Mcmenamin's Hammerhead Clone

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mew

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2006
Messages
851
Reaction score
10
Mcmenamin's, a brewpub chain here in the pacific northwest, has a really good pale ale: the Hammerhead. Does anyone know a good clone for it? this is what I'm thinking:

Type: All grain Size: 5 gallons
Color: 15 HCU (~9 SRM)
Bitterness: 38 IBU
OG: 1.057 FG: 1.012

Mash at 154 degrees F for 60 minutes
est. efficiency: 70%

8 lb. British pale
2 lb. American Munich
.5 lb. American crystal 20L
.5 lb. American crystal 40L

25 oz. Centennial (10.5% AA, 20 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 10 min.)
1.25 oz. Centennial (10.5% AA, 10 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 5 min.)
.5 oz. Centennial (10.5% AA, 5 min.)
 
Even if you aren't familiar with the Hammerhead, any general comments on the beer would be helpful.
 
:mug:I'm very familiar with it. I'm going to do a extract recipe I found on Bader Beer and Wine supply web site. I'm going to use for a 7.5 gal batch:

9lb. DME (light)
2.25lbs. Crystal (80)
2oz. Cascade @60 min.
2 oz. Cascade @ 30 min
1oz. Cascade @ flame out
I figure with the full boil I'll get the right IBU's:mug:
 
I used to work for the Brothers.

Stay with 80L and all cascades.
Mash at 152-154, boil for 90min.

I am out of the house right now so this is all I can give you.

Have fun!
 
Did you ever brew this up? And is the 25 oz. Centennial a missing period somewhere?


Ha! yeah, that should be 0.25 oz

I brewed it yesterday, but couldn't get the Centennial so I opted for Amarillo. It smells great and the hydrometer sample tasted great, too, so I have high hopes for this one! I'll keep you posted.
 
I used to work for the Brothers.

Stay with 80L and all cascades.
Mash at 152-154, boil for 90min.

I am out of the house right now so this is all I can give you.

Have fun!

B-Dub knows what he's talking about, Hammerhead is all Cascade hops.

Boy, I don't think I could even count how many pints of Hammerhead I've drank over the years. I also have the distinction of ordering the first pint of Hammerhead at every Washington McMenamins. :mug:
 
I think next time I'll take B-Dub's suggestions, but the beer I've got in primary smells awesome anyway.
 
Here's my stab at it.... I have this in the primary now.

House Amber Ale - AG

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

07-B Amber Hybrid Beer, California Common Ale

Min OG: 1.048 Max OG: 1.054
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 6.00 Wort Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.50
Anticipated OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.45
Anticipated SRM: 11.9
Anticipated IBU: 35.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
60.9 7.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
17.4 2.00 lbs. Munich Malt(dark) America 1.033 20
6.5 0.75 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
15.2 1.75 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.25 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.90 30.2 60 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.90 4.8 10 min.
1.75 oz. Cascade Whole 5.90 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----

Danstar Nottingham


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 11.50
Water Qts: 14.69 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 3.67 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.28 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 15


Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.59 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



Notes
-----

Easy Awesome Amber Ale

Awards
------

Extract Version - Pella Home Brew Club - Best Beer 2008 @ Gene Schmitz's
 
Sounds like it will be a great brew.

I was just up in the PNW last month and stopped by one of my favorite Mc Spots: The Fulton. Nice Hammer Head, but I thought it was a little light on the hops. Then we went to the Bagdad and the Hammer Head there was very poor. For me this was a great disappointment because I used to brew at the Edgefield who supplies the Bagdad.

Does any else find the Hammer Head is not the robust hoppy monster that it used to be?

I still really liked the Fulton!

Cheers
 
I think it depends on where you go. In Eugene it definitely still is. It may also depend on the batch; they are small breweries, after all.
 
Anyone have any reports on how these turned out yet? I'm brewing a Hammerhead Clone recipe from a local shop this weekend.

Supplies:
6.6 LBS Light Malt Syrup
1 1/2 LBS 80L Chrystal
1 TSP Burton Water Salts
1 1/2 oz Cascade (60 Min)
1 1/2 oz Cascade (30 Min)
1 oz Cascade (5 Min)
3/4 Cup Corn Sugar (Bottling)

Details:
Steep crushed malted grain in 2 gallons of 150° water (tap water is about 130°) for 30 minutes. Don’t fret the temp too much, relax. Remove the grain from the hot water with a strainer, then bring water to a boil. When boiling starts, remove pot from burner and add 1 cup malt syrup. Return to a boil, then add 1½ oz boiling hops and brewing salts and boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish Moss for last 45 minutes of boil. Add 1½ oz hops for last 30 minutes of boil. Add finishing hops for last 5 minutes of the boil. Then add remainder of malt syrup and stir to mix, wait 10 minutes to sanitize. Fill your sanitized carboy with 2 gallons of cold water. Strain the hot wort into the carboy and top off to the 5 gallon mark. Add yeast when beer is less than 78°, and ferment and bottle as ususal.
 
My recipe turned out to be very very tasty and reminiscent of the Hammerhead, but it was definitely not a clone. If I were to do it again, I'd move the 20 min. hops to 30 min. and mash at a lower temperature, maybe 152 F instead of 154 F.

To make it more like the hammerhead, I'd stick to base malt and crystal 80 L. Stevefarns, your recipe looks great.
 
We'll see how it turns out. I can't take credit for the recipe though, I got it from a local home brew shop.
I got brave today and brewed two batches at the same time, Hammerhead and Centennial Blonde). Something I've never tried before... Needless to say my day was full of boil overs and mistakes.
Oh, did I mention that I bottled a batch today as well? Haha, I'm going to officially recommend that nobody try to multi task like that (at least not durring football season).
The Hammerhead smelled great though. I'll post back in a while to let people know how it turned out.
 
Steve, You better share your Hammerhead with your favorite rookie home brewer!
I cant wait to brew a batch myself. Hammerhead is without a doubt my favorite beer.
 
I made a clone, 1.5 lbs of 80l for 30 minutes @150deg and then 6lbs of light dme then cascade 1.5oz cascade hops @60 minutes 1.5oz's @ 30 minutes and 1.o oz's @ 55minutes, 1 tsp of burton water salts @ begining of boil and 1/2 tsp irish moss at 45 minutes and then find a california ale yeast for it and your good,I used a dried american cali ale 005 yeast and it cam out EXACTLY LIKE A HAMMERHEAD!! I was so stoked when it came out I almost fell to my knees hehehe
 

Latest posts

Back
Top