Heady Topper

[koopa]

I had Heady out of the can each time. That might explain some of the differences in sweetness that I noticed. Anyways, please post how the hop rocket affects the flavor and aroma of the beer. Since I'm subscribed to this thread and might be purchasing a hop rocket in the near future... depending on your results. Cheers!

Will do but probably won't be trying again until the end of summer or fall. A quick solution until then would be to beef up the flame out addition and the dry hop amount to an insane level

I'm starting to think that what I'm going to do next is use the hoprocket on the way into the fermenter in lieu of the flame out addition, then ferment, then rack into a keg with a dry hop dose for 5-6 days, then co2 push it from that keg, through the hop rocket, and into another keg with no hops in it. Then carbonate and serve....

 

[koopa]

- no crystal is used at all.

Excellent recon work and contribution to the thread thanks! I'm especially happy to hear this because I really liked the Pearl malt and was thinking about making it my "house base malt" so you have given me extra motivation to really just see what this malt is like on its own.

 

[koopa]

I doubt its Simcoe as I use it heavily and have never picked up anything remotely related to pineapple. Maybe it's Citra, that screams tropical fruits to me.

Simcoe is offered by at least 3 different farms and each offering is different bitterness / flavor / smell wise....about 5 minutes in.....

 

[Petekiteworld]

I brew a beer quite similar to heady. the key is a 6oz dry hop.

 

[bluemoose]

Just stopped at the brewery and picked up 2 4 packs.

 

[bluemoose]

By the way, they are expanding the brewery. Plan to expand the distribution. Heady Topper, coming soon to a store near you!

 

[JoeBronco]

Bluemoose - Interested in a trade for Pliny?

 

[Wingfan13]

Just an FYI, Russian River uses hop extract in Pliny.

 

[bluemoose]

Bluemoose - Interested in a trade for Pliny?

I don't know that it would ship well. It needs to be shipped cold, as it comes from the brewery.

 

[JoeBronco]

I try to use the Ice packs that come with Yeast (if you order in bulk) Your pliny will be cool, as long as you bubble wrap the crap out of it. It normally stays fairly cool and doesn't heat up too much. Ive had good luck shipping Pliny and sours that way.

 

[othellomcbane]

Not sure if this was known before or not, but John Kimmich attributes a lot of Heady's flavor to his own personal yeast strain that he uses, Conan, according to this interview: http://bites.today.msnbc.msn.com/_n...traight-from-the-tallboy#.UABPgj5JpAk.twitter

Since Heady is unfiltered, it looks like I'll be culturing some yeast from the next batch I get my hands on... hopefully this weekend, since I'm going to Vermont tomorrow. Anyone already try this?

 

[paulster2626]

Hmm good article. First I've heard of this. Let is know how it goes - and have fun in VT!!

 

[othellomcbane]

Man, Vermont is something. Wish I could visit more often, what a beautiful state. The Alchemist sold out by Saturday evening, though we were lucky enough to find a store in Stowe (called Stowe Liquor or Stowe State Liquor Store or something similarly nondescript) that had like 7 cases at a very reasonable price. The owner was an awesome dude, I highly recommend stopping there if you're in search of Heady.

Now to try the yeast culturing this week. It'll be awfully difficult to force myself to leave enough at the bottom of the can for this test.

 

[ScootersAle]

Man, Vermont is something. Wish I could visit more often, what a beautiful state. The Alchemist sold out by Saturday evening, though we were lucky enough to find a store in Stowe (called Stowe Liquor or Stowe State Liquor Store or something similarly nondescript) that had like 7 cases at a very reasonable price. The owner was an awesome dude, I highly recommend stopping there if you're in search of Heady.

They get a lot of ****** bag tourists in there so if you show any interest in good beer, they are usually extremely helpful. If you talk up the guy with the big beard he might point out some gems they put aside for the locals. It is definitely the best beer store in my area.

Vermont is the best state

 

[paulster2626]

Love that guy with the beard!

