Let's See Your Smoked Porter Recipes

I'm looking for something a little smokier than Stone Smoked Porter, but not as smoky as a Schlenkerla Rauchbier.


+1 - If the recipe contains chile peppers... I had this Smoked Chipotle Porter once that was out of this world! I would rather add 1 toasted chipotle per gallon for a warm aroma steep, than in a secondary, which I don't normally do.

--------------

I'm going to partial mash this one, so mash temperatures aren't a huge concern for me. But feel free to post your all-grain examples if that's all you have.

I have never made a porter before, but I was thinking:

51% Muntons XL DME
21% Fawcett Pearl
11% Weyermann Munich II
9% Muntons Chocolate
5% Briess CaraBrown or Roasted Barley
3% Alderwood Smoked Munich

7-8% abv range - below 1.014 FG.

Approx. 45 IBUs - not a lot of character from the hops... just enough bitterness so that it isn't sweet. But I wouldn't be opposed to subtle spicy/piney/earthy. No fruity or citrusy though please.

WLP007??

Working on a mushroom/pepper smoked Baltic Porter. See here.

I'm imagining a subtle chocolate coffee smoked porter here. If you're going for earthy, I'd imagine that CaraBrown might be the way to go as you've listed. Roasted Barley from what I understand would give you more of that coffee flavor (not sure if you want that). Maybe a small amount of black patent would make it a little more dry by cutting the sweetness?

Stay tuned for some of the more experienced brewers advice. I haven't brewed my porter yet, so my suggestions could just be...terrible.

I was between WLP060 and 007 for my yeast. I decided on the 060 because I was looking for the hops to come through. I think you've made the right choice on yeast (based on the description of it).

EDIT: Just re-reading. Any reason on only using 3% of the smoked malt in your bill? I haven't used the Alderwood but from what I'm reading I feel like that's going to be pretty low impact. As the porter ages I get the impression that the smokiness is just going to be a vague memory by the time it finishes conditioning.

And hops. Maybe Fuggles and/or Goldings?

I have no idea what 3% will contribute since I've never made a smoked porter, or use smoked malt. I don't want it to be overpowering, or weak (which I feel Stone's version is), or completely lost. ~ 60/30/15 of Willamette was going through my mind as far as the hops. How long should a beer like this age? It's not being oaked or anything and I was just thinking about doing a primary.

bobbrews said:

I have no idea what 3% will contribute since I've never made a smoked porter, or use smoked malt. I don't want it to be overpowering, weak (which I feel Stone's version is), or completely lost. ~ 60/30/15 of Willamette was going through my mind as far as the hops. How long should a beer like this age? It's not being oaked or anything and I was just thinking about doing a primary.

Click to expand...

When's your brew day? I can try out my grain bill and let you know how powerful the smoke is on mine. The two smoked malts (different brands) are similar in use as I understand. It'll probably attenuate as it ages...but at least I can let you know if it's not enough or if it tastes like eating a bonfire.

Willamette sounds like it'd be good. It's recommended as an alternative for Fuggles I believe. If you're up for buying two types of hops, maybe just see if you like the aroma of one of them better, and you can use that hop for the finishing additions (30/15 or 10/2).

As for aging...a month in the bottle I guess? I'd make 2-4 sample bottles and crack one open each week until you like the flavor. Probably 7-10 days in the primary. Rule of thumb I saw someone give was to wait for 2-3 days where the gravity remains the same.

If you're interested take a look at drinkrangercreek.com. They make a mesquite smoked porter and post recipes for homebrewers on their website. They smoke their own malt but you could probably just use rauch malt instead.

Not anytime soon. I wanted to get some ideas first. I understand there are a couple malts I could use for the smoke. I believe Stone uses 2% Peat Malt, 6% C-75, and 13% Chocolate Malt. Maybe Peat malt is stronger than Alderwood smoked malt?? And if I end up using toasted Chipotles in the aroma steep, I imagine some smokiness being imparted by those as well.

I think your biggest hurdle is going to be getting any smoke flavor to come through at all. It is common with smokebeers ti have as much as half of the grist or more be smoked. At only 3% I'm not sure it will be noticeable at all.

Coincidentally, the desire to make a nice smoked porter is the straw that broke the camels back so to speak and got me to make the transition to all grain.

Try 15 to 25% smoked, sorry rauch malt to get noticeable but not overwhelming flavor of smoke. Not sure about peat malt.

