Darkstar Hophead Clone

[iandiggs]

Hello,
Found this recipe on the site from a few years ago for a hophead clone. Tried to contact poster but did not get response. I wanted to check on the amount of late boil hops and whether this is definitely correct; does this not lead to grassiness? Also, do you have to take the 180 gms out after the 5 mins on flame out (or do you think they are left in to steep?).
Is this the correct method to get that seemingly illusive hoppy taste without the bitterness/grassiness?
Much appreciated for any response,
Ian

Ingredients
23L @ 85% effiiciency, 90min mash @ 67°C, 90min boil, GW's liquor = bitter
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.27 kg Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 98.00 %
0.07 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 55L (120.0 EBC) Grain 2.00 %
10.00 gm Cascade [7.20 %] (90 min) Hops 7.9 IBU
180.00 gm Cascade [5.34 %] (5 min) Hops 19.8 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.039 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.84 %
Bitterness: 27.7 IBU
Est Color: 8.9 EBC

I'll primary ferment for 7 days, and assuming FG reached for 2 days keg from there with table sugar for priming. If you dry hop it's advisable (from experience) to do so for 4-7 days and then remove the hops, they go horribly grassy otherwise.

[SiHoltye]

I'll stand corrected but that looks like one of mine. How did you try to contact me? Nothing via the PM system.

Next Hophead is 97% low colour maris otter, 3% caramalt 15L to 1.038. FWH cascade to 5 IBU's, 10min cascade 15 IBUS and 60g in 5G batch aroma steep for 30mins at 80degC. Yeast will be WLP001 at 20degC.

Doesn't last long.

[alix101]

Seems a strange recipe to me although I've never tried the beer in question...I'm all for late hops but 180g at the last 5 mins and so little for the bittering is odd, it seems whoever made the clone was trying to get the correct ibu level and maximum aroma. But I think I'd use maybe 25g at 60 25g at 30 50g at 5 and 50 g at flame out and then dry hop 30g for 5 days at the end of fermentation. You only tend to get grassy notes when you dry hop for to long with a hop thats not suited casade is a great hop to do this.

[floydmeddler]

When I brewed this recipe a while back, the S05 / WLP001 fermented down to 1005 which was very annoying...

[wetpoke]

I've been looking for a recipe for next week, and a) I love Hophead and b) I've got all the ingredients I need for this, so this is a timely thread for me.

What effect would adding a bit of torrefied wheat have on the flavour, I understand that it doesn't affect flavour all that much, just head retention? So sub for a bit of the marris otter? Also I only have nottingham and S-04 dry yeast in which of these would you choose instead of the WLP001? I know I need to get into wet yeast...

[iandiggs]

Hi Wetpoke, going by previous posts (i'm a novice myself), i wouldn't use S-04 - go for nottingham definitely. Although saying that, the one and only time i tried nottingham, it didn't work too well but i think it was more to do with my ineffectual mashing (and thus lack of fermentable sugars) rather than the yeast itself.
As for torrified wheat, you're right, i don't think it adds much flavour but the heads i've got from it are good. Maybe put a little in additionally, rather than in the stead of some maris.
Let us know how you get on as i'm going to be doing this soon as well!
Ian

[floydmeddler]

See this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32253&hilit=+hophead

[iandiggs]

I've just fermented a bucket of hophead along the lines of the recipe above and at the start of the fermentation (after a sneaky taste), it was beautiful: a flowery, citric hoppiness balanced with a sweetness from the wort. Now, just before I keg it, it has lost that sweetness and is a little bit bitter. I'm a bit disappointed now as it really seemed like the real thing earlier on but now.....
Do you think the bitterness will die down and the sweetness come back once i keg it..?

[floydmeddler]

Beer always tastes funny to me when bottling/kegging. It's easy to worry and fear the worst - especially with hoppy beers. I'd keg it and forget about it for 2 weeks. I bet it will taste great! By the way, what was your final gravity?

[iandiggs]

Hi Floyd, i had an OG of approx. 1040 and now it's 1010 - so alcohol level of 3.8-9%? Think that's what it's meant to be. Just about to keg it now. Thanks for your response on this....

[wetpoke]

Cracked open a bottle of this last night after a mere 2 weeks in the bottle it was easily the best brew i've done to date. Got the hop character of the original spot on. Yeast was Nottingham in the end, and it came out at 1.009. All this despite disobeying the first rule off bottling - don't do it from the primary!

[FlyingElk]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just wondered how this turned out wetpoke? And if you have a final recipe knocking around somewhere?

Hophead is one of my all time favourite brews and I'd love to make some for Christmas.

Cheers,
FlyingElk

[robbarwell]

Brewing it for xmas...