Scotch Porter Recipe

Hey Everybody,
I've been developing a recipe for a BIG porter aged in scotch whisky soaked oak chips, and I just need some advice on a few things.

Here's the recipe:

Grains
12.5 lbs English Two-Row -----------75%
1.5 lbs Crystal 40L --------------------9%
1 lbs Flaked Barley -------------------6%
1/2 lbs Roasted Barley ---------------5%
1/2 lbs Chocolate Malt ---------------3%
1/4 lbs Black Malt --------------------2%

Hops
1 oz Fuggles, at 60 mins
2 oz Goldings at 60 mins
1/2 oz Magnum at 60 mins
1 oz Fuggles at 30 mins
1/2 oz Goldings at 30 mins

Wyeast 1084 (Irish ale yeast)

Roughly 75 IBU
Target O.G = 1.088
Target F.G = 1.024

I'd like it to be a big bodied beer and I can't decide between barley flakes and oat flakes. any ideas?

also, I've never aged beer with oak, how long is too long? I want the flavor to be prevalent but not too dominant.
I've been soaking 2 oz of oak chips in scotch for 2 months now, and I plan to brew this tomorrow, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'd go with the oats. It will fill out the mouth feel even if the beer ends up a little more dry than you plan. The fermentability/mouth feel is based on mash temp which aren't here so I don't want to give you some bad info. I'd wait to put the chips in until primary fermentation is over. But I'd give them a week when the time comes and then just try the beer. You could throw a little peated or smoked malt to accentuate the flavor of the scotch and oak. But this looks like a five gal batch so I wouldn't use more than a half ounce of one of them.

thanks,
Yeah I'm going to mash at 156F for a full body, and i'll throw the chips in the secondary. I've never used oats so I might as well try them.
I wonder if the oak needs to pasteurized? i've heard people say that whiskey isn't enough to kill all the nasties, but I'm not really sure.

I've been considering using some of peated malt... I think I will!

Cheers!

silverhammer said:

thanks,
Yeah I'm going to mash at 156F for a full body, and i'll throw the chips in the secondary. I've never used oats so I might as well try them.
I wonder if the oak needs to pasteurized? i've heard people say that whiskey isn't enough to kill all the nasties, but I'm not really sure.

I've been considering using some of peated malt... I think I will!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Whiskey will be enough to ensure you have nothing get in your beer. I would also suggest start soaking the oak now, and when your ready to use it. dump it all in.

On the peated malt....go easy if you're using it. It can get out of hand very easily. 1-2% max would be my suggestion.

phished880 said:

On the peated malt....go easy if you're using it. It can get out of hand very easily. 1-2% max would be my suggestion.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I meant a half pound, a half ounce wouldn't do anything. But had I typed it right my suggestion would have been 3% and easily scalable if you ever want to do bigger batch.