABV
67.6 IBU
7.9 SRM

Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 6.0 US gals
Volume Transferred: 4.90 US gals
Mash Efficiency: 65.7 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % MCU When
US 2-Row Malt 16.00 lb 82.1 % 5.0 In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 20L Malt 1.00 lb 5.1 % 3.4 In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 40L Malt 0.50 lb 2.6 % 3.4 In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - Honey 2.00 lb 10.3 % 0.7 End Of Boil

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
US Centennial 10.5 % 1.00 oz 39.0 Loose Whole Hops 60 Min From End
US Centennial 8.7 % 0.15 oz 5.3 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End
US Glacier 5.0 % 1.52 oz 10.6 Loose Pellet Hops 20 Min From End
US Vanguard 5.0 % 1.52 oz 10.6 Loose Pellet Hops 20 Min From End
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5 % 1.52 oz 4.0 Loose Pellet Hops 5 Min From End
US Crystal 3.5 % 1.52 oz 4.0 Loose Pellet Hops 5 Min From End
US Amarillo 5.0 % 2.00 oz 0.0 Loose Pellet Hops At turn off
US Simcoe 12.2 % 6.00 oz 0.0 Loose Pellet Hops Dry-Hopped

White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (67C/152F)
Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 152 degF 60

Brewed on 11/6. Big 4L starter on the stir plate. Pitched 48 hours after brewing, with 5+ min of air pump. Hit again 12 hours into fermentation. Transferred to secondary and dry hopped for a week with 6 oz Simcoe on 11/19. Cold crashed until 12/15 at 30-32F. Primed 4.4 gal with 2.6 oz sucrose - target 2 vols.

I dry-hopped with a crapload of Simcoe and it's super, super sweet-smelling and floral. I'd like to have it finish a bit lower, maybe 1.009. Not quite balanced enough on the back of the palate to pass for Hopslam.

6 weeks later, this was spot on. I had the opportunity to have a Hopslam on draft in Michigan, then go back home and try mine. Super close.
 
How is the alcohol burn? That's what always amazes me about these high abv beer is how soon they're ready. looks like you've got it down.

So what helps make a beer ready earlier? Is it your air infusion? Cold crashing?

Why did you wait 48 hours to pitch?

Nice work, sounds delicious!
 
Thanks. No alcohol burn - you wouldn't guess it's almost 9%. Pitching a lot of a neutral yeast and fermenting fairly cold (64F) helps keep the profile clean. I think I waited 48 hours to pitch because I couldn't get the wort cold enough with my immersion chiller, so I put it in a chest freezer to take it to pitching temp.

Part of what helps make a big IPA ready earlier than other big beers is the absence of a lot of the compounds that would need aging in a complex beer, such as a RIS or a barleywine. For example, both of those do well with some light oxidization and hop degradation to eliminate harsh notes. Other beers may need time to allow tannins from dark grains to mellow out. IPAs tend to have a lot of straightforward malt, and all of the fresh hop characteristics are in style.
 
Oh yeah, the air. Good aeration or oxygenation helps keep the yeast happy. Early in the fermentation process, yeast consume oxygen to reproduce. Next they consume oxygen and sugar to grow. When oxygen runs out, they start fermenting. Pitching a lot of yeast ensures that the lag phase (reproduction) is short and that not a lot of oxygen is consumed there, making it available for the growth phase. Hitting it again at 12 hours, before actual fermentation starts, is a way to ensure the yeast have enough. Pure oxygen would be better, but I haven't found a store near me that will refill a tank.

If you do it right, you end up with a lot of yeast and a lot of oxygen, so they get super strong and your fermentation finishes with no problems. That's important for big beers where the yeast is going to have a lot of work to do to hit your final gravity.
 
Thought process?

First, I just picked up two cases of hopslam.

Second, I'm going to harvest some yeast from a bottle of Bells's Brown Best and make some slants. (And probably make a big-ass starter and brink it.)

Then I'm going to make about ten 600ml grain-bills, strike at 155ish, do a 90 minute boil, chill to 65 and mini-ferment them all inside of erlenmeyer flasks.

Then I'm going to bottle each one and drink them in a few weeks, with a comparative bottle.

Finally, I will take notes and adjust one variable in nine of the mini recipes and maintain a control of the "best one".

I hope I get to repeat this a few times; I like beer.
 
First, I just picked up two cases of hopslam.

Second, I'm going to harvest some yeast from a bottle of Bells's Brown Best and make some slants. (And probably make a big-ass starter and brink it.)

