Starting all grain brewing after 45 years rest. Aiming for a Hophead style ale.

[RobDeFrance]

I last brewed as a student some 45 years ago, and have decided to get back into all grain brewing.
My objective is to brew a Darkstar Hophead style ale which I can enjoy in France.
I will be using a Bulldog master brewer
I would really appreciate some advice on quantities, temperatures and timings.
The plan is;
6kg pale ale malt
350g Caramalt
30l water, or fill the mash tub.
Mash 30 mins at 63c
Mash 30 mins at 73c
Sparge with 7L at 78c
I'm not sure of the boil duration or when to add the hops and for how long. Aiming for 100g Cascade and 15g Chinnook
Cool to 25c
Pitch yeast, US-05
Ferment at 19c
Aiming for a SG of 1.041 and FG of 1.007 giving 4.4% ABV
I've not gone for any additives to the water as I want to keep it simple to start with
Any help would be much appreciated
Many thanks, Rob

 

[foxbat]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

6kg of malt and 30 litres of water will get you something very much stronger than 4.4%.

I highly recommend entering your proposed recipe into a recipe builder such as Brewer's Friend or Beersmith to check your numbers.

 

[Session]

Hey Rob - welcome back!
I would say the best piece of advice I could give you is to use some decent brewing software. Something like BrewFather (free, straightforward, and a simple interface) is excellent, and what I use, but there are lots of other good options out there. The reason I suggest going the effort of learning to use software like this is most of them allow you to import recipes from other users, and you may find someone has already done the hard work of transcribing the recipe for you. They also help plan your brew day and work out the quantity of hops to add and at what time.

https://brewfather.app/
An alternative is starting with a good base IPA recipe and working from there. I‘d recommend a book called ‘Brewing Classic Styles’ by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1877562.Brewing_Classic_Styles

 

[Rodcx500z]

New Recipe
Specialty Beer

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 30.0
Total Grain (kg): 6.350
Total Hops (g): 75.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (°P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.52 %
Colour (SRM): 5.0 (EBC): 9.9
Bitterness (IBU): 29.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
6.000 kg Pale Malt (94.49%)
0.350 kg Caramalt (5.51%)

Hop Bill
----------------
15.0 g Chinook Pellet (11.4% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.5 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05


Recipe Generated with BrewMate Dont know if this is what you want, use the other 40g cascade to dry hop

 

[foxbat]

New Recipe
Specialty Beer

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 30.0
Total Grain (kg): 6.350
Total Hops (g): 75.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (°P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.52 %
Colour (SRM): 5.0 (EBC): 9.9
Bitterness (IBU): 29.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
6.000 kg Pale Malt (94.49%)
0.350 kg Caramalt (5.51%)

Hop Bill
----------------
15.0 g Chinook Pellet (11.4% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.5 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05


Recipe Generated with BrewMate Dont know if this is what you want, use the other 40g cascade to dry hop

@RobDeFrance posted a 30 litre total liquor volume not batch size. Maybe that's where he went wrong?

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Foxbat i am just guessing thats what he wants

 

[RobDeFrance]

Hey Rob - welcome back!
I would say the best piece of advice I could give you is to use some decent brewing software. Something like BrewFather (free, straightforward, and a simple interface) is excellent, and what I use, but there are lots of other good options out there. The reason I suggest going the effort of learning to use software like this is most of them allow you to import recipes from other users, and you may find someone has already done the hard work of transcribing the recipe for you. They also help plan your brew day and work out the quantity of hops to add and at what time.

https://brewfather.app/
An alternative is starting with a good base IPA recipe and working from there. I‘d recommend a book called ‘Brewing Classic Styles’ by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1877562.Brewing_Classic_Styles

Many thanks for the advice on BrewFather, I'm liking it! That was the missing piece.

 

[Horners]

Apparently darkstar now use Warrior to bitter and cascade as late additions. No dry hop. The malt Bill is extra pale and cara. Yeast is a blend of Safeale 04; US 05 and Notty. Their website references Amarillo but this is an error apparently.

 

[RobDeFrance]

@RobDeFrance posted a 30 litre total liquor volume not batch size. Maybe that's where he went wrong?

I think that's me not understanding the difference between liquor volume and batch size. The BrewFather app makes it pretty clear, I should have started with it! Things have move on since 1972!

 

[RobDeFrance]

New Recipe
Specialty Beer

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 30.0
Total Grain (kg): 6.350
Total Hops (g): 75.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (°P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.52 %
Colour (SRM): 5.0 (EBC): 9.9
Bitterness (IBU): 29.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
6.000 kg Pale Malt (94.49%)
0.350 kg Caramalt (5.51%)

Hop Bill
----------------
15.0 g Chinook Pellet (11.4% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.5 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)
30.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05


Recipe Generated with BrewMate Dont know if this is what you want, use the other 40g cascade to dry hop

That looks good, I'll check out brewmate too, thanks.

