Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Cocoa Cayenne Porter

Type: All Grain
Date: 1/22/2010
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer:
Boil Size: 6.00 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 2010 - Comp average score(out of 6 comps): 36
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 61.48 %
1.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 12.30 %
1.05 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.61 %
0.90 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 7.38 %
0.60 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4.92 %
0.15 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.23 %
0.90 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 24.7 IBU
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.60 %] (5 min) Hops 1.3 IBU
0.50 tbsp Cayenne Pepper (Secondary 2.0 weeks) Misc
2.00 oz Cocoa (Secondary 2.0 weeks) Misc
2.00 items Vanilla bean (Secondary 2.0 weeks) Misc
0.50 lb Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 4.10 %
1 Pkgs Whitbread Ale (Wyeast Labs #1099) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.064 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.10 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.14 %
Bitterness: 26.0 IBU Calories: 289 cal/pint
Est Color: 28.6 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 11.70 lb
Sparge Water: 4.00 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 14.63 qt of water at 164.4 F 150.0 F



Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Volumes of CO2: 2.5
Pressure/Weight: 4.4 oz Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 68.0 F Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F

I would love to try this recipe, but I am only doing extract w/steeping grains right now.
Is there anyway you can convert it for me?

If you can do steeping grains, you can do a small mash. I would just replace the 2-row with 4-5 pounds of LDE and do a small mash with the rest of the grain bill.

mash with 2 gallons of water at 160 to hit a temperature of 150, you can do it in any vessel that will hold 3 gallons, wrap it in a towel and let it sit for an hour.
After the hour is up strain it into your brewpot and heat the rest of your clean brewing water in another vessel to 170 and let the grainrest in there for another half hour or 45 minutes, again strain into your brewpot, add yur extract and away we go!

I never did steeping grains really, so i dont know anything about that. though steeping seems like a really simplified mash.

I am brewing this next and subbed 6 pounds of gold LME in for the 2 row--

very excited to see how it turns out!

any other suggestions or anyone else made this recipe??

I forgot to mention in the recipe, I also added about a tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract in secondary. The beer tasted very similar to breckenridge vanilla porter with a bit of a spicy kick. The spiciness dies down over town but was ever present. So if it comes out a bit hot at first, give it some time.

and please, let me know how it turns out. I will be doing my third batch next month.

thanks! I am doing slightly more chocolate malt and cocoa and probably leaving out the vanilla extract for more pronounced chocolate flavor instead of heavy vanilla.

will be brewing it up probably next week when all the supplies come in- getting excited!

Thanks for sharing the recipe. I have just started brewing but was already thinking about a chocolate chipolte porter. This gives great information on how much and when to add the chillies and chocolate. Planning on using a dark cocoa powder and upping the amount of pepper a bit.

Brewed my third batch of this today. Ive been having some inconsistancy in my efficency lately, which is quite frustrationg, got a wopping 85%!!! OG of 1.074. Much higher than usual!!!

Im all for more alcohol but for **** sake!!

How did put the cocoa and vanilla bean in secondary? Just dropped the cocoa in and split and scrap the beans and drop in.

I used ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder dissolved in some hot water along with the Cayenne and vanilla beans(scraped) and extract, added to bottom of secondary and racked on top.

Thanks for the partial mash conversion

I am contemplating doing this as my first all grain recipe, but I am having a bit of difficulty understanding the Mash schedule. Here is what I got out of it. Let me know if I am incorrect.

Mash: 3.66 gal; Strike water temp: 164.4f to achieve a mash temp of 150f. Mash for 75min.

Sparge: Add 4 gallons of 168f water and batch sparge.

Let me know if I am missing something.

Thanks for the help!!!

You got it.

Though you can sparge however your you like to do it. I usually batch sparge for ease, but you give up a couple of points in efficiency for it. I usually split the sparge water in half and do two batch sparges, adding the water slowly not all ast once.


Good luck, let me know how it turns out if you decide to do it!

Shinglejohn-

I am brewing this on Sunday. Just wondering about ferm temps. Do you typically ferment at the lower end ~64f of the Whitbread yeast?

Excited to try this as one last dark beer before I move on to the hoppiness for the summer months.

The Ambient temperature of my brewroom is right around 64-66 degrees, i try to keep it within that range. When the yeast get hot and heavy, i monitor it and try to keep the temps down.

I usually go two weeks in primary and two in secondary, using the secondary for spice additions. Also, add the cayenne a day after you rack onti the chocolate or it will get burried by the chocolatey yeast cake.

Be careful with the amount of cayenne you use, I followed the cayenne portion exactly and it was like drinking lava, had to pour it all down the drain pretty bummed

I have made this recipe several times and it has always been mildly spicy, though cayenne powder can vary in scoville units. Also, the heat matures with age, in the same way that most strong flavors associated with beer.

Im sorry you had a bad experience heiman, but you dumped it? did you bottle it and carb it?