Then I'm going to make about ten 600ml grain-bills, strike at 155ish, do a 90 minute boil, chill to 65 and mini-ferment them all inside of erlenmeyer flasks.

Then I'm going to bottle each one and drink them in a few weeks, with a comparative bottle.

Finally, I will take notes and adjust one variable in nine of the mini recipes and maintain a control of the "best one".

I hope I get to repeat this a few times; I like beer.

Your statement "I have decided to clone this recipe" was so absolute, I knew you had a game plan. Can't wait to read the results.
 
First, I just picked up two cases of hopslam.

Second, I'm going to harvest some yeast from a bottle of Bells's Brown Best and make some slants. (And probably make a big-ass starter and brink it.)

Then I'm going to make about ten 600ml grain-bills, strike at 155ish, do a 90 minute boil, chill to 65 and mini-ferment them all inside of erlenmeyer flasks.

Then I'm going to bottle each one and drink them in a few weeks, with a comparative bottle.

Finally, I will take notes and adjust one variable in nine of the mini recipes and maintain a control of the "best one".

I hope I get to repeat this a few times; I like beer.

So how's this experiment coming Crypto? Anything to report or still too early in the process?
 
My conversion to ipa's has been recent so my knowledge of hops is weak. I am a ttacked to hopslam because I started making wine than mead and than big dark and maltty. However I have one point of disagreement with you and that is IPA's which are large alcohol and highly hopped beers were a way to survive for transports taking British troops around the cape to India. Where they caught on for their maturity and were than shipped as a product to the those same ports from England. As to hopslam I have no history with maturing it. It was only a talking point which I am going through. Today I opened an afforementioned homebrew. added TBSP clover honey to a small glass and whisked it in an taste it. ITwas way to sweet but interesting I got my funnel out and
dumped the remainder into the just opened 16 oz swingtop. Shook it up and tasted again with much better result. I think Bells is using clover(cost also drives that). I have a IPA in primary, when I rack to secondary I'm going to pull 1 gallon and add 1/4 honey to that gallon and give it 2 weeks to a month to bottle both. At which time I'm going to pull another gallon off which will use honey as the primer, the remainder of the fiver and the honey added gallon will be primed normally. 2 more weeks to bottle condition. Than Ill have my initial result for my clone of hopslam. Since Bells is using 1087 as OG that means their FG is 1020, Only 1056m yeast is normally used for an IPA that is because of the alcohol tolerance which can easily handle 10%. Thanks for your reply

I know this thread is dead, but I need to comment on this. First of all IPAs were supposed to survive the trip to england without spoiling. That has nothing to do with the hop aroma and flavor dying out. As per Sierra Nevada, who does extensive research on this topic, hop aroma is significantly diminished after 30 days. As far as letting the honey mellow, that is a myth. If you make a mead properly it can be ready in 2-3 months. Honey in a beer is such a low % of the grist and there are plenty of nutrients in the grist to allow the yeast to be healthy. Combine that with the fact that the OG is lower and that you are using a ale yeast and you really will have no problems. I don't know where you get 1.020, but Hopslam finishes at 3 plato which is roughly 1.010. WLP001 or 1056 will do just fine.

Cheers,
Michael J. Pelechaty
 
I guess I have some questions about this statement,

Per Bells: We use Hersbrucker, Centennial, Glacier, Vanguard, & Crystal in the kettle, and then dry hop with Simcoe. Hopslam has an unusually high degree of fermentation, so you also encounter a fermentation profile that you wouldn't find in many of our other beers. Lets figure out a clone recipe for this one now that we have the type of hops. I have no experience with Glacier, Vanguard, or Crystal so I will not be of any assistance. Here is one more hint Our internal taste panels regularly identify a peach aroma that is unique among our brands to Hopslam. That, in concert with the various hops, may be the tropical flavor you asked about.

and how we can reconcile it with this statement

Hopping is trickier, but I can tell you that we use a blend of modern American high-alpha aroma hops. A generous dry hop addition of Simcoe with a touch of Amarillo provides the signature aromatic punch. Bitterness is less than most people think, in the mid-to-upper 60 IBU range. Hopslam is all about hop flavor, not unrestrained bitterness.

In the first post of the email by Steelers77, the bit about Glacier, Vanguard, etc wasn't included. However, in a later post, Sleepyemt says that he copied & pasted information he found in an internet search. This is the first time the Glacier, Vanguard bit ends up getting coupled together with the Steelers77 email, as far as I can tell.

Regardless, the email and the Glacier, Vanguard bit don't make sense to me. Glacier, Crystal, Vanguard, and Hersbrucker aren't considered "modern American high-alpha aroma hops" as far as I know.

