Imperial Oaked Porter

I know I'm crazy, but although we just entered 2010, I'm already thinking about next year's projects. My plan is to do some sort of long-aged big beer each year. My first was a "barley wine" (for lack of a better description) with some peat-smoked malt and fresh spruce tips. This year I decided to go with a little more straight forward barley wine, but included some molasses and muscovado sugar. For NEXT year, I'm already thinking about doing an Imperial Oaked Porter. I figure if I start thinking about it now and asking questions I have a whole year to really nail down the recipe. This is what I've got so far:

For a 3 gallon batch:

OG - 1.094
SRM - 34.4

8 lbs Maris Otter (3L) - 71.1%
2 lbs Light Munich (7L) - 17.8%
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt (450L) - 4.4%
1/2 lb Light Crystal (45L) - 4.4%
1/4 lb Dark Crystal (120L) - 2.2%

Hops - ??
Since I want to oak this, I'm not really sure what type of hops to use. What goes well with Oak? I've used mostly UK varieties so far, but was thinking something American might be a nice change of pace.

My idea is to ferment this then rack ontop of some oak cubes (variety? toast? amount? time?)

So, the questions I have right now are:
1) how does the 1st draft of the grist look? does it need some black malt or roasted barley?
2) what to do for a hop schedule?
3) what to do about the oak schedule?

Yes, I am addicted to this hobby and I'm not ashamed to admit it! :fro:

no comments? Ok, I'll just keep talking -

After listening to the Can You Brew It podcast for Deschutes' Black Butte Porter, I'm now thinking of a recipe like this:

Batch Size: 3.50 gal
Boil Size: 2.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.099 SG
Estimated Color: 37.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 71.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

1 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
1 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 10.53 %
12.0 oz Crystal Dark - 77L (Crisp) (75.0 SRM) Grain 7.89 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
4.0 oz Carafa I (Weyermann) (320.0 SRM) Grain 2.63 %
8.0 oz Turbinado (10.0 SRM) Sugar 5.26 %
5 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 52.63 %
21.26 gm Galena [13.00 %] (90 min) Hops 44.7 IBU
14.17 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
14.17 gm Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU

ferment (yeast?), rack onto some medium toast French Oak cubes (how long?), bulk age, bottle, age some more, drink

Thoughts?

I think your second grainbill looks fine, I though the first one was a bit light on the dark malt. The sugar is a nice addition as well in such a big beer, it should help to dry it out a bit. For yeast, anything American/English/Irish/Scottish would be fine. I’d probably go with 1728 (Scottish) since it does well in big beers.

I’m of the school that thinks aging on oak should be done for as long as possible, so I would probably age on 1 oz of oak cubes for 3-4 months in secondary. I think you get more complexity that way rather than the “lumber” flavor people get from adding lots of oak for a short amount of time.

I don't care for the flavor of oxidized American hops, so I would probably just drop the 5 min addition. If you want some hop aroma add some dry hops after it has time to age on the oak.

Hope that helps, good luck.

Oldsock said:

I think your second grainbill looks fine, I though the first one was a bit light on the dark malt. The sugar is a nice addition as well in such a big beer, it should help to dry it out a bit. For yeast, anything American/English/Irish/Scottish would be fine. I’d probably go with 1728 (Scottish) since it does well in big beers.

I’m of the school that thinks aging on oak should be done for as long as possible, so I would probably age on 1 oz of oak cubes for 3-4 months in secondary. I think you get more complexity that way rather than the “lumber” flavor people get from adding lots of oak for a short amount of time.

I don't care for the flavor of oxidized American hops, so I would probably just drop the 5 min addition. If you want some hop aroma add some dry hops after it has time to age on the oak.

Hope that helps, good luck.

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Thanks for the oaking advice - I'll plan on something like that.

I see what you mean too about the late hops addition - I was pretty much going off the Black Butte Porter recipe, but that isn't aged (or oaked) so some adjustments seem prudent. I'll dry hop after aging, just before bottling.

Do you think the 30 minute cascade addition is OK?

JLem said:

Do you think the 30 minute cascade addition is OK?

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I think it is fine, but I doubt it will add much to the finished beer versus a slightly larger bittering addition. For anything aged it is rare that I will do more than 1 hop addition, that said plenty of people do and still make great beers.