American Pale Ale: Hopslam

[Fletch78]

Background: Since I first tried Hopslam at the fancy-beer pub this past Spring, I've been reading up on all information possible on how to makes this, and thanks to HBT for providing the bulk of that information. Not just on recreating hopslam, but all the ins and outs of all grain brewing. This was my first time. The bubbler is bubbling. I have also been doing alot of research at the liquor store, trying all the crazy pales I could find (and afford), picking out what I liked or didn't like about each one, and looked up recipes for them to add to my quest of making a great pale ale.

Also, I don't have the fancy spreadsheet stuff, so I have to type the recipe out.

10 pounds pilsen malt
1 pound 20L crystal (I wanted 10l, but LHBS didn't have it)
2 pounds clover honey, generic (see note)
WL East Coast Ale

3.5 gallons 170F strike, mash started at 158 and slowly fell to 150 over the course of an hour.
2 gallons 200F batch #1 sparge
2 gallons 170F batch #2 sparge

6.5 gallons pre-boil at 1.024 @ 141F (adjusted to... 1.04something)


(all pellets)
1 oz cascade (7.2 AA) 60 min
1/2 cascade (7.2 AA) 15 min
1/2 amarillo (7.4 AA) 15 min
1 teaspoon irish moss 15 min

Dry Hop:
2 oz Simcoe (12 AA)
1/2 oz Amarillo (7.4 AA)
1/2 oz Cascade (7.2 AA)

Notes:
It took about an hour to chill to 100F, first time AG kinks getting worked out. The post-boil volume was 5.25 g in the fermentor. Next morning, the fermenter had cooled to room temp and yeast was pitched. After krausen formed, I topped off with 2 pounds of the honey mixed into 2 cups of boiled water which took me up to the 5.5 gallon mark. I did this after the yeast formed a krausen, for my own personal reasons. No hydro sample taken at that time, but using calculators, it should be about 1.057 (room temp) after the honey addition. It was 1.042 at 108 degrees the day before.

This will probably slow down by the weekend, and I can add the dry hop addition, and hopefully bottle in two weeks. If this is half as good as hopslam, I'm going to order all of these ingredients in bulk and start brewing full time, from my van down by the river.

 

[headfullahops]

Not to nit-pick but, Hopslam is, by all accounts, a double IPA.

 

[Fletch78]

Not to nit-pick but, Hopslam is, by all accounts, a double IPA.

Not all accounts.

 

[headfullahops]

Not all accounts.

You're right. I'm sorry... MOST.

 

[Bashiba]

Ya headfullahops is completely right, its a double IPA.

"A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style."

Thats right from Bells own website.
They list the OG of it at 1.087, no mention of the IBU's but I would guess they are upwards of 120.

Your recipe looks fine, but nothing near hopslam.

 

[Fletch78]

I'm glad you brought that up Bashiba. Bell's own website also promotes it as 'tongue-blistering' bitterness. However, I drank it side by side with some other pales and it was milder than all of them. It tasted to me like it was in the upper 30's, low 40's.

Therefore, the people who handle marketing are not the people who make the beer at Bell's. And that's actually pretty common.

 

[businesstime]

I'm glad you brought that up Bashiba. Bell's own website also promotes it as 'tongue-blistering' bitterness. However, I drank it side by side with some other pales and it was milder than all of them. It tasted to me like it was in the upper 30's, low 40's.

Therefore, the people who handle marketing are not the people who make the beer at Bell's. And that's actually pretty common.

The IBU's on HopSlam have got to be higher than 40. The ABV is near 10% and the only way to counter the alcohol and residual sweetness would to have a higher amount of bitterness. I think you may create a good beer, maybe a "Session HopSlam", but certainly not HopSlam.

 

[Fletch78]

This is my first AG, and this is attempt #1 at Hopslam. I'm sure it will taste good, and I know I'll need to make changes. What would be the odds of me nailing Hopslam with my first AG attempt? I think yall are being too harsh. Remember businesstime, I hate Carolina as much as you do.

OT: Do you pronounce it:

A: Clamp-sin
B: Clee-um-zin

 

[businesstime]

This is my first AG, and this is attempt #1 at Hopslam. I'm sure it will taste good, and I know I'll need to make changes. What would be the odds of me nailing Hopslam with my first AG attempt? I think yall are being too harsh. Remember businesstime, I hate Carolina as much as you do.

