I took my first stab at cloning this one recently and went with....
80% Pearl Malt
6% Caramel 15
6% Carapils
6% Corn Sugar (last 15 minutes of boil)
2% Acid Malt
20 minute additions:
- 1oz Simcoe
- 1oz Centennial
- 1oz Columbus
- 0.75oz Amarillo
- 0.75oz Nugget
10 minute additions:
- 1oz Simcoe
- 1oz Centennial
- 1oz Columbus
- 1oz Amarillo
- 1oz Nugget
0 minute additions:
- 1oz Simcoe
- 1oz Centennial
- 1oz Columbus
Dry Hop additions:
- 1oz Simcoe
- 1oz Centennial
- 1oz Columbus
- 0.25oz Amarillo
- 0.25oz Nugget
- My recipe's IBU's = 125 (calculated)
- Heady Topper is actually 119 IBU's (calculated)
Target OG: 1.071
Actual OG: 1.072
Target FG: 1.010
Actual FG: 1.013 (I would have left it on yeast longer but needed the fermenter for another batch)
Target ABV: 8%
Actual ABV: 7.8%
Mashed at 150F
Fermented at 67F (ambient) so roughly 71F in the fermenter
US05 yeast used
Results:
- Color and body look spot on to me (calculated SRM 5.7)
- While not a perfect clone, the taste is definitely in the ball park.
- Plenty of pineapple, hints of peach, some grapefruit, and some pine resin
- Definitely drinks a touch sweeter than Heady so hitting 1.010 FG is essential to recreating the real thing.
- Didn't get as intense of a nose as Heady and slightly less hop flavor too (partially related to the sweeter finish, but mainly due to my present lack of a hopback I believe)
- The freshest samples seemed to have a bit more fruit sweetness than Heady (mainly from the Amarillo) but after having it on tap for 7-10 days the hop profile seemed to balance out a bit and while the vibrance of the hops mellowed, the flavor seemed to taste more like the real Heady
My goals for next time:
- Hit 1.010 FG
- Maybe back off on the amarillo a bit
- Increase centennial presence (needs more grapefruit character)
- Run the beer through a hopback (Blichmann Hop Rocket) for added hop aroma / pungency
- NOTE: The hop floaties found in Heady Topper cans suggest to me that they are running it through a Hop Back on the way into the can, so I will probably use the hopback twice. The first time on the way to the fermenter in lieu of my "0 minute" hop additions. The second on the way out of the fermenter and into the keg