Heady Topper- Can you clone it?

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Sample tasted good. Think I got the roast under control, not strong but its there. Looks like I got 80% attenuation. I'm on the dry hop now but I'll do a post on it next week.

On the 6 proprietary hops, I'm not sold there are 6 outside the hop extract, which is 6 blended hops.
 
theveganbrewer said:
Sample tasted good. Think I got the roast under control, not strong but its there. Looks like I got 80% attenuation. I'm on the dry hop now but I'll do a post on it next week.

On the 6 proprietary hops, I'm not sold there are 6 outside the hop extract, which is 6 blended hops.
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Ah, good point on the extract counting toward the varietals....
 
theveganbrewer said:
Sample tasted good. Think I got the roast under control, not strong but its there. Looks like I got 80% attenuation. I'm on the dry hop now but I'll do a post on it next week.

On the 6 proprietary hops, I'm not sold there are 6 outside the hop extract, which is 6 blended hops.
Click to expand...

Do you mind filling me in on the hops you used? Did you go with the caravienne malt? Thanks in advance.
 
RonD said:
Do you mind filling me in on the hops you used? Did you go with the caravienne malt? Thanks in advance.
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Just put up my new recipe on the blog. I went with Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo. http://www.signpostbrewing.com/heady-topper-clone-recipe/

I added a section at the top to go over what was changed in this version and why. I also took Centennial out, you can add it in if you want, the 5 min, 0 min, and dry hop are all pretty uniform, you could sneak and ounce in there at each step if you wanted. Up to you.

I haven't tried this combo yet, but that's where I'm at.
 
I also took Centennial out, you can add it in if you want, the 5 min, 0 min, and dry hop are all pretty uniform, you could sneak and ounce in there at each step if you wanted. Up to you.

I haven't tried this combo yet, but that's where I'm at.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I'll give this a try. What do you think about adding a 1/2 to 1 oz of Cascade in during each stage of the dry hopping?
 
theveganbrewer said:
On the 6 proprietary hops, I'm not sold there are 6 outside the hop extract, which is 6 blended hops.
Click to expand...

I think this is right on point. The original recipe before hopshot might have had 6, but 6 aroma hops as late additions is going to create a mess. It's like colors. Too many different colors just make brown.
 
Huge 90 minute hopshot addition

2-3 varieties late boil & whirlpool

3-4 varieties dryhop
 
whitehause said:
I think this is right on point. The original recipe before hopshot might have had 6, but 6 aroma hops as late additions is going to create a mess. It's like colors. Too many different colors just make brown.
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Totally agree. I am always skeptical of recipes calling for half a dozen hop varieties. They usually just taste like "hops," with little individuality.
 
the whirlpool should achieve basically the same effect.
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Tell Odell's that!

But seriously I use my HB with or without WP hops and I honestly think I get a different character out of the hops. It helps me layer them at least (in a way that helps maximize flavor/aroma)
 
There a 7 min video that plays at the brewery now showing kimmich making the beer. Includes clear shots of tom fawc pearl being used and this as well...

ForumRunner_20130330_065042.jpg
 
Petekiteworld said:
There a 7 min video that plays at the brewery now showing kimmich making the beer. Includes clear shots of tom fawc pearl being used and this as well...
Click to expand...

I knew I tasted that a bearded brewer was involved, and that proves it!
 
skibb said:
Tell Odell's that!

But seriously I use my HB with or without WP hops and I honestly think I get a different character out of the hops. It helps me layer them at least (in a way that helps maximize flavor/aroma)
Click to expand...

I agree a hop back is best, but for those that don't have one,( or in my case have a ton of pellet hops they want to use:D) a whirlpool will give you some of the desired effect.
 
theveganbrewer said:
Combining my yeast numbers and the idea from Coopertown about ABV legality 7.7%-8.0%-8.3% all being legal labeling wise, it makes the most sense to me that the original Heady Topper is 1.073 OG. That would range from 86.3% attenuation in generation 1 to 80.8% in generation 16+ which seems pretty close to what I see in Conan at home.
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I've done one brew with Conan using the first generation I harvested from cans produced at the end of December, 2012, and saw 86.8% attenuation (1.076 down to 1.010). Curious to see what the next generation does.
 
othellomcbane said:
You know how we can't seem to figure out where the hell Conan could have come from?

You know how Rogue brewed a beer recently with yeast cultivated from their brewer's beard?

Hmmmm...
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Yeah, but didn't that turn out to be some pacman that had taken up residence in his beard? It's a chicken/egg thing. :D

Least we have confirmation of another ingredient.
 
terrapinj said:
just saw this article about Pearl Malt based IIPA inspired by HT - gotta think Kimmich gave the guy some more pointers aside from just using Pearl Malt. Hops are very similar to what is speculated here and he's using harvested Conan

he says Muntons Pearl Malt

https://www.love2brew.com/Articles.asp?ID=590
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No hop extract, Munich, and turbinado? I doubt John told him to do that. The only thing I would expect John to have said at one of these events is something generic, like he likes FWH or something.
 
theveganbrewer said:
No hop extract, Munich, and turbinado? I doubt John told him to do that. The only thing I would expect John to have said at one of these events is something generic, like he likes FWH or something.
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I asked him (the author of that post, not Kimmich) if Kimmich gave him any specific tips other than the Pearl, and he said: "no crystal. Cold condition. drink fresh. turbinado sugar. yeast is key."