OT: Do you pronounce it:

A: Clamp-sin
B: Clee-um-zin

C: Klempsun

Good luck this weekend!!

Also, can you get HopSlam in Athens this time of year? I like to make a visit to the five points bottling shop every now and then. AWESOME place, as is the trapeeze bar.

 

[Fletch78]

Trapeeze is where I've had hopslam before, but they haven't had it lately. I haven't been to 5 points bottle shop in a while, so I don't know. I will be on the hunt once this brew gets bottled, so I can do a side by side comparison. My biggest worry right now is that AJ was selling jerseys on Ebay.

 

[Calix_Meus_Inebrians]

I think its less of an issue of everyone being harsh so much as trying to correct you on the fact that is a "APA" so much as it is a double IPA, specifically since you disputed the fact that is was a double IPA. So as a friendly non-harsh correction to your statement, the BJCP lists Hopslam as a commercial example of an Imperial IPA and also their marketing director is Larry Bell's daughter Laura Bell. At any rate your recipe looks like it will make a tasty beer and congrats on your dive into all grain!

 

[Bashiba]

Also some strange news for you hopslam lovers, they are putting some of the next batch into 5-Liter Cans.

 

[Fletch78]

I think its less of an issue of everyone being harsh so much as trying to correct you on the fact that is a "APA" so much as it is a double IPA, specifically since you disputed the fact that is was a double IPA. So as a friendly non-harsh correction to your statement, the BJCP lists Hopslam as a commercial example of an Imperial IPA and also their marketing director is Larry Bell's daughter Laura Bell. At any rate your recipe looks like it will make a tasty beer and congrats on your dive into all grain!

God forbid I say IPA, even double IPA, and have the same amount of trub correcting me to "APA" after posting my recipe. The way I see it, it's a pale ale made in America, with a bunch of hops. For purposes of nomenclature, I should brush up on definitions for future correspondence. I understand the value of that. But does it really take 3 HBT'ers to screw in a light bulb?

 

[Fletch78]

The fact noone has chimed in to tell me "Dude, that's gonna suck" makes me happy. I just get irritated when I get the email alert that someone has posted to the topic, and I go to see it, and it's "It's not an APA, blah blah, Laura Bell, etc".


Laura Bell may be the marketing director, and she may even know all about the brewing, but her job is selling beer, as the marketing director. Whether or not a Bell is in charge of marketing doesn't change anything.

In case you've never tasted hopslam, it's not a bitter beer. Read their description on the website. Case Closed.

 

[OsbornBrewing]

Hopslam is brewed in February and March. It usually isn't on shelves now because it has been sold out for awhile.
Just searching these forums for Hopslam would show you that you are off on the hop additions.
From talking to Larry this spring IBU's are lower then expected at mid to upper 60s. Hopslam is all about hops flavor and aroma so you will want to dry hop, LOTS! with Simcoe.
Their yeast is proprietary, with Hopslam being a 12% you won't want to harvest from those bottles, try Brown Ale, Oberon, or Amber Ale. I have tasted a few good clones made with White Labs 001. The best is to ranch from Bell's bottles.
Good luck with your clone, I wouldn't recommend it right now though. Brew a Pale Ale, IPA or something. Get your fermentation down, and work out the kinks in your system perfecting the style. Then clone someone else's beer.
Temp control, water, sanitation, grain, crush all enter into what a beer will taste like, many of those will differ from what Bell's is doing. Too many things can happen during brewing and fermentation that if you aren't familiar with what is going on there will be no way to know why yours is different then Bell's.

CHEERS

 

[Fletch78]

So I'm a little low... but my point has just been justified by you... THANK YOU! It's NOT a BITTER beer!

I will definately take your advice in the future, knowing you've talked to the brewers.

What I could find was that Simcoe are the dominant hops, but in the dry addition, which I am doing 2 oz along with some Amarillo and cascade. So I'm not too far off.

 

[Homercidal]

Congratulations on tackling this very difficult beer and starting AG. I think one of the tricks to getting close to this beer is, besides the amount of honey and grain, the amount of specific hops varieties and late hop additions. As noted by almost everyone who has had it, Hopslam is a very smooth IIPA. Low on bitterness for a IIPA, but huge on hops aroma and flavor. To me it's like drinking liquid hops. It's bitterness is well balanced by the malt.

