Bell's Hopslam is one of the winter staples for me. After Goose Island Bourbon County releases are all sold, I think we are all ready for something a little different.
This is where Bell's comes out with their annual release of Hopslam Ale. At 10%, this beer hits you with massive waves of honey that intermingle with the fruity notes from the hefty Simcoe dry hop and notes of Mosaic and Centennial.
In my initial research, I found the kit sold by Bell's themselves, which gave me the exact recipe. I wanted to not only brew the all grain version, but I also wanted to scale down the recipe so that I could have more than one at a time.
Recipe from a PDF provided with Hopslam Ale kit by Bell's Brewing.While I wholeheartedly love Hopslam, the 10% just puts me out after one or two beers. So I made the executive decision to brew up a lower ABV version of this beer, targeting normal IPA range - 7%.
| Secret Level Hopslam (4.25 gal) | Original Hopslam (5 gal) |
| 5.9 lb 2-row | 10 lb 2-row |
| 4.4 lb Vienna | 5 lb Pale Ale Malt |
| 0.4 Caramel 40L | 0.5 Caramel 40L |
| 4oz Honey | 12oz Honey |
| 5oz Corn Sugar | |
| 0.5oz Centennial @45min | 0.5oz Crystal @45min |
| 0.4oz Mosaic @20min | 0.5oz Mosaic @20min |
| 0.5oz Glacier/Fuggle @20min | |
| 0.85oz Centennial @15min | 1oz Centennial @15min |
| 0.5oz Mosaic @5min | 0.5oz Mosaic @5min |
| 0.5oz Centennial @5min | 0.5oz Glacier/Fuggle @5min |
| 1.83oz Amarillo @Flameout | 2oz Amarillo @Flameout |
| 0.5oz Centennial @Flameout | 0.5oz Crystal/MtHood @Flameout |
| 6oz Simcoe Hops @Dry Hop | 4oz Simcoe Hops @Dry Hop |
| US-05 Yeast | Bell's Imperial A62 |
OG: 1.062, FG: 1.012
With Honey added:
OG: 1.065, FG: 1.012
As you can see from above, I did modify a few items in the recipe as I didn't have Crystal or Mt Hood hops, but rather had an abundance of Centennial.
Corn sugar: with my beer being lower ABV, I didn't see the need for this addition as it'd likely dry the beer out.
Vienna malt: I didn't have Pale Ale malt on hand, but read that this is a reasonable substitute, although it'd add a little more color.
Dry Hop: so I'm not a perfectionist, I did add 6oz instead of 4oz of Simcoe because I had it. But the beer turned out stellar and I have no regrets.
A few weeks after brewday, I was ready to do my side-by-side.
Left: My last can of Hopslam | Right: Son of HopslamColor: First and foremost, you'll notice the murkiness and color on my beer. Yes, I forgot the whirlfloc and just happened to be out of gelatin when it was time to bottle this bad boy. Would it make a better picture? Yes. Would it improve the beer? Not so sure how much more this one can be improved, I can't stop drinking it! I will also note that I doubt that this beer is oxidized. Recipe stated 8 SRM on this beer, which would give it that caramel-like color.
Nose: Strong pineapple, pine and orange. I can't stop swirling and getting huge whiffs of this beer, the aroma is spectacular. Half way through the glass, I can really smell the honey.
Flavors: This beer comes off as a classic IPA with notes of pine, bitterness, and a hint of honey. Afterward, you're hit with flavors that are pretty mellow and resemble a more modern IPA. Huge tropical flavors, great presence of pineapple, passionfruit and orange throughout the beer.
Color: In this picture, my beer is about 2 months old, while the can of Hopslam is about 4 months. I believe my beer would have a pretty similar caramel color if it had cleared up and I didn't use such a large dry hop.
Comparison: the original Hopslam has possibly lost some of the aroma over time, however, it does have stronger notes of pine and honey on the nose. On the first sip, you're hit with honey and notes of sweetness that balance out the bitter edge that this beer definitely has. It's not as mellow as my version, but it packs a greater honey punch. Overall, I think that time got the best of Hopslam. My version, possibly due to a larger dry hop, tastes much more complimentary to the honey addition. After swirling, sipping and tasting this beer, the honey notes are very evident.
Conclusion: This now my go-to recipe for a traditional IPA. Honey and the hops provide an endless field of flavors to be explored as this beer ages. At 2 months after kegging, I feel like this brew has only gotten better, although I'm sad that this my last can of the 'Slam.
Yes, I will not forget the Whirlfloc and gelatin-fining next time, but I'll also be toning down the IBU's in my beer while cranking up the honey addition.
If you try to brew this recipe or have brewed this before, let me know how it went!
