Trying to assemble extract kit for Jamil's Chocolate Hazelnut Porter

Hey All!

I'm trying to brew up Jamil's Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, but I'm ill-equipped for AG brewing, and all the resources I can find are for AG brewers. I know morebeer.com has an extract kit, but they are out of stock, and I need to get starting on this quickly if I'm going to have it conditioned in time for Christmas.

Does anybody have any recommendations? Should I just wait for morebeer to get the kit in stock? Or should I try to formulate my own recipe using malt extracts?

Any recommendations?

6 gallons

7.8 lbs English Pale LME
1.0 lb Munich LME
1.0 lb Crystal 40
1.0 lb Crystal 80
.75 lb Chocolate Malt (350L)
.5 lb Black Patent Malt (525L)
.5 lb Cocoa Powder (unsweetened), 0 min
.5 oz Hazelnut Extract, at bottling (add half first, then adjust to taste)
1.25 oz Kent Goldings 5%AA 60 min
.8 oz Willamette 5%AA 30 min
.8 oz Willamette 5%AA 15 min
.4 oz Kent Goldings 5%AA 0 min
.4 oz Willamette 5%AA 0 min
WLP001 (2.5 vials), Wyeast 1056 (2.5 packages), or Safale S-05 (13 grams), or equivalent starter

OG 1.066, FG 1.019, 36 IBUs, 38 SRM, 6.2% ABV
Boil 60 minutes
Pre-boil volume 7 gallons
Pre-boil gravity 1.056
Ferment at 67F
Carbonate to 2.0-2.5 volumes

Great! Thank you! Is this the inventory from the morebeer.com kit? Is this an ingredient you put together yourself?

No, it's from Jamil's book, Brewing Classic Styles. He has the all-grain and extract versions of at least one recipe from each BJCP style in the book.

I have another question. The recipe calls for 1 lb. Caramel 40L and 1lb. Caramel 80L. In theory, would I be able to buy 2 lbs. of Caramel 60L? Do the Lovibond degrees average out like that? Or does it really not work like that. AHS has 40L and 90L, but not 80L. They do however have 60L. I know it wouldn't be the end of the world if I went with the 90L and 40L, but would I more closely match the recipe if I went with the 2 lbs of 60L?

No, it really doesn't work that way.

The different caramel malts each impart different flavors to the beer.

The colors average out, but the flavors don't.

If I had to sub, I'd use 40 as listed and use either 60 or 90 instead of 80, in the same amount. Pick one or the other based on whether you want it a little darker or a little lighter (shouldn't make too much difference, really). 90 would give it a touch of 'darker' sweetness...like caramel; 60 a little milder sweetness. Just the slightest touch of sweetness, either way.

Question about the differences in the BCS book recipe and the morebeer kit. The BCS recommends WLP001 Cal Ale yeast while the morebeer kit recommends WLP002 English Ale yeast. I have some Cal Ale on hand. Should I got with my ranched Cal Ale or stick with the morebeer recommended English Ale yeast?

I always make it a point to brew the recipes from that book as listed the first time around, and then tweak from there if I decide I want to play around with them.

I'd go with the Chico.

Is there anyway to buy exactly 7.8lbs of pale LME? if so, where?

Not that I know of. You can buy more, and then weigh it out. Or, you can buy up to, and as close to 7.8 pounds, as possible, then make up the difference in DME. It's much easier to weigh out DME then LME.

For example, Brewmaster's Warehouse sells 3.3 lb bags of LME. If you bought 2 of those, you'd have 6.6 lbs. Add 1 lb of Light DME, and you've got yourself roundabout the same recipe.

EDIT: Just a note, 1 lb of DME DOES NOT EQUAL 1 lb of LME. There is more water in LME, so you need more LME to make up for the same pound of DME. I ran my example through BeerSmith to make sure the gravities worked out.

So in this case, it would be ok to use 6.6 lbs LME and 1 lb of DME?

If I had it my way, I would be recommending you use Maris Otter LME as opposed to Pale LME, but as it is, nobody I can find stocks Maris Otter LME anymore (although, keep your eye on William's Brewing. They used to keep it, and I bet if enough people bug 'em, they'll restock it.)

But 6.6lbs of Pale (Light) LME and 1 lb of Light DME will work just fine.