Heady Topper- Can you clone it?

CornyKegs 728
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That's an interesting question...I have noticed in brewing it can get extremely complicated and we always are wondering, which makes this hobby bad ass!! On that note, I have tried to revert to simplicity and have noticed better results. I love cooking and I never measure anything, just throw it in because I get what jives with what...
I am not saying I don't measure anything in brewing because I do, I just add an ounce or 3 in my IPAs at certain times and use a hop back...I don't like the idea of a .25 oz here and there...it's bull ****, because as I have mentioned before IBUs are kind of a joke and are very skewed based on fermentation.
I bang my IPA hard at the end of the boil with citrus, fruit, and pine hops...I stay away from floral hops in all my IPAs. What I am saying here is do what feels right to you, because it is.
This hobby we have is half science half art...
By the way my attempt one on this IPA clone was not good...I screwed up In a bunch of different ways, if you want to know you can ask...but it's on 3 oz of galaxy, simcoe, and citra for 6 days as we speak...guess we will see!!!


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I am not sure if Gigayeast vermont IPA is available at my LHBS. We do have Mangrove Jack, Wyeast, and Safale (No White Labs).

Are there any substitutes to use for this? I will be in the Washington DC and New York area over the holidays, can Heady Topper be found anywhere around there? I plan on brewing this when I get back. I will bring some home if I find it.
 
I think most people have "subbed" the California ale yeast but there is nothing like Conan. As for getting HT in that area, good luck and expect to pay $15-20 for a can that should be $3-5. I'd just order the yeast online if you can locate it.
 
3 Stars Brewing in DC has Conan yeast. Bootleg Biology "The Magi" is the Conan strain. There are a dozen places online to get it though too. I'm not aware of anywhere in DC (or outside of VT actually) that you can find cans of HT for sale.
 
Finally drinking my first attempt. It's pretty nice. Much better cold and carbed. Definitely has that nice fruitiness to it. Doesn't have that punch you in the face hop aroma like the original but it's still quite good.
 
Anyone NOT make a starter for this? I have everything prepared for a starter, with 1 new packet and onle 6 month old pack of GigaYeast Vermont. I was thinking if I dumped them both in without a starter if it would be alright.

I was planning on brewing this tomorrow, but due to my crazy schedule yesterday/ today Im not sure I can make a starter. I don't have to brew it tomorrow, I can do it later in the week, but just wanted to know if anyone has NOT made a starter and just dumped the Gold packs in and let 'er rip.
 
You can take a pre-boil liter of wort from the mash, boil it on the stove for 15 minutes, cool and pitch your yeast into that, then pitch the whole thing when your cooled & oxygenated wort is in the fermenter. Not really a starter, but gives your yeast an hour or two head start.
 
Been following this thread and preparing to brew this- I have never used a hop shot so I am not familiar with the characteristics that it imparts into homebrewed beer.

On a smaller scale, if we are seeking to just get the ibus up, why not bitter with a high alpha like Apollo or a clean bitter like magnum. Seems like the hop extract makes sense on a large scale where you are trying to control costs per batch, but at the 5 gal/10gal level just use a couple ounces of high alpha.

I think I will try Apollo in mine, that's what bissel brothers in Portland, me are using and there are some similar qualities between their "swish"(which is fantastic) and heady


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That's an interesting though on hop extracts...I don't know if I have herd of that before.. I use warrior to bitter most of the time and it seems to be super clean and buttery with very little grass flavor.
 
I do believe it is a cost effective tactic...a brewer would have to pitch an 6/8lb per bbl charge to get efficient ibus. Imagine how much trub and loss would be just for the bittering charge. Firestone walkers Brewers also use extracts to get efficient ibus for their bittering charge...I don't think the bittering charge here is the secret to this beer.
 
I understand that it is confirmed that heady uses hop extract- I am just wondering if the extract doesn't lend itself to homebrewing as it does to commercial applications- and if for the homebrewer, could they get the same or better result from using actual hops to bitter as opposed to the extract.

I remember a couple posts in this thread where people had commented that the extract gave them off flavors


Like I said, I have zero experience with hop extracts, I remember back during the hop shortages BYO had stories about them.


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I was not a big fan of the extract. I have gone to pellets for this recipe. Some mash hop, some FWH in a basket to reduce total amt. of hop material left in the beer. It was not "off flavor" or anything..... it was just a "different" flavor, and I did not think it was quite as good as just using hops. Also, the oil is sticky and clings to the kettle and chiller..... I think there is more benefit to using the oil at a commercial scale than there is at a homebrew scale. Nothing inherently wrong or bad with it, just did not see much of the benefit of using it either.
 
Thanks for the reply, that's what I was wondering about. Looking forward to doing this one soon


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I've got a question about the recipe posted on the first post.

What are you guys doing here:

1.00 oz** *Columbus [14.00 %] Aroma Steep 30.0 min-0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz** *Simcoe [13.00 %] Aroma Steep 30.0 min-0.0 IBUs
1.00oz** *Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] Aroma Steep 30.0 min-0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz** *Centennial [10.50 %] Aroma Steep 30.0 min- 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz** *Apollo [12.50 %] Aroma Steep 30.0 min- 0.0 IBUs

Do you cool down, then steep for 30 minutes?

Process?
 