Shinglejohn said:

The spiciness dies down over town but was ever present. So if it comes out a bit hot at first, give it some time.

Click to expand...

So I brewed this a month or so ago. It was cold so I let it sit in the carboy for a month. I played around with the cayenne so I think I added more than called for.

Regardless, this beer kicks ass. Thanks for the recipe, this is going to be a regular.

Oh, and I left out the vanilla.

Nice! Happy to hear it!

This sounds awfully similiar to Tyranena Benji's Smoked Chipotle Imperial Porter, which I might add, is an incredible beer. One of my favorite with a bloody mary (or just as a Sat. morning wake up call). Will be brewing something similiar to this (except adding smoked malt and coffee, and removing the vanilla). Thanks!

UPDATE: I brewed this a little over a month ago and bottled it this past weekend. When I racked the beer from primary to secondary, I was pleasantly surprised. Without any of the additions, it was a great stock porter.

Last sunday we bottled and like others have said, it is spicy, but in a good way in my opinion. I expect this heat to die down significantly over time. The cocoa, and vanilla were definately on the forefront with the spice hitting at the end.

I am super excited to try this brew in a couple months when it is carbed up and has started to age a bit. Thanks for the recipe Shinglejohn!!!

I will post a tasting review when I crack the first bottle open in a few weeks.

To those that are fearful of the cayenne, I used amount called for in the reciped and I do not feel that it is by any means overbearing. Remember it will mellow over time. Or leave it out completely and play around with the vanilla additions. I have a feeling this will be a great brew!

Great to hear!

One question. When you scrape the vanilla bean; do you discard the pulp and seed, or add all of it to the secondary?

Thanks, Mack

add it all!

Cool! Thanks!

Shinglejohn said:

add it all!

Click to expand...

So, does that mean the scraped pulp as well as the husk? Do I drop the entire bean in after I scrape? Also, any need sanitize/ boil spices ( the bean, etc? ). Thank you. Great recipe, planning to brew this w/e. Just ordered ingredients.

scrape and add it all, pulp and husk. I dont do any sanitizing prior to addition, i do add the cocao powder to a small amount of water to help it disperse into the beer.

Shinglejohn said:

scrape and add it all, pulp and husk. I dont do any sanitizing prior to addition, i do add the cocao powder to a small amount of water to help it disperse into the beer.

Click to expand...

Thanks!! I'm ready to brew!

Hi there. I'm in the process of brewing your converted partial right now (quite excited!), and just realized a stupid: I forgot to buy the milk sugar!
I'm not seeing (not experienced in using it) when to use it, I'm hoping I'm figuring correctly that you use it in the 2ndary, since it's listed below the 2ndary adjuncts.
I read it's not fermentable by yeast, so I'm think it's not in lieu of the priming sugar.
Your knowledge and assistance is greatly appreciated!!!

Oh, also, did you find that the oils from the vanilla bean wasn't an issue?

Thanks!!!

alliloop said:

Hi there. I'm in the process of brewing your converted partial right now (quite excited!), and just realized a stupid: I forgot to buy the milk sugar!
I'm not seeing (not experienced in using it) when to use it, I'm hoping I'm figuring correctly that you use it in the 2ndary, since it's listed below the 2ndary adjuncts.
I read it's not fermentable by yeast, so I'm think it's not in lieu of the priming sugar.
Your knowledge and assistance is greatly appreciated!!!

Oh, also, did you find that the oils from the vanilla bean wasn't an issue?

Thanks!!!

Click to expand...

You want to add the lactose anytime during the boil so that it will disolve into the wort, also it is partly fermentable. The vanilla bean poses not trouble.

Brewed this up 5 weeks ago and just kegged it last night. Sample I pulled while racking it was tasty

Tried last night... Delicious! Nice cocoa taste, with a faint cayenne spice at the end

Thanks for this very cool recipe, I'm excited about this one. Will probably brew within a month. By the way, by scraping the vanilla bean do you mean literally to scrap it with a knife into the secondary or should I crush it in some way basically?

Just added this into my brew schedule. Hope to get the ingredients with my next order and brew it within the month. Thanks for the recipe!

this is one i am looking forward to trying. i have had hot stouts before... from Sherwood, Edmonton... it was amazing. cannot wait to put this one on, after my ESB i have in the primary. thanks!

New brewer here and Im really interested in this beer as it sounds very similar to one of my favourite beers Heartstopper by Paddock Woods Brewery in Saskatoon, Sk. I just have one question regarding the ingredients, what is milk sugar? and where might I find it?

Milk sugar is Lactose and you should be able to pick it up at your homebrew shop or any online retailer. It is a pretty common ingredient.

Brewed this in Aug and has been on tap for a few weeks now. So far everyone likes it! The heat/warmth hits you as an after taste. Very happy with this brew, great fall brew!

Anyone try mixing the Cocoa/Vanilla Beans/Cayenne in a Vodka tincture before adding to secondary?