Baltic Porter

I recently tried a baltic porter (Baltika 6) and I was wanting to make a recipe of my own. I came up with something that looks like it could work but I'd like for someone else's opinion on this so that I don't waste a batch. I won't be brewing until sometime in mid August due to being out of the country. So I'm using this time to work out the kinks.

3 gal Recipe:

90 min mash at 150 degrees

4.5 lbs Vienna
4.0 lbs Brown malt
1.0 lb Munich 10L
0.25 lb Aromatic
0.25 lb Carafa III
0.125 lb Roasted Barley

60 min boil

1.0 oz Saaz 60 min
1.0 oz Saaz 30 min
1.0 oz Saaz 15 min

WLP830 Yeast German lager

Fermented for 2 weeks at 56 degrees then lagered at 45 degrees for 3 mos with 1.0 oz of light toasted oak chips.

OG: 1.066 FG: 1.016 SRM: 38 IBU's: 37

It would be good for you to use a base malt. I'm not sure about the vienna having enough diastitic enzymes to convert the starch in the other grain. That is a very large amount of brown malt. You might want to try a 1/2 pound for a three gallon batch..I usually use no more than two pounds combined of brown, black patent, or roasted barly for my ten gallon batches and I get some that are black. Also, it would be a good idea to include some black patent as it's traditional in the porter recipe for the color and some astringency. Unless you go way back in the history of the porter style, then it's old beer mixed with new and all that... but theoretically it would still be dark with that much in it and it's up to you.

Thanks!

hey guys, noob here, i just bottled my first batch ever and moving on to a brewers best baltic porter, i was planning to add about 4 oz's of molasses and not sure how much cacao nibs at the end of the boil, and touch of cardamom, somewhere, i haven't read enough on the cardamom yet. I want to add some of these flavors but not over power it with these, just add some more complexity. I read too much sugar will start to strip away the flavors of the baltic porter, so I figured 4oz of some Black Strap would be okay. Does this sound fundamentally acceptable what i plan to do? Thanks for any help

What volume are you planning to produce? 4oz. in 2.5 gallons is way different than 4oz. in 10 gallons. The cacao nibs work best when put into the secondary (that's how I like to use them anyway and it works well for me). Cardamom I've used at the end of the boil. It can get overpowering and you want it in and out as fast as possible so it can make it's contrubution but not get rediculously strong.

Thats a good point, it would be five gallons, as i have continued searching i have noticed a pattern of the nibs in the secondary, again i dont want to overpower, i figure 1 to 2 oz of it?, Thanks for the cardamom info, I am hesitant to use it, I use it in cooking alot and it is quite powerful, i forgot i was thinking some coffee too, ive read to put in a hop bag and put the whole beans in the secondary for a short period of time... again hesitant to do coffee as it could easily over power..., thanks for any info!

I put cardamom in a winter warmer a few years ago and used it as a background flavor. It added a good spice/citrus note that blended well with the hops. The coffee is complimentary to the roasted malts don't be scared. A lot of people cold brew some coffee the night before and add it to the fermenter. I'd probably just put it in the secondary with the cacao nibs though, that's what makes me comfortable though. I used a just over a pound of nibs for ten gallons and let it sit for six weeks and it has a good flavor but it was a double chocolate porter so it was apropriate. A couple oz of each would do it if you just wanted a hint.

thanks man!!