 

[Horners]

@RobDeFrance I just took delivery of a bag of extra pale to a have a definitive crack at Hophead. Keep us posted on how you get on. I got pretty close first time I attempted it based on snippets from various sources. I can't find any warrior so I reckon any neutral American bittering hop will do. I think I read somewhere that they just used cascade right through originally (which is what I did the first time) but for commercial production just too expensive. I would reconsider using Chinook for the bittering.

 

[Derek Smalls]

I last brewed as a student some 45 years ago, and have decided to get back into all grain brewing.
My objective is to brew a Darkstar Hophead style ale which I can enjoy in France.
I will be using a Bulldog master brewer
I would really appreciate some advice on quantities, temperatures and timings.
The plan is;
6kg pale ale malt
350g Caramalt
30l water, or fill the mash tub.
Mash 30 mins at 63c
Mash 30 mins at 73c
Sparge with 7L at 78c
I'm not sure of the boil duration or when to add the hops and for how long. Aiming for 100g Cascade and 15g Chinnook
Cool to 25c
Pitch yeast, US-05
Ferment at 19c
Aiming for a SG of 1.041 and FG of 1.007 giving 4.4% ABV
I've not gone for any additives to the water as I want to keep it simple to start with
Any help would be much appreciated
Many thanks, Rob

6kg of grain is far too much. Go for 4.5 kg to 5.0 kg max. Even then you’re likely to get 5.0% to 5.5%.

I have the Bulldog too. Whatever grain bill you decide on, multiply the kg by 4 to get your water vol. Thus 4.5 kg of grain means 18 litres of water in the Bulldog. After that, sparge up to 29 litres max for the boil. With an 18-19 litres starting water I find, after mash absorption, about 14-15 litres or so of sparge water gets you up there. After the boil, you’ll find you have about 22 litres of brew.

The other main tip I would give you is to arm yourself with a cold water sprayer. Hover like a hawk over your wort as it approaches boiling point. When you get to about 98 deg C, the hot break will start to erupt like Vesuvius in a bad mood. Spray it with your water spray to prevent a big mess of sticky **** soiling the sides of your pristine Bulldog and whatever surface it’s on.

The Bulldog has a few quirks. I suggest a quick read of the Bulldog Master Brewer Thread to give you a clue about how to circumnavigate them. Good luck!

 

[RobDeFrance]

Thanks Derek, that's the detailed advice I needed. The kit should arrive tomorrow, all very exciting.

 

[Derek Smalls]

Thanks Derek, that's the detailed advice I needed. The kit should arrive tomorrow, all very exciting.

How did you get on, Rob?

 

[RobDeFrance]

How did you get on, Rob?

I'm enjoying the first brew, I've learned a lot. The brew took at least two weeks to settle, possibly due to me stiring the grain when sparging.
I under did the priming sugar for bottling, so ended up with a lack of sparkle, I then opened a dozen into a Corny keg and pepped it up with some CO2, finally got the keg cool and it's looking and tasking good.
Next brew I shall try some hops in the Corny keg, and hope to move to a pressure regulator for the CO2 rather than burping an S30 bottle.
Overall, happy with progress, lots more to learn.

 

[Edison]

The other main tip I would give you is to arm yourself with a cold water sprayer. Hover like a hawk over your wort as it approaches boiling point. When you get to about 98 deg C, the hot break will start to erupt like Vesuvius in a bad mood. Spray it with your water spray to prevent a big mess of sticky **** soiling the sides of your pristine Bulldog and whatever surface it’s on.

I highly recommend a couple of drops of this in the wort as it approaches boiling:
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/antifoam.htmlMy Braumeister doesn’t normally boil over, but following a 90 minute mash this week I’m glad I was around, it was about to climb out! As soon as a drop of this stuff hits the surface all the froth magically fizzes away and vanishes for good!
It‘s also good for making yeast starters, no chance of a boil over in an erlenmeyer as long as you’re sensible!
Its not cheap but will last years.
Happy brewing!

 

[terrym]

Bit late on this one, but Dark Star website lists Hophead at 3.8%ABV 50 IBU and uses Cascade and Amarillo and Extra Pale and Caramalt as ingredients.

 

[RobDeFrance]

Bit late on this one, but Dark Star website lists Hophead at 3.8%ABV 50 IBU and uses Cascade and Amarillo and Extra Pale and Caramalt as ingredients.

I used cascade and Chinook, but I think hoppy taste is probably more to do with dry hopping.

 

[terrym]

I used cascade and Chinook, but I think hoppy taste is probably more to do with dry hopping.

My understanding is that dry hopping is more to do with aroma rather than flavour, although if you dump enough in the flavour should come through, whereas hop flavour comes through more as a result of late hopping in the boil or if you are a kit brewer a hop tea. But others may see it differently.

 

[Edison]

You could try chilling post-boil to 70c, hold that temperature and whirlpool your dry hops for 20 minutes instead. Then fully chill, oxygenate and pitch yeast as normal. You can get loads of flavour and aroma that way.