I have used rauch malt for 20% of the base malt and it was spot on to my liking. It took a few weeks for it to come through.

bobbrews said:

Not anytime soon. I wanted to get some ideas first. I understand there are a couple malts I could use for the smoke. I believe Stone uses 2% Peat Malt, 6% C-75, and 13% Chocolate Malt. Maybe Peat malt is stronger than Alderwood smoked malt?? And if I end up using toasted Chipotles in the aroma steep, I imagine some smokiness being imparted by those as well.

Click to expand...

Oh Chipotles. Didn't think of that at all. You're probably spot on then using a lower than normal amount of smoke malt. Peat is WAY stronger than any of the other smokes I believe. So that would explain the 2% for them. I did some research on the smoke grains...apparently peat malt can kill you with smoke flavor if you're not conservative with it. Alderwood probably can use the same guide as briess smoked malt. 10% for a noticeable character...no more than 50% though.

No idea on rauch malt.

Had a look at Stone's Smoked Porter recipe and they call for 2.5% peat smoked malt (4.9 oz per 5 gallon batch). I have to agree with you, I too find the smoked flavor almost undetectable. That said, you could always bump it up for your own batch

bobbrews said:

...but not as smoky as a Schlenkerla Rauchbier.

Click to expand...

That beer is ridiculous!

@skibumdc - I love their Rauchbier. It tastes like liquid firewood and apple-smoked bacon. All of their beers are great, but not for the faint of heart. I don't want that much smokyness here though.

@nberna19 - Stone also uses "lightly" peated malt.

Hows this guys? Note the boil/batch size. I do twin boils and add them to one carboy in the end.

http://hopville.com/recipe/1479694/robust-porter-recipes/smoked-chocolate-chipotle-porter

i recently made a smoke pale ale. With 4% Cherrywood Smoked malt it was hardly noticeable in a pale beer so I would imagine in a porter you would need 15%-25% liked stated previously.

I did this earlier this year, finishing up the 2nd of 2 kegs in fact.

9 lbs Smoked Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 45.69 %
4 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 20.30 %
2 lbs Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 10.15 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 65L (75.0 SRM) Grain 7.61 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 7.61 %
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.08 %
11.2 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3.55 %
2.00 oz Nugget [13.60 %] (60 min) Hops 45.3 IBU
2.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs London Ale (Wyeast Labs #1028) [Starter 2000 ml] [Cultured] Yeast-Ale

Mash 152F, Smoked malt was Weyermann that was about 12 months post-production.

It's of course quite smoky but it's not acrid by any means. Not ashy either. I would say it's as smoky as Schlenkerla, but with the bigger boddy and caramel/chocolate malt, it's nicely balanced. Tastes awesome with dark chocolate.

MC

I've got one, look under my recipes.

If you want to add the Chipotles, go for it. If you want to be in the 7%-8% ABV range, drop the molasses addition.

My buddy shared a couple bottles of his Smoked Porter with me. He took the Robust Porter recipe out of BCS and replaced ALL of the base malt with rauch malt. It was incredible and had a great cigar/campfire smokiness to it, not bacon-y like some versions I've tasted.

I am brewing this one this weekend. I got it from a "can you brew it episode" it is supposed to be a Captain Lawrence Smoked Porter Clone

Batch Size: 6 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.068
Final Gravity: 1.018
IBU: 35
Color: 35.9 SRM
Alcohol: 6.6% ABV
Boil: 70 minutes

Malts
9.5 lbs. U.S. 2-Row Malt
3.2 lbs. Weyerman Smoked Malt
1.5 lbs. Dark Munich Malt
1.5 lbs. Crystal Malt (80L)
10.6 ozs. Weyermann® Dehusked Carafa® III
2 ozs. UK Chocolate Malt (475L)

Hops
0.45 oz. Summit Hops (18.5% AA) first wort hop
1.5 ozs. Crystal Hops (3.25% AA) 20 minutes

Yeast
White Labs WLP001 American Ale Yeast

Mash @ 154 (60 min.)
Ferment @ 65

Thanks, report back and let us know what you thought of the Capt. Lawrence clone. Not too much chocolate malt there at all. I would probably use more chocolate, less carafa, and dry it out some more for my tastes.

98% weyermann rauchmalt and 2% carafa I or II dehusked will get you half the smoke of schlenkerla marzen.