Bell’s Brewery’s Hopslam Ale clone, all-grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)

OG = 1.086  FG = 1.010 IBU = 65+  SRM = 7  ABV = 10%

Starting with six different hop varieties added to the brew kettle and culminating with a massive dry hop addition of Simcoe® hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repertoire.

Ingredients

11 lbs. (5 kg) 2-row malt
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) pale ale malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (40 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) honey (0 min.)
10 oz. (285 g) corn sugar (0 min.)
2.3 AAU Crystal or Mt. Hood hops (45 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic® hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU AAU Glacier or Fuggle hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
10 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 10% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic® hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU AAU Glacier or Fuggle hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2 oz. (56 g) Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Crystal or Mt. Hood hops (0 min.)
4 oz. Simcoe® hops (dry hop) White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Heat 22 qts. (21 L) of strike water to 163 °F (73 °C). Mix with grains, the mash should stabilize at about 149 °F (65 °C). Hold at this temperature for 70 minutes, then raise temperature to mash out at about 168 °F (76 °C) either by infusion of boiling water, decoction, or other means. Vorlauf until wort runs clear then begin the sparge process. Collect approximately 7 gallons (24.6 L) and bring to a boil. The gravity of the wort at this point should be 1.068. Supplement with more corn sugar or less if your gravity is off.

Total boil time is 75 minutes, adding hops as indicated. After boil is complete, turn off the heat, add the corn sugar, honey, and final hop addition, then give a long stir to create a whirlpool. Let wort settle for 15 minutes.

Chill wort to 68–74 °F (20–23 °C). There should be about 5.5 gallons (21 L) of wort in your fermenter. Top fermenter up with cold water if you are short. Aerate wort and add yeast. Place your fermenter in a temperature-stable place that is in the 68–74 °F (20–23 °C) range. On day five of fermentation, add the dry hops addition. Bottle or keg after 3 days on dry hops.

Bell’s Brewery’s Hopslam Ale clone, extract with grains

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.086  FG = 1.010 IBU = 65+  SRM = 7  ABV = 10%

Ingredients

6.6 lbs. (3 kg) light liquid malt extract
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) light dried malt extract
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (40 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) honey (0 min.)
10 oz. (285 g) corn sugar (0 min.)
2.3 AAU Crystal or Mt. Hood hops (45 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic® hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU AAU Glacier or Fuggle hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids) 10 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 10% alpha acids)
6 AAU Mosaic® hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU AAU Glacier or Fuggle hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2 oz. (56 g) Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Crystal or Mt. Hood hops (0 min.)
4 oz. Simcoe® hops (dry hop) White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a muslin bag and steep in 1 gallon (4 L) of water at 160 °F (71 °C) for 20 minutes in your brew pot. Remove the grains and fill up your kettle to 3.5 gallons  (13 L) of water. Bring to a boil and then remove kettle from heat and add malt extracts. Stir until dissolved and return kettle to heat and boil for 45 minutes. Add hops as indicated.

When the boil is complete, add the honey, corn sugar, and final hop addition, then give the wort a long stir to create a whirlpool. Let wort settle for 10 minutes. Chill the wort to 68–74 °F (20–23 °C). Fill your sanitized fermenter with 2 gallons (8 L) of cold water and transfer chilled wort to fermenter. Top fermenter up to 5.5 gallons (21 L) with cold water. Aerate wort and add yeast. Place your fermenter in a temperature-stable place that is in the 68–74 °F (20–23 °C) range. On day five of fermentation, add the dry hop addition either directly into the fermenter or by transferring beer on top of dry hops in a secondary fermenter. Bottle or keg after fermentation is complete.