First Taste of the Cold Conditioned Smoked Porter...

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Evan!

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I brewed it back on November 7th. After about a week in primary, I racked to secondary---at about the same time, I bottled my Winter Warmer, which had been the resident of the Lagerator. Given that I was in no hurry to bottle the porter, I put it in the Lagerator and set the temp to the mid-to-upper 30's (f). Last week, I made my first real lager, so the porter had to come out after a couple months of cold-conditioning. I figured all the yeast had fallen out, so I added dry cuvee yeast to the priming sugar to be sure, and put it in the guest bedroom with the space heater going.

It's been on bottle for, oh, 5 or 6 days, so I popped one in the fridge last night. It's carbed pretty well, which is very encouraging. I always worry about carbonation on these batches that sit in carboys for a long time---after all, the Wheat Doppelbock still has no carbo after several months in bottle---so the substantial "pffft" when I popped the cap was a very welcome sound. :rockin: Poured it and got a nice light bone-colored head with tight bubbles.

Aroma showcases the very interesting combination of black patent and peated malts. Slightly smoky and a little charcoaly, and no esters whatsoever. Hell yeah. The mouthfeel is striking---very well-defined and not sloppy or flabby at all. Nearly as crisp as a lager, you can really appreciate the benefits of the cold-conditioning. The palate weight is lean and stoic---this is a true session porter, even if the ABV is above 6%, it doesn't show. The 8oz of black patent is verging on too much, but luckily, the smoke from the peated balances it out. It's dry, even for a porter, but I really like that quality. Hints of chocolate, smoke and charcoal remind me of a campsite. Warming, but not to the point that this isn't a summer sipper. I was done with my glass quickly...all in all, I great success IMHO. I know I won't always have the time/room to cold-condition for 2 months, so I'm going to savor this batch.

Smoked Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

12-B Porter, Robust Porter

Min OG: 1.048 Max OG: 1.065
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 60
Min Clr: 22 Max Clr: 42 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.14
Anticipated OG: 1.068 Plato: 16.69
Anticipated SRM: 47.2
Anticipated IBU: 53.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.058 SG 14.31 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.9 3.00 lbs. Generic LME - Dark Generic 1.035 25
13.5 1.50 lbs. Generic LME - Extra Light Generic 1.035 7
13.5 1.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
9.0 1.00 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
9.0 1.00 lbs. Crystal 20L America 1.035 20
9.0 1.00 lbs. Generic LME - Weizen Generic 1.035 7
9.0 1.00 lbs. Maris Otter Pale Malt Great Britain 1.038 3
4.5 0.50 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525
4.5 0.50 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80
1.3 0.14 lbs. Scottish Peated Malt 1.038 5

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.40 oz. Magnum Pellet 14.00 25.3 60 min.
0.20 oz. Simcoe Whole 14.40 11.8 60 min.
0.40 oz. Simcoe Whole 14.40 14.8 35 min.
0.25 oz. Crystal Pellet 4.50 1.0 8 min.
0.25 oz. Tettnanger Pellet 4.00 0.8 2 min.


Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast US-56 Safeale American Ale Yeast




 
Evan! said:
Hints of chocolate, smoke and charcoal remind me of a campsite. Warming, but not to the point that this isn't a summer sipper. I was done with my glass quickly...all in all, I great success IMHO. I know I won't always have the time/room to cold-condition for 2 months, so I'm going to savor this batch.

I think I'd enjoy this on a fishing trip. With a good cigar. And a campfire.
 
Evan, you want to do a swap? Send me a couple bottles of your porter, and I'll do the same? Mine's almost ready to go, it needs a little bit more conditioning, I think, but it's almost there.
 
the_bird said:
Evan, you want to do a swap? Send me a couple bottles of your porter, and I'll do the same? Mine's almost ready to go, it needs a little bit more conditioning, I think, but it's almost there.

Sure! PM'd.
 
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