So, I guess my two bits would be to focus more on Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus, Centennial, and maybe Citra or something and scrap the German and English hops,even though it sounds like they make for a great beer.

Not trying to raise a stink, I just love this beer and would love for us to come up with an accurate clone.
 
Time to resurect this ...When I picked up a sixer yesterday of Hopslam it reminded me of this recipe thread. So what's the consensus on this recipe ? Whats the best version of this recipe?
Of those that have brewed this, did you brew it again?
What was your recipe?
Would you brew it that way again?


Thanks!
 
Time to resurect this ...When I picked up a sixer yesterday of Hopslam it reminded me of this recipe thread. So what's the consensus on this recipe ? Whats the best version of this recipe?
Of those that have brewed this, did you brew it again?
What was your recipe?
Would you brew it that way again?


Thanks!

This one was the recipe I settled on. is it a exact? .... probably not So very Close though. I'd probably up the Amarillo a little at the dry hop. 6g recipe.It is a regular in my house now. :mug:

12.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
16 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 85.9 %
9.6 oz Caramel Malt - 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.1 %
9.6 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.1 %
1.50 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [3.50 %] - First Hop 5 16.8 IBUs
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 7.8 %
1.50 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 22.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [6.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 14.4 IBUs
1.20 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 11.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 14.1 IBUs
0.80 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 11 5.3 IBUs
0.60 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 3.3 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 13 -
3.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
0.75 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0
 
anyone got a good extract with steeping grains version?

Here's the same recipe with Extra Light DME subbed, if you wanted to use Liquid you aim for a 1.087 SG which is 12lbs 2 oz roughly. Note the Centennial i had was from a crop with Low AA, and I increased the Amarillo at dry hop. If you brew this, let me know how it turns out:mug:

12.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
12.8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.1 %
12.0 oz Caramel Malt - 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.7 %
1.53 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [3.50 %] - First Hop 4 15.5 IBUs
10 lbs 1.9 oz Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 5 76.9 %
1 lbs 7.8 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 11.3 %
1.53 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 23.2 IBUs
1.02 oz Centennial [6.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 14.6 IBUs
1.22 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 11.2 IBUs
1.02 oz Amarillo Gold [8.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 14.4 IBUs
0.81 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 11 5.4 IBUs
0.61 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 3.4 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 13 -
3.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
1.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Day Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
 
I used it in replacement of the honey, and used sugar to help dry it. The dry hopping is what worked on my system and after various attempts what I settled in...
 
This one was the recipe I settled on. is it a exact? .... probably not So very Close though. I'd probably up the Amarillo a little at the dry hop. 6g recipe.It is a regular in my house now. :mug:

12.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
16 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 85.9 %
9.6 oz Caramel Malt - 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.1 %
9.6 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.1 %
1.50 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [3.50 %] - First Hop 5 16.8 IBUs
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 7.8 %
1.50 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 22.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [6.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 14.4 IBUs
1.20 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 11.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 14.1 IBUs
0.80 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 11 5.3 IBUs
0.60 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 3.3 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 13 -
3.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
0.75 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0

Thanks Sleepyemt.... I'm gonna give this a try in a few weeks. If it's close that's all good with me!
Love to brew it sooner but the beer schedule is set for the next few brews.
I will chime back in when I get to taste it and post my thoughts.
 
finally got to taste the actual hopslam for the first time just now. cant wait to brew it. tasty tasty stuff but man is it expensive.
 
Sleepyemt,

I brewed this all grain according to your recipe. I am putting in second ferementer tomorrow. I dont have a climate controlled storage area so I am at 66 degrees in my down stairs. Dry hop Simcoe and Amarillo. 2 weeks. Bottle. I will do a Hopslam side by side on here. Not sure why people dont want to share results. Hope its good.
 
cmac4408 said:
Sleepyemt,

I brewed this all grain according to your recipe. I am putting in second ferementer tomorrow. I dont have a climate controlled storage area so I am at 66 degrees in my down stairs. Dry hop Simcoe and Amarillo. 2 weeks. Bottle. I will do a Hopslam side by side on here. Not sure why people dont want to share results. Hope its good.

Be careful on how long you Dryhop for, for me beyond 8-10 days can become vegetal...
 
bottling lhbs version friday. gonna brew up the recipe a few posts up next weekend hopefully :)
 
Sleepyemt,

Do you prefer your extract version or your all grain recipe better? Which is closer to the actual taste of Hopslam? Is the extract recipe easier?
 
