Smoked Porter Feedback

I'm planning on doing a smoked porter for my next batch to get me through the winter months here in Michigan. I found BierMuncher's Loon Lake Smoked Porter https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/smoked-porter-recipe-anyone-anyone-bueller-84187/ and like the basic look of it. I want to up the ABV a bit and I like a strong malty base. I read in that thread that BM said he would "up the malt backbone" if he did it again. Sounds like a good idea to me. So here's what I'm working with:


Batch size: 5.5 gal
Boil size: 6.5 gal
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%

% Lbs Oz Malt
51% 7 8 Smoked American Two-row
24% 3 8 Munich Malt - 10L
7% 1 0 Dextrin Malt
7% 1 0 Quick Oats
5% 0 12 Chocolate Malt
3% 0 8 Special B Malt
3% 0 8 Brown Malt

.75 oz Northern Brewer @ 60
.5 oz Willamette @ 60

Windsor Ale yeast

Estimated O.G.: 1.065
Estimated F.G.: 1.019

ABV: 6.1%

IBU: 28.5
SRM: 35


Anyone with a taste for malty, smokey beers, please critique this recipe.

Well, I picked up the grains today, so I guess I'm gonna brew it as posted above. I'll follow up with tasting notes when it's ready.

Too late now, but for my tastes, I would have switched the smoked and Munich malt. I made a smoked batch (5 gal) a few years ago, and used 4# of smoked malt. For my tastes, it was too much; probably in the area of 2-3, but that depends upon personal preference.

I just made a brown ale with 3 lbs of smoked malt and it was just the right amount. This was a smooth session beer though.

What smoked malt are you using?

If it's peat smoked, you are using way too much.

I'm not sure how the oats would work in there... could be good, but if the grains aren't mixed, perhaps reconsider. I like the special b and the copious amounts of smoked malts though! I just brewed a smoked porter with 5lbs of cherry wood smoked malts (usually more forward in smoke and maybe a bit sweeter than beechwood smoked), and I think the balance seems good, though it still has several weeks before drinking time.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm planning on brewing this tomorrow. The smoked malt is beechwood, not peat so it sounds like I'm in the right ballpark for a bigger, darker beer. jeburgdo, all the grains are mixed with the exception of the oats, which I have on hand in the kitchen. I put the oats in to give body and a little silkyness to the beer. I'm curious why would you leave them out?

imrook said:

I put the oats in to give body and a little silkyness to the beer. I'm curious why would you leave them out?

Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I love flaked oats in stouts and porters, but I'm having a hard time seeing it blending with the level of smoke. It seems that smooth sweetness it adds may clash with the smoky, meat-like character of smoked malts.

But, then again, I just did a search in Google, and it seems like it's been done before with good results... so I could be way off base here! Have a nice brew day!

The cherrywood smoked malt by Breiss is good stuff. I love it!

Well, I forgot to add the oats to the mash, so we'll se how this turns out without the oats after all.

imrook said:

Well, I forgot to add the oats to the mash, so we'll se how this turns out without the oats after all.

Click to expand...

Haha, you know, after thinking about it, I was kinda excited to see how it turned out with oats. I guess that experiment will have to wait for another day.

I just wanted to post an update on this beer. It turned out great. It has a good smokey flavor, but it's not overpowering. The chocolate doesn't come through, but the roasted, caramel flavors do. The beer pours with a nice head, but it doesn't last long. The oats certainly would have helped here. I've gotten lots of compliments on this beer, including a non-beer drinker who said it's "the best beer I've ever had." I'll definitely make this again.