 

[Fletch78]

Thanks Homercidal.


To make it more interesting....

I added yeast nutrient at the 1/3 sugar break... and I've got a bad lot of Nottingham I'm going to boil for YAN and add at 2/3.

SHRIEK!

 

[OsbornBrewing]

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style14.php#1c - You are not getting nitpicked by a couple HBTers. There are many Certified judges here that know the style standards. With the credibility of the panel that put the styles together I'd say it is not really a matter of opinion.

Not sure either what scale you are using, that 60 IBUs isn't bitter. 60 isn't as a bitter as a lot of people expect it to be. It is still a bitter beer though.

 

[Fletch78]

10-4.


I'm not pointing fingers ... but an observation that I'd like to share:

When a noob posts a "What do you think of my recipe idea for my first all-grain?" then he's lucky to get 20 replies in two weeks.

But as soon as a noob posts a "Look, my first AG with a recipe I made myself, based on a premium beer I like" you get 20 replies in 4 hours saying how wrong it is.

 

[robtotten]

Interesting! I've seen Oberon packaged like that. Do they ever ship Two Hearted in those things?

Also some strange news for you hopslam lovers, they are putting some of the next batch into 5-Liter Cans.

 

[Homercidal]

10-4.


I'm not pointing fingers ... but an observation that I'd like to share:

When a noob posts a "What do you think of my recipe idea for my first all-grain?" then he's lucky to get 20 replies in two weeks.

But as soon as a noob posts a "Look, my first AG with a recipe I made myself, based on a premium beer I like" you get 20 replies in 4 hours saying how wrong it is.

I think part of that is that in a lot of cases a recipe is usually "ok". Meaning that it's hard to screw it up until you brew it. Everyone is different in their methods and expectations.

Plus, not everyone here can look at a recipe and know how it balances out. That's why noobs posting recipes often get a few of the most knowledgeable responses.

That's why I rarely reply to a recipe request. I just don't know by looking at it in most cases.

But most people who have ever had Hopslam knows it as a IIPA. I agree that the marketing is slightly off. It's NOT that bitter on the tongue. I think the company realizes that they can grab a portion of the market who wants to try an "Extreme" beer, and yet once they taste it appreciate it for not peeling the skin off their tongue.

And FYI - If you can get Hopslam fresh on tap - run, don't walk!

 

[Calix_Meus_Inebrians]

I responded since I am a Kalamazoo native that doesn't often come out of the woodwork to comment but happen particularly appreciate hopslam and listed that laura bell was the marketing director due to the fact you implied that it was entirely a marketing tactic from someone who didn't know about beer. I had no intention of trying to irritate you, simply informing you as someone who may have slightly more insight than others due to my geographical position and someone with access to hopslam about as fresh as you can get it. I believe that people corrected you in good faith that by correcting the style you were trying to clone, it would help improve your chances of making a more accurate clone. At any rate good luck in your continued pursuit of this difficult to master beer.

 

[foltster]

Interesting! I've seen Oberon packaged like that. Do they ever ship Two Hearted in those things?

They sure do. That is a sure-fire way to please a room of hop-heads.

 

[Fletch78]

I responded since I am a Kalamazoo native that doesn't often come out of the woodwork to comment but happen particularly appreciate hopslam and listed that laura bell was the marketing director due to the fact you implied that it was entirely a marketing tactic from someone who didn't know about beer. I had no intention of trying to irritate you, simply informing you as someone who may have slightly more insight than others due to my geographical position and someone with access to hopslam about as fresh as you can get it. I believe that people corrected you in good faith that by correcting the style you were trying to clone, it would help improve your chances of making a more accurate clone. At any rate good luck in your continued pursuit of this difficult to master beer.

I'm dead set on mastering it. It will be mastered. It will be better than their own, they'll be trying to mimic me. What I've brewed is a starting point. Adjustments will be made in both hardware and software, as well as personnel. I will make this beer my bitch. I will tell this beer how much her mother annoys me. I'll make her ashamed of her family, and her low-life friends. I'll make this whore my own little princess. All I need is $5 more dollars to put in her garter, and she'll be mine.

