Mash temps suggestion

I'm brewing porter tonite.
Any suggestions?
Smokey Porter

Batch size: 6.0 gal
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.015
Bitterness (IBU): 20.8
Color (SRM): 38.4
ABV: 5.9%

[Grains and Extracts]
Pilsener DME 3.3 lb
Two-row (British) 3.0 lb
Vienna (German) 1.0 lb
Chocolate Malt (British) 0.5 lb
Chocolate Malt (US) 0.5 lb
Peated Malt 1 lb
Roasted Barley 0.50 lb
Corn Sugar 1 lb
Steel Cut Irish Oats 0.5 lb

[Hops]
Mt. Hood 1.00oz 5.5% AA Pellet @ 60 min, 15.8 IBU
Tettnanger 1.00oz 3.9% AA Pellet @ 10 min, 4.1 IBU

[Yeast/Other]
Thames Valley yeast 1.0 unit(s), Yeast

I made one not to long ago and mashed a little low 149-151 range and ended up not as sweet as I had hoped. It was a smoked porter, and it was ALL smoke, I didnt have any residual sweetness at all. Next time I make it I will mash a bit higher and maybe retain some of the sweetness of the malt. Hope that helps.

Shoot for about 152 - 154, any higher and you will end up with a higher FG which means lower abv %. Also might get more of a sweet malty body than you want. Any thing lower (145 - 150 ) you beer will have a dryer taste and more abv%
Hope this helps

Thanks. Deepcdan did u use peated malt for smoky flavor and if yes how much percentage wise?

Aye I recall mashing for porters and stouts around 153 to get that residual sugar for body but still get a good booziness

madchemist83 said:

Thanks. Deepcdan did u use peated malt for smoky flavor and if yes how much percentage wise?

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I based the recipe on the Surly Smoked clone from Northernbrewer. Used Weyermann Smoked Malt for my base malt.

Nice. Thanks.
Brewing now. Have to grind specialty grain first. Slight change in recipe.
I dropped brown malt. Bumped barley and both chocolates to half a pound.

Also yeast is Thames valley

Let us know how it turns out...good luck!

Here is my first one.

Wow look at that head! Very nice congrats!

I see u r using lme for part of the recipe does that make it easier? I may start copying u if u r having good results.

Yeah makes it way easier. Just a half of base malt. Mashing all the grain BIAB style is PITA.

madchemist83 said:

Yeah makes it way easier. Just a half of base malt. Mashing all the grain BIAB style is PITA.

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Depends on the grain bill and batch size. I wouldnt try to BIAB a whole grain bill of 12lbs I am sure. I have found a new love for doing 3gal batches with a full volume BIAB. Brewingtv.com has a great episode about it. Whats that brew in the mug??

It's my first one. It's red ale gone wild
Modified recipe that went wrong but turned out ok.

Oo I love red ale

So five days into fermentation my gravity is 1.022. Will wait another week then check again. My temps are 64F. Tastes a little sour lemony like but I assume it's from yeast in suspension and hops.

Gravity dropped to 1.020. But there is still some yeast in on the surface. Should I wait a bit more?

Wait until your SG is where you want it to be. Everything else is just theater.

How smokey were you trying for? I made a smoked porter earlier this year and used something like 4 lbs. of german smoked malt (it sounds intense, but it really isn't). The first few pours were really smokey, but after a week or two, it mellowed out really nice to just what I was hoping for. Also, why did you add the pound of sugar (curious)?

Steel cut oats too, interesting, did you make a cereal mash with that?

madchemist83 said:

Here is my first one.

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Looks good. I like your recipe BUT that seems like a lot of peated malt. No idea what to suggest though...

When I made my smoked porter I put Maris Otter on a cookie sheet and in the Weber with alder wood. Fresh smoked malt! Alder kind of a Pacific Northwest thing. You could use cherry too would be good. That Briess cherry wood smoked malt is nice if you just want to buy. I have used a pound of that in a smoked porter and it wasn't too smokey and was very nice. Or use your peat if that's what you have or like...

@ spenghali
I wanted it to be just a bit smokey. Even then I get a lot of smokey aroma. Yes I cooked oats first, and then added to mash

I was thinking to add some bourbon infusrd oak cubes into secondary

I was actually really crazy how much my smoked porter mellowed out over the course of 2-3 weeks, I was really surprised. The peated malt might be more intense than the rauch malt I used, not sure, I've never used peated.

Whats the benefit of using steel cut oats rather than flaked?

Steel cut oats are non processed ones, if you make oatmeal you can taste a bit nutty flavor.
How long have you lived in Corvallis ? My wife's brother lived there for a long time.

I know you already brewed this beer but I wouldn't sweat your mash temps. Most of your fermentables are DME and corn sugar. I wouldn't think you are going to change much by trying to hit a mash temp for a few pounds of grain. Yes you want it too convert but I think anything between 150-158 is fine.

it was actually 7 lbs of grain and 3 lbs DME and 1lb Sugar ... so I think its pretty even here considering conversion. Anyways I'll just have to wait probably another month and then try this beer
Will the bourbon or cognac infused oak cubes enhance flavor profile ?

madchemist83 said:

Steel cut oats are non processed ones, if you make oatmeal you can taste a bit nutty flavor.
How long have you lived in Corvallis ? My wife's brother lived there for a long time.

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Just moved here in December. I always liked steel cut oats better than flaked for breakfast, but don't make them much because of the extra prep time. It makes sense about the nut flavor, I'll have to try it some time.

Going to bottle this bad boy pretty soon. It turned out pretty damn good. Dry hopping and oak helped with smokiness