Hop Hammer Tips

Hello, all.

We're going to brew up a batch of Jamil's Hope Hammer recipe (recipe below for reference).

I had a couple of specific questions:

I would imagine the dextrose should be added at the end of the boil, maybe with 15 or so minutes remaining?

I've read various things on how long the extract should be in the boil. Do we add the extract at the start of the 90 minute boil, or is it preferable to add it later?

Also, the recipe calls for 3 packs of liquid yeast - is that overkill, or necessary?

Lastly, there's a lot of dry hops going in the secondary - any concerns with filtering those out on bottling day? Would we be better racking to a bucket rather than a carboy?

Any tips/advice greatly appreciated. Thanks, guys!

(Recipe follows)

Hop Hammer
(5 gallons/19 L,
extract with grains)
OG = 1.079 (19.1 °P)
FG = 1.013 (3.3 °P)
IBU = 100+ (315 calculated) SRM = 6 ABV = 8.8%

Ingredients
8.0 lb. (3.63 kg) Briess light liquid malt extract (2 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) Great Western wheat liquid malt extract (4 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) Great Western crystal malt (40 °L)
1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) corn sugar (0 °L)
26.25 AAU Warrior pellet hops, (1.75 oz./50 g at 15% alpha acids) (90 min.)
22.75 AAU Chinook pellet hops, (1.75 oz./50 g at 13% alpha acids) (90 min.)
12 AAU Simcoe pellet hops, (1.0 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids) (45 min.)
14 AAU Columbus pellet hops, (1.0 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids) (30 min.)
15.75 AAU Centennial pellet hops, (1.75 oz./50 g at 9% alpha acids) (0 min.)
12 AAU Simcoe pellet hops, (1.0 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids) (0 min.)
35 AAU Columbus pellet hops, (2.5 oz./71 g at 14% alpha acids) (dry)
13.5 AAU Centennial pellet hops, (1.5 oz./43 g at 9% alpha acids) (dry)
18 AAU Simcoe pellet hops, (1.5 oz./43 g at 12% alpha acids)(dry)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malts. Mix them well and place loosely in a grain bag. Steep the bag in 1⁄2 gallon (~2 liters) of 170 °F (77 °C) water for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume around 6.5 gallons (24.4 L) and the gravity is 1.061 (15.0 °P). Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 90 minutes after adding the bittering hops. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule and Irish moss or other kettle finings at 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort rapidly to 67 °F (19 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly. Follow the fermentation and packaging instructions for the all-grain version.


Use 15 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 3 liquid yeast packages, or make an appropriate starter. Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C), slowly raising the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) as the fermentation begins to slow. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week, but don't rush it.

As soon as the bulk of the yeast begins to drop, transfer the beer to a second fermenter and add the dry hops. The pellets should break up and eventually settle to the bottom of the fermenter. This might take a few days, so don't panic. Let the beer sit on the hops for another 7 days, approximately 7 to 10 days total.

Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes.

ajbj76 said:

I had a couple of specific questions:

1) I would imagine the dextrose should be added at the end of the boil, maybe with 15 or so minutes remaining?

2) I've read various things on how long the extract should be in the boil. Do we add the extract at the start of the 90 minute boil, or is it preferable to add it later?

3) Also, the recipe calls for 3 packs of liquid yeast - is that overkill, or necessary?

4) Lastly, there's a lot of dry hops going in the secondary - any concerns with filtering those out on bottling day? Would we be better racking to a bucket rather than a carboy?

Click to expand...

1) You can add the sugar at flame out. Take the pot off the boil and then add it and stir to dissolve. No need to interrupt the boil.

2) Add half the extract at the start (4 lbs), and then add the rest at flame out (after you have taken the pot off the boil). Temp will still be well above pasteurization temp.

3) 3 packs is over-kill. 2 packs should be fine ........ learn how to make a starter, it will save you money in the long-run and ensure healthy yeast at pitching. 1 pack plus starter will do fine.

4) Not sure what the bucket vs. carboy question is. When you bottle, rack the beer to a bottling bucket which has the priming sugar in it. You can get 5 gallon paint straining bags from the hardware store and put one of these over the inlet off the siphon tube, and you will get clear beer. Most pellet pieces will have dropped, but the bag will catch the few stragglers. The bag can be washed and re-used.

Other Comments:

- Why rack to secondary? Not necessary.

- Do a hop stand with the zero minute hops. I like to get the temp down to 175 and then add the hops and leave it for 30 to 60 minutes before cooling further. Do some research on 'Hop stand' and figure what you think is best. After adding the 'extra' extract and the sugar the temp will still be above 195 F. You could add them at that time and leave them for a while before cooling. There are lots of different thoughts of when to add the hopstand hops - there is no set standard.

Appreciate it, thanks!

If you can cold crash the beer for a couple days before you bottle, you'll really knock the vast majority of the hops down.

If it's winter where you are, simply set the fermenter in your garage or shed (if not super cold) with some sort of cover on it to keep out the light.

Also, I agree, no need whatsoever for a secondary. They tend to introduce unneeded oxygen which is the sworn enemy of a hoppy beer.

Edit: I regularly dry hop with 6 or more ounces per 5 gallons and with careful transfer and a brief cold crash, I hardly ever notice any vegetation in the finished product. Also, if you decide to cold crash, think about using some gelatin if you really want clear beer. It works better if the beer has developed chill haze before you use it.