Bought the last two cans of heady in the winter along with some dogfish and s.n. product, and he told me to peek in the back fridge for "the stash" of heady topper. So I bought lots more
I remember saying to my friend on the way out "that was the nicest liquor store guy ever".

You can also get heady at Picasso across the street - and a really good pizza while you're at it. But you hav to drink it there, poor soul.

 

[othellomcbane]

Love that guy with the beard!

Bought the last two cans of heady in the winter along with some dogfish and s.n. product, and he told me to peek in the back fridge for "the stash" of heady topper. So I bought lots more
I remember saying to my friend on the way out "that was the nicest liquor store guy ever".

You can also get heady at Picasso across the street - and a really good pizza while you're at it. But you hav to drink it there, poor soul.

He was seriously the man. And had an epic beard, too.

 

[bluemoose]

Had to drive to the cannery today to pick some up. Those folks are very nice. The stores I normally pick it up at were all out. Apparently everyone else had the same idea, only a couple days earlier!

 

[othellomcbane]

Operation Steal Heady Topper Yeast appears to be a success. Going to give the yeast a few more days to do their thing (I'll be out of town this weekend anyway) and then I'll step up the starter again.

Good thing I was planning on brewing an IPA next anyway. It's not meant to be a Heady clone at all, but I'm hoping it'll give me a reasonable idea of what his yeast contributes.

 

[dbennett78]

This beer looks like hell in a glass, so I can see why they say drink from the can. Looks like alot of hop debris left in solution when they can it.

 

[Wingfan13]

This beer looks like hell in a glass, so I can see why they say drink from the can. Looks like alot of hop debris left in solution when they can it.

Yeah, it is definitely an ugly beer.

 

[bluemoose]

Yum!

 

[j1laskey]

OMG! YOU'RE NOT DRINKING FROM THE CAN

 

[bluemoose]

Just showing it is not too ugly. Wish I had better light.

 

[OldWorld]

Pliny The Elder used to have much more citrus/pine character that made the brewery famous. Now it has much less citrus and slightly more toasted malt profile.

Heady Topper sounds interesting. When Russian River first opened the beer had a much better oily hop presence. Now it seems to be dumbed down with an extract of sorts. It could also be that the hops are not to the same specs, season to season.

I'd gladly trade a few bottles of Pliny for some Heady Topper. But I warn you the bottled Pliny is stale in comparison to the stuff on tap. It's just your average double IPA...hype...marketing and cultish hopheads.

 

[Skelator]

i stopped by the cannery today and the temperature reading on the controller bolted to the fermenter jacket was 58... those suckers were bubbling about 50 times more violent than any homebrew ive ever seen..

 

[othellomcbane]

Whoa, that's way colder than I would have expected. Huh. Guess I'll have to ferment quite a bit cooler than I was anticipating.

 

[Airborneguy]

The fermenting temperatures used in commercial sized batches do not translate for our much smaller batches. They are fermenting under much high pressures and in much larger quantities. They also ferment out their batches much quicker than we tend to. I'm not a huge Jamil fan, but this is mentioned frequently on his podcasts and in his writings.

 

[jbaysurfer]

I had Heady Topper, Pliny and my own Citra DIPA last night. I hate to tell you guys this, but that's not Citra in Heady Topper. Whoever said an NZ hop I think is onto something. NS, or maybe galaxy?

Regarding debating what's better, HT or PTE, that's just silly. I will say this, I'm tired of sloppy beers being billed as "unfiltered" as though it's a stylistic choice to have a bunch of debris in your can/bottle. Lot's of west coast PNW brewers are doing it too, but I (and likely all of you) know that every one of us can get clear beers through just cold crashing. Maybe you need a centrifuge at the commercial scale, and they'd rather not spend the money at these breweries, but my Heady Topper was cloudier then my own hefeweisen that I have on tap. I poured it into a glass and realized why the can encourages you to "drink from the can!"...I wouldn't want anyone seeing all that floaty crap either.