However, I don't know that he's been following this thread, so the rest of his recipe is probably his own guesses / interpretation.
 
othellomcbane said:
I asked him (the author of that post, not Kimmich) if Kimmich gave him any specific tips other than the Pearl, and he said: "no crystal. Cold condition. drink fresh. turbinado sugar. yeast is key."

However, I don't know that he's been following this thread, so the rest of his recipe is probably his own guesses / interpretation.
Click to expand...

Well, add one more ingredient to the confirmed list then. We're getting closer. Anyone got ideas on the Turbinado? When to add, how much, and effect of the SRM? Beersmith saying it's 10 SRM.

Turbinado sugar — A less refined cane sugar, the large pale brown crystalline sweetener is known as “Sugar in the Raw” in the United States. Demerara is a paler British version. Tastes like light brown sugar, but with a fruitier aroma.
 
theveganbrewer said:
Well, add one more ingredient to the confirmed list then. We're getting closer. Anyone got ideas on the Turbinado? When to add, how much, and effect of the SRM? Beersmith saying it's 10 SRM.

Turbinado sugar — A less refined cane sugar, the large pale brown crystalline sweetener is known as “Sugar in the Raw” in the United States. Demerara is a paler British version. Tastes like light brown sugar, but with a fruitier aroma.
Click to expand...

Were we still debating whether to use dextrose? I would assume the turbinado would just replace that. Can't imagine it's a very large amount, probably >4%. And maybe he varies the percentage of sugar depending on the generation of Conan and its decreasing attenuation? Like, older Conan gets more sugar?
 
othellomcbane said:
Were we still debating whether to use dextrose? I would assume the turbinado would just replace that. Can't imagine it's a very large amount, probably >4%. And maybe he varies the percentage of sugar depending on the generation of Conan and its decreasing attenuation? Like, older Conan gets more sugar?
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I think we've come to a conclusion it needed sugar. I've seen the BYO say sucrose, I had dextrose, and I'd just as easily replace it with Turbinado if John said it was in there. I've got it at about 3.8% based on a 5 gallon batch, 8 ounces.
 
i use it in place of other simple sugars in a few recipes - dep on the manufacturer some have more of a brown sugar element than others but are still much milder than reg brown sugar IME
 
Well, 3-brew day is complete. Pitched a decent amount of conan in to a cascade/columbus pale ale. We'll see how she rolls.
 
Just sampled my first Heady Topper a couple of days ago... Great IPA Ibut I have to be honest... I was expecting more. The can was about 6 weeks old, dunno if I missed the peak for flavor.

Also I got a distinct marijuana resin aroma in the nose... am I the only one who smells weed?
 
Pitched my 4 generation of Conan into an all Cascade Pale Ale. Mostly bc I wanted to fill the pipeline on a double brew day but I am also thinking I should be able to pick up on Conan's character a little better being that I know the hop so well.

After this pitch I will be going back to the original culture I built up and split, I might be able to go longer than 4 generations but I would rather be safe. I'll be doing my Eddy Topper round 2 in the next few weeks with an updated recipe based on this thread.
 
CBelli said:
Just sampled my first Heady Topper a couple of days ago... Great IPA Ibut I have to be honest... I was expecting more. The can was about 6 weeks old, dunno if I missed the peak for flavor.

Also I got a distinct marijuana resin aroma in the nose... am I the only one who smells weed?
Click to expand...

Just had my first the other day. Had read about the "dank" aroma but didn't detect any personally. Mostly extreme pineapple, grapefruit, etc.

How can I tell when it was canned? Didn't see a date anywhere.
 
CBelli said:
Just sampled my first Heady Topper a couple of days ago... Great IPA Ibut I have to be honest... I was expecting more. The can was about 6 weeks old, dunno if I missed the peak for flavor.

Also I got a distinct marijuana resin aroma in the nose... am I the only one who smells weed?
Click to expand...

cannabis doesn't just have one smell

sort of like saying a beer smells like hops
 
CBelli said:
Just sampled my first Heady Topper a couple of days ago... Great IPA Ibut I have to be honest... I was expecting more. The can was about 6 weeks old, dunno if I missed the peak for flavor.
Click to expand...

You must not be able to taste the rarity.
 
CBelli said:
Just sampled my first Heady Topper a couple of days ago... Great IPA Ibut I have to be honest... I was expecting more. The can was about 6 weeks old, dunno if I missed the peak for flavor.

Also I got a distinct marijuana resin aroma in the nose... am I the only one who smells weed?
Click to expand...

You need to drink Heady within 2-3 weeks of canning, preferably one week, honestly. I mean, for maximum, peak flavor. By six weeks, I would have to imagine it just tastes like a fairly standard IPA... as would most any IPA at that point.
 

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