 

[dirty_martini]

Instead of taking offense to people correcting you, take it as constructive criticism. It may not be a bitter beer, but 30-40 IBUs on a beer of it's heft isn't going to give you the dry, crisp bite the beer needs. Also, talking like you know more than the people making and selling the beer is downright arrogant. People could care less if you are a noob, they want nothing more than to help you. Good luck with your beer, but tone down your smart ass attitude or no one is going to want to help you down your road to making this beer your bitch.

 

[Homercidal]

Instead of taking offense to people correcting you, take it as constructive criticism. It may not be a bitter beer, but 30-40 IBUs on a beer of it's heft isn't going to give you the dry, crisp bite the beer needs. Also, talking like you know more than the people making and selling the beer is downright arrogant. People could care less if you are a noob, they want nothing more than to help you. Good luck with your beer, but tone down your smart ass attitude or no one is going to want to help you down your road to making this beer your bitch.

I kind of like his attitude. I mean, it's going to be a hard beer to nail, but just because Hopslam is the tastiest beer I've ever had, I imagine that there is a possibility that there could eventually be a tastier beer made. It may take that sort of determination in order to craft a beer similar, or better.

I've been putting off brewing one mostly because I never had a boil kettle that could hold all of those hops! (I'm planning huge late hop additions!)

 

[cactusgarrett]

But as soon as a noob posts a "Look, my first AG with a recipe I made myself, based on a premium beer I like" you get 20 replies in 4 hours saying how wrong it is.

The reason being that premium beer is the operative idea. That means chances are good that many people have attempted a clone of that recipe and can lend their advice. It still is, afterall, the interwebs - where people are best served to hone their giving/taking criticism skills without getting defensive.

 

[slowbie]

I've seen a lot of posts full of complaints about style, but not as many that are actual critiques of the recipe, so I'm basically going to quote the best post (IMO) on this website that relates to Hopslam:

K I've assembled a few official notes on this beer from Bell's via email.. the third one is a supposed official response but I cannot verify it...

1. We don’t have any specific recipes scaled to the homebrew size, but I can offer a bit of guidance. The malt bill is relatively straightforward: stick with 2-row base malt and just a bit of caramel malts for color. Add a healthy dollop of honey. Aim for an OG of 21 Plato. You’ll want to set up your mash rests for moderate fermentability: the sugars from the honey will be largely consumed, so you need malt dextrins around to keep the beer from getting too dry.

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.

You can culture yeast out of one of our bottles if you’re comfortable with that; it’s certainly the preferred option for a solid flavor match. The yeast in the Hopslam bottle is the yeast used for fermentation, but at 10% abv, the yeast that isn’t dead will be severely stressed. I would recommend culturing from a lower gravity beer such as Amber Ale, Best Brown Ale, etc.: the yeast is the same & likely to be in superior condition. Winter White Ale is a completely different strain, so don’t use that. Otherwise, the local homebrew supply shops have found that most people looking to clone one of our recipes lean towards the WLP001 strain from White Labs. From what I’ve seen of it, that seems like a reasonable selection, but anything with a straightforward ester profile & good attenuation will work.

I hope this answers your questions. Good luck with the brewing!

Sincerely,

Gary S. Nicholas

Quality Assurance & Control

Bell's Brewery, Inc.

2. Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I am happy to hear that you enjoy our Hopslam Ale. It possesses the most complicated hopping schedule among our beers by a wide margin, and you are essentially correct: most of the action happens late in the boil & during the dry-hop phase. To answer your specific question, we target about 65 IBUs of bitterness.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Gary S. Nicholas

Quality Assurance & Control

3. 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.

Hope these help...

The most surprising thing for me the first time I saw this was the fact that there are no bittering hops, just late addition. As noted by others before, your beer will not taste like Hopslam, but that does not mean it won't be good.

 

[Fletch78]

I put my recipe together from that post, I'm actually subscribed to that topic.

I don't have enough IBU's, but the fact it took an hour to cool it, the IBU is probably closer to 65 than it should have been, so I'm not too far off on that front.

Secondly, I kept the grain bill simple as stated by Bell's, except I used pilsen instead of pale, for color purposes. Meh.

I added 2 pounds of honey, just like Bell's. My gravity won't be as high, but it's still stiff.

I dryhopped with 2 oz simcoe and 1/2 oz Amarillo, and 1/2 cascade, almost identical to what Bell's says.

So, it won't be an exact clone, I didn't intend to clone it necessarily, but to make a version of it with that signature hop punch in aroma and a clean easy to drink beer that is yellow.