Hop Hammer
Hop Hammer – All Grain
(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.
Add the 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.
Murphy’s Pub Draught clone Murphy Brewery, Ltd., Ireland – Extract with Grains
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains) OG = 1.038 FG = 1.007 IBU = 32 SRM = 41 ABV = 4.0%
Ingredients
2.66 lbs. (1.2 kg) Muntons Light dried malt extract
0.66 lbs. (0.3 kg) Muntons Light liquid malt extract
2 oz. (57 g) crystal malt (90 °L)
3 oz. (85 g) chocolate malt
10 oz. (0.28 kg) roasted barley (500 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) cane sugar (15 min.)
8 AAU Target hops (60 min.) (0.72 oz./20 g of 11% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. East Kent Goldings (15 min.)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) yeast (1 qt/~1L starter) 2/3 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
In a large (8 qt./~8 L) kitchen pot, steep crushed grains at 150 °F (66 °C) for 20 minutes in 3 qts. (~3 L) of water. While grains are steeping, heat 1.75 gallons (6.6 L) of water to 180 °F (82 °C). Scoop 2 qts (~2 L) of water from brewpot and add to “grain tea” in kitchen pot.
Remove grain bag and place in colander over brewpot. Pour diluted “grain tea” through the bag, then discard grains. Bring liquid in brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. Return to a boil, add hops and boil for 60 minutes.
Add second charge of hops, liquid malt extract and sugar with 15 minutes left. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L) and aerate. Pitch yeast and ferment at 70 °F (21 °C). Bottle with corn sugar.
