Ancho Pumpkin Pie Imperial Porter - AG - 2012

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This is a new leg of an old post. I did this pumpkin ale last year and it was a favorite. If you are curious to know how that went please go here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/chocolate-chili-pumpkin-porter-261757/index3.html

This beer has been enhanced from that version in multiple ways. It was good but thin, spice was good but could be tweaked, and it was an extract base recipe. Now that I am geared into AG and a bit more experienced I am making a move to make the piece de resistance. I brewed this on the 20th so it is already in progress and should be going into the secondary this week. I give you Gourd Almighty Version 2.0

Grain Bill:
o 8.5# American 2-Row
o 3# Crystal 40L
o 2.5# British Pale Chocolate Malt
o 2# Cara-Pils
o .75# Roasted Barley
- .75# Special B (you could sub biscuit
o .25# Black Patent Malt


Adjuncts - 15min:
o 1# Lactose
o 1# Amber Belgian Candi Sugar
o 70z Libby’s Pure Pumpkin Puree
o 1x Whirlfloc Tablet
o 1tsp Yeast Energizer

Hop Schedule:
o 1z Magnum 11.7% AA -FW
o .25z Willamette 5.1% AA -45m
o .25z Willamette 5.1% AA -30m
o .25z Willamette 5.1% AA -15m
- .25z Liberty 3.4% AA -15m

• Secondary Infusions - sanitized in bourbon 4 days:
o 6z reserved infused Bourbon
o 3x Ancho Chillies -Stemmed/Seeded
o 6x Cinnamon Sticks
o 2.5 TBSP Crystaline ginger
o 8x Vanilla Beans -Split/Quartered/Scraped
o 6x Clove

• Fermentation Schedule:
o SafALE US05
o 14 days in primary
o 14 days in secondary
o 21 days in bottles
o Drunk for Turkey Day


Standard OG was 1.084 and the wort (unspiced) tasted FREAKING AMAZING. This should be a good, chewy, complex, fall 'warmer'

ENJOY. Feedback is appreciated and encouraged. I will keep all updated through the fermentation steps and give pictures if I can....
 
I'd cut the clove to 1x. It's an extremely strong flavor. 8x vanilla beans also seems like much. Are you dry toasting the chiles before using them? It helps to bring out the flavor and color.

3/4 lb. each of roasted barley and special b seems like it would get in the way to me. I'd probably use some victory, munich, and other characterful bready, toasty English malts.

That's a whole lot of chocolate malt (2.5 lbs), crystal 40 (3 lbs), carapils (2 lbs), and lactose (1 lb). You might want to revisit those numbers.

Not really understanding the FW/45/30/15 hop schedule and amounts. What are you trying to accomplish here? In closing, a small pack of US-05 might not cut it... and I would also do a longer primary for this big of a beer.
 
2 packages of US-05 as a 1L DME base Starter.

Looking again, I mistyped two grain amounts 2-row is actually 9.5 and the crystal was 2. This is similar to a bready porter I have made in the past and I kinda like the biscuity earthy flavors of the barley/special b/magnum/willamette in those proportions - though I admist the liberty is a new addition to compliment the ginger - just smelled too good together.

Chillies will not be dry-roasted, as I want to keep them muted and minimize actually capsacin heat - though could be a good variation for those who like the heat. If I were to do so I would up to 4x, leave the seeds, and roast prior to pitching.

I by no means want to count my brews before they pop, but I am expecting this to be like a rich heavy pumpkin pie dessert porter, and can't really undo what I haev brewing. In either event, there's always 2013 and more new horizons out there.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
Good luck!

FYI - Toasting the chiles will not magically make the chiles spicier and more rich in capsaicin. You remove the seeds and stems, then flatten on a hot skillet to toast both sides. It simply gives them more flavor, similar to toasting pine nuts before using them for pesto.
 
Good luck!

FYI - Toasting the chiles will not magically make the chiles spicier and more rich in capsaicin. You remove the seeds and stems, then flatten on a hot skillet to toast both sides. It simply gives them more flavor, similar to toasting pine nuts before using them for pesto.

I was not trying to suggest that it does, but rather I am muting it altogether (flavor and heat) and prefer the subtle overtone. For that reason I have no intent on including more chillies, the seeds, or toasting them - but I agree that could be a good variation to move in a different direction.
 
True. You would be accentuating the natural flavor of the dried chiles if toasting. My point was that heat does not always destroy flavor as it does in the case of hops.

Nevertheless, I don't really think that 3 untoasted anchos will lend much character to 5 gallons of dark, sweet, heavy beer with the typical short secondary time.
 
Cool. Last year's version had only 2 for four gallons; I am confident they will subtely compliment the ale in the ratio of 3 chillies per 5. This is modelled after a tort recipe I developed a few years back. It might be interesting to see these different iterations - If only I could drink 5 different pumpkin beers!
 
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