Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 15.75
Anticipated OG: 1.081
Anticipated SRM: 26.3
Anticipated IBU: 25.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grain

7.00 lbs. Golden Promise
4.00 lbs. Vienna Malt
1.50 lbs. Melanoidin Malt
1.00 lbs. Honey Malt
1.00 lbs. Crystal 40L
1.00 lbs. Special B Malt
0.25 lbs. Carafa II

Hops

1.66 oz. Vanguard Whole 4.6%AA 23.0 IBUs 90 min.
0.34 oz. Vanguard Whole 4.6%AA 2.7 IBUs 20 min.


Yeast

White Labs WLP810 San Fransisco Lager with 2L starter on a stir plate


Mash Schedule

Grain Lbs: 15.75
Water Qts: 18.11

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.15

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152F Time: 45 Minutes
Sparge Temp : 170F


Fermentation: 14 days primary at 60F, 28 days secondary at 60F

FG: 1.021
8% abv



First attempt at a Baltic Porter - I usually make Robust Porters. With the high OG and no lagering cabinet, it was hard to keep temperature down without continuously adding frozen water bottles to a water bath that the fermenter sat in, so I am not sure I would make this again without a better way to manage temperature.

It came out pretty much within style guidelines, recently scoring 39 in our club competiton. I think it was a bit on the sweet side, so maybe I would cut back or eliminate the honey malt (since the base malt was Golden Promise and can be sweet to start with) or else add a bit more carbonation to add some bite. Judge's comments were vinous, pruney, cherry, and caramel aroma; slightly sweet, a bit fruity and caramel up front flavor; light chocolate and molasses flavor; grape-like, almost doppelbock character; creamy, slight warmth, sweetness on the lips; very complex. It also was a concensus third in a blind tasting with 4 beers from the BJCP guidelines (Sinebrychoff, Zywiec, Aldaris, Utenos) at a beer tasting.