LandoAllen said:
Sleepyemt,

Do you prefer your extract version or your all grain recipe better? Which is closer to the actual taste of Hopslam? Is the extract recipe easier?

I've never done the extract, only the all grain.... That was converted for someone as a favor. However if you can do the all grain, you can control the degree of fermentability, getting possibly lower that extract. In terms of a easier recipe, extract wouldn't fake as long...

More important would be your pitching rate and a good oxygenation...
 
Sleepyemt said:
This one was the recipe I settled on. is it a exact? .... probably not So very Close though. I'd probably up the Amarillo a little at the dry hop. 6g recipe.It is a regular in my house now. :mug:

12.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
16 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 85.9 %
9.6 oz Caramel Malt - 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.1 %
9.6 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.1 %
1.50 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [3.50 %] - First Hop 5 16.8 IBUs
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 7.8 %
1.50 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 22.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [6.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 14.4 IBUs
1.20 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 11.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.60 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 14.1 IBUs
0.80 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 11 5.3 IBUs
0.60 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 3.3 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 13 -
3.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
0.75 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0

Can you give more details on your mash schedule and temps you used? Did you do a protein rest? Did i read it right that you mash and boil for 60 min? How much wart did yo have before and after the boil? I assume you racked to secondary and cold crashed? What was your OG and FG? Any extra advice or tips would help.

What was the purpose in using dextrose instead of honey? I think I missed that somewhere after reading this whole thread...

Sorry I am asking so many questions. I've searched long and hard and your recipes seem to be the only ones with some sort of feedback and positive results...Hopslam is one of my favorites but nearly impossible to get in my area because the stores all sell out in days. And you can forget trying to find a bar or pub that has it on draft.
 
Can you give more details on your mash schedule and temps you used? Did you do a protein rest? Did i read it right that you mash and boil for 60 min? How much wart did yo have before and after the boil? I assume you racked to secondary and cold crashed? What was your OG and FG? Any extra advice or tips would help.

I do a single infusion temperature mash Aiming for 149 degrees, until you get conversion, ~ an hour. I boil for 90 Minutes ~8.75g, and get a good rolling boil, this recipe is for 6 gal. post boil, and after trub loss, cooling loss, and dry hopping loss It is 5 gallons into the keg. Og of 1.087 is what your aiming for, Before you secondary make sure your at FG, I generally get 1.012 - 1.010, then secondary and dry hop additions for 7-8 days, then cold crash and gelatin for fairly clear beer. Big yeast starter (see Mr Malty) and a healthy dose of O2 will help a lot towards attentuation.

These specs are for my system though, its what works for me with ~ 70% Efficiency, you'll need to change it to your system. I have 2 10g igloo coolers, and a 10g kettle. My fermentation is temperature controlled.


What was the purpose in using dextrose instead of honey? I think I missed that somewhere after reading this whole thread...

With the hone malt in there and the fact that honey will ferment almost 99% out, I find the sugar an acceptable substitute, and a little cheaper. I've brewed with both and find it almost indecipherable....

Sorry I am asking so many questions. I've searched long and hard and your recipes seem to be the only ones with some sort of feedback and positive results...Hopslam is one of my favorites but nearly impossible to get in my area because the stores all sell out in days. And you can forget trying to find a bar or pub that has it on draft.

Ask away my brother! just leave feedback, I look forward to your results... I was hoping to hear about others results but they seem to have been lost, lol. I cant speak for bottling this beer, with so much hops you may need to redose with yeast at bottling... I seem to recall a BN podcast about yeast being stressed when their are lots of hops.
Hopslam is also one of my favorites, and with some of the area liquor stores jacking up the price its easier this way...

Hope this helps!!! Let me know what else I can answer:mug:
 
Sleepyemt did you use the gypsum because your water is soft? I use city water and have a water softener so I have really soft water. I have yet to start this brew bc I have been waiting for my temp controller to arrive in the mail and ill have to wire it all up. It's taking forever to arrive...I should have known better than to buy it off eBay from someone in China.
 
LandoAllen said:
Sleepyemt did you use the gypsum because your water is soft? I use city water and have a water softener so I have really soft water. I have yet to start this brew bc I have been waiting for my temp controller to arrive in the mail and ill have to wire it all up. It's taking forever to arrive...I should have known better than to buy it off eBay from someone in China.


Ouch! Good luck with the temp controller! It will help when it does come in. Yes, the water here is really soft, I was advised by my lhbs to add gypsum it'll help with the hops... I can't really advise on how much for your water, but it has helped with mine.

I think you'll love the recipe
 
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