That said, I am working on a trade right now PTE for HT, so I obviously didn't hate the beer...just the presentation.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Just an FYI, Russian River uses hop extract in Pliny.

in lieu of mash hops. It's not like they're skimping on the real thing. They put a buttload of simcoe, ctz etc...in the boiler.

FTR, I met Vinny on Thursday night at the RR downtown brewery. Of course, one of the worlds most renown brewers...he was driving the forklift and working at 9PM at night like a regular Joe. Good dude.

 

[scottieo2]

I had Heady Topper, Pliny and my own Citra DIPA last night. I hate to tell you guys this, but that's not Citra in Heady Topper. Whoever said an NZ hop I think is onto something. NS, or maybe galaxy?

Any chance the hop you are thinking of is Motueka? I've never used it but the Alchemist does have a collaboration beer called Walden that uses it and has a lot of Heady qualities in taste/aroma.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Any chance the hop you are thinking of is Motueka? I've never used it but the Alchemist does have a collaboration beer called Walden that uses it and has a lot of Heady qualities in taste/aroma.

Very well could be. Unfortunately if I've ever had that hop, it was in the HT I drank last night, so I have nothing to compare it too. I do think the NZ hops have a disintive flavor though, and I thought I tasted that flavor in the HT.

Now I'm interested in finding other beers with Motueka though. Anything besides Walden that a west coast drinker might find commercially (that you know of)?

 

[scottieo2]

Very well could be. Unfortunately if I've ever had that hop, it was in the HT I drank last night, so I have nothing to compare it too. I do think the NZ hops have a disintive flavor though, and I thought I tasted that flavor in the HT.

Now I'm interested in finding other beers with Motueka though. Anything besides Walden that a west coast drinker might find commercially (that you know of)?

Not sure their distribution but it looks like Karl Strauss uses Motueka in their Pintail Pale Ale.

http://www.karlstrauss.com/PAGES/Brews/OurBeer/PintailPaleAle.html

 

[othellomcbane]

The fermenting temperatures used in commercial sized batches do not translate for our much smaller batches. They are fermenting under much high pressures and in much larger quantities. They also ferment out their batches much quicker than we tend to. I'm not a huge Jamil fan, but this is mentioned frequently on his podcasts and in his writings.

Okay cool, I was wondering if that might be the case. Makes perfect sense. I'm brewing this now, I'll probably ferment around 65/66. The starter, sitting in a 74 degree room, has a nice peachy aroma. I was initially thinking this might need to ferment a bit warmer, but I think a safe middle-ground temp is best for its first run.

 

[MrKentGoldings]

I've been working on a heady clone for a few months and I have had the best luck with a grain bill of pearl, golden promise, and Munich 20l. As far as the hops go that has been something that has been changing. I have been using simcoe for bittering, Citra, galaxy, centennial, and Amarillo for aroma. The flavors are all there however not nearly in the amounts that you find in heady. I have been debating on whether to add more to my aroma schedule or just dry hop the s&@! Out of it.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'm thinking tons of dry hops, which is why they don't filter it and it looks like crap. Personally, looks mean nothing to me unless it manifests in the taste somehow.

 

[othellomcbane]

I'm thinking tons of dry hops, which is why they don't filter it and it looks like crap. Personally, looks mean nothing to me unless it manifests in the taste somehow.

Exactly. I don't get how Heady is "ugly" but a hefeweizen isn't.

 

[Skelator]

fact: they use hop extract. Not sure on how much, which variety, and timing of addition.

 

[j1laskey]

fact: they use hop extract. Not sure on how much, which variety, and timing of addition.

How is that a fact if your "not sure"? I don't mean to be a dick but how does your statement make sense?

 

[Airborneguy]

Well he did say 'not sure how much'.

That said, I'd like to know what the source is. If true, this could help narrow down a recipe.

 

[motobrewer]

How is that a fact if your "not sure"? I don't mean to be a dick but how does your statement make sense?

not to be a dick but how does it not make sense?