Cool down to ~160-180*, add those hops in and let them sit for 30 minutes. Some people may have them stirring around.
 
Some people say they cool to 170...for it is somehow better. Here is what I do...turn off the burner throw in a bunch of hops and let it do its thing for 30 min. Keep the lid off to prevent DSM; this is important. Then cool to 70 and pitch the Conan brother.
 
Thanks!

One more.....

The recipe says to split this

1.00 oz** *Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] Dry Hop 8.0 Days-0.0 IBUs
2.00 oz** *Simcoe [13.00 %] Dry Hop 8.0 Days -0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz** *Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] Dry Hop 8.0 Days-0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz** *Centennial [10.50 %] Dry Hop 8.0 Days-0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz** *Apollo [17.00 %] Dry Hop 8.0 Days-0.0 IBUs


so.....just split up this for each dryhop addition????
 
Yep - that is what I do. Although, the way I go about it is this:

I ferment entirely in primary. The last 3 days I throw in half of that dry hop. After 3 days I transfer to my corny keg. I put the other half in a stainless mesh tube and put it into the keg and leave it for 3-4 more days. I then remove it, carbonate, etc.

Also - in regard to the hop steep - I start the chiller and knock the temp down a bit..... 180 or so, shut off the immersion chiller, and then throw in the hops and let em sit for 30 minutes. Turn the chiller back on.
 
Finally got around to brewing this. Went for it today, and ended up with 5.5 gal wort in the Carboy and a good amount of hop sediment. Pretty good brew day with no major hiccups.

Only issue is trying to clean off the HopShot residue from the side of the kettle. That stuff is sticky!!!

Hit my numbers right on and it came to 1.074. Let's hope it turns out good. Didn't have Centennial but used a little Falconers Flight instead haha. We shall see!!!
 
doublebogey10 said:
Has anyone brewed the NB kit? How close is that?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/allgrain/AG-OfftheTopper.pdf
Click to expand...


I have brewed the NB kit. I did add an ounce or two of hops to the recipe to make it more like page one, but with the amount of. Hops in this recipe I don't think it probably made much of a difference.

One mistake I did make though. I usually don't brew from kits, so when I pick up my bag of wheat, I always pick up the rice hulls as well. This one being a kit I didn't think about it. Stuck mash city. So add some hulls.
 
I brewed the Northern Brewer recipe exactly as it is written about a month ago. Brought some to our monthly club meeting the other night but did not say what it was other than being a double IPA. Everyone LOVED it! Lots of compliments and from those who have had heady before they indeed said it was very Heady like.
 
Finally able to grab my first pour from my first attempt at a clone.

First of all, it has been a long time, at least a year, since I have had Heady. So my remembrance of the flavors are fading. But I did love it and I wanted to recreate it.

Did I clone it? Nope. But it's pretty darn good! Made a great "heady influenced" IPA. Came in a little hotter at 8.2%, and I had to substitute Falconers flight for Centennial. I used Gigayeast Vermont IPA yeast.

I tasted multiple samples through fermentation and never really got the peachy flavors or apricot flavors at all. I actually felt it was a super clean yeast. Well, the changed after I carbed and chilled it. Wow, the peachy flavors are there for sure. They are there but by no means overwhelming.

I am very happy with the way the beer turned out. One of my favorite IPAs I have made yet.

Thanks for a great recipe and I can't wait to change/ improve upon it. Now if I could just get some Heady to refresh those taste buds. Haha. Cheers!!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422160032.101342.jpg
 
Giants fan - I had the same experience. The brew really started to shine once it was cold and carbed and that's when the peachy/fruity flavor came out. My keg kicked tonight. I did the farmhouse brewing kit and I'd order it again for anyone who's considering that.
 
Helly said:
Giants fan - I had the same experience. The brew really started to shine once it was cold and carbed and that's when the peachy/fruity flavor came out. My keg kicked tonight. I did the farmhouse brewing kit and I'd order it again for anyone who's considering that.
Click to expand...

I tried it again tonight, and am amazed at how the hop profile has changed since being carbed/ chilled. Its still a great beer, but it has changed more than expected.

The hops I used were a bit on the "older" side, and I feel like the beer tasted batter before my first dry hop. I split the dry hop in half, expecting to use 1/2 in the carboy, then the other 1/2 when I kegged the beer. Well, I wasnt too big on the flavor the dry hop added, so I chose not to dry hop with the second half. I am happy with it though. I would rather have used fresh hops, but its alright. Next time....
 
Question for the ones that have used it, how is farmhouse brewings kit, the price is way better then I could do at my LHBS or even northernbrewer, says it's right off this thread on hbt, and I compared and seems to be legit. Any one that has brewed this kit have insight think this might be one of my next brews if I hear positive about there kit. Anyone know what there shipping cost are?
 
That's where I got it. I was happy with it. Seemed like their shipping was slightly higher so I got creative and stocked up on a couple pounds of hops. I played around with it and got as much in the box as I could before shipping increased, and I paid $12.99 shipping for the kit and extra hops. Shipped with omega yeast's version and all the hops were separated into the different additions, clearly labeled and vacuum packed in silver bags. I will probably try it again using the same kit rather than pulling it together myself since it's quite a complex recipe as far as hops and tracking down the yeast, and I would recommend it to someone trying this recipe for the first time.
 

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