Hop Hammer

Hop Hammer

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.079 FG = 1.013
IBU = 100+ SRM = 7 ABV = 9.2%

Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California brews what is arguably the world’s best example of this style, Pliny the Elder. Despite the huge hop levels and higher alcohol strength, it is superbly drinkable. Vinnie very generously shared his recipe with the brewing community and just about everyone interested in this style has seen his recipe. The recipe below, while a little bigger in starting gravity than Vinnie’s, is a descendant of his original.

Ingredients
13.5 lbs. (6.12 kg) American 2-row malt (2 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) wheat malt (2 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
1.25 lb. (0.56 kg) corn sugar (0 °L) (15 min.)
26.3 AAU Warrior® hop pellets (90 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 15% alpha acids)
22.8 AAU Chinook hop pellets (90 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 13% alpha acids)
12 AAU Simcoe® hop pellets (45 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids)
14 AAU Columbus hop pellets (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
15.75 AAU Centennial hop pellets (0 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 9% alpha acids)
12 AAU Simcoe® hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Columbus hop pellets (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Centennial hop pellets (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Simcoe® hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near-boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and the gravity is 1.061.

The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Addthe bittering hops right at the beginning. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule and the corn sugar as well as Irish moss or other kettle finings with
15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort rapidly to 67 °F (19 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly. Use 15 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 3 liquid yeast packages, or make an appropriate starter. Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C), slowly raising the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) as the fermentation begins to slow. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week, but don’t rush it.

As soon as the bulk of the yeast begins to drop, transfer the beer to a second fermenter and add the dry hops. The pellets should break up and eventually settle to the bottom of the fermenter. This might take a few days, so don’t panic. Let the beer sit on the hops for another seven days, approximately seven to ten days total.
Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes.

Hop Hammer

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.079 FG = 1.013
IBU = 100+ SRM = 7 ABV = 9.2%

Ingredients
8 lbs. (3.63 kg) golden light liquid malt extract (2 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) wheat dried malt extract (4 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) corn sugar (0 °L) (15 min.)
26.3 AAU Warrior® hop pellets (90 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 15% alpha acids)
22.8 AAU Chinook hop pellets (90 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 13% alpha acids)
12 AAU Simcoe® hop pellets (45 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids)
14 AAU Columbus hop pellets (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
15.75 AAU Centennial hop pellets (0 min.) (1.75 oz./50 g at 9% alpha acids)
12 AAU Simcoe® hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Columbus hop pellets (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Centennial hop pellets (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Simcoe® hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malts. Mix them well and place loosely in a grain bag. Steep the bag in 2 qts. (~2 liters) of 170 °F (77 °C) water for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume around 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and the gravity is 1.061. Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 90 minutes after adding the bittering hops. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule and the corn sugar as well as Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort rapidly to 67 °F (19 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly.

Use 15 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 3 liquid yeast packages, or make an appropriate starter. Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C), slowly raising the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) as the fermentation begins to slow. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe instructions.