How does this Smoked Porter recipe look?

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erockomania

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Brewing an all grain Smoked Porter this weekend. Just need a second opinion on the recipe...

2.5 Gallons
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2-Row Malt - 6.50lb
Crystal 40 - 0.50lb
Chocolate Malt - 0.75lb
Black Patent Malt - 0.25lb
Peated Malt - 0.25lb
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1oz - Fuggles @ 80min
.75oz - Mt. Hood @15
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White Labs English Ale 002 yeast
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Mash temp: 154 for 90min
Boil Time: 80min (4gallons)

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Goal here is about 8.5% abv with a nice smokey aroma with a bit of hops aroma, too. Thoughts?
 
From my experience, peated malt is not the same as smoked malt. Are you looking for rauch malt (smoke malt)? That is malt that is actually smoked from and dried over a fire, versus peated malt, which is smoked over burning peat. One usually uses peated malt in Scottish styles, but not always. I would think you want smoked malt for your porter instead of peated. If so, I would use no more than 8 oz of smoked malt for your batch. I might omit the black patent too, in place of roasted. That's a lot of grains for a small batch, but other than the smoked/peated malt, it looks good.
 
From my experience, peated malt is not the same as smoked malt. Are you looking for rauch malt (smoke malt)? That is malt that is actually smoked from and dried over a fire, versus peated malt, which is smoked over burning peat. One usually uses peated malt in Scottish styles, but not always. I would think you want smoked malt for your porter instead of peated. If so, I would use no more than 8 oz of smoked malt for your batch. I might omit the black patent too, in place of roasted. That's a lot of grains for a small batch, but other than the smoked/peated malt, it looks good.

Is 8 oz a bit much for this small of a batch?

Looks yummy to me.
 
Is 8 oz a bit much for this small of a batch?

Looks yummy to me.

I've used 4# of smoked malt for a 5 gallon batch already, so that's why I went with no more than 8 oz. of smoked malt for this sized batch. You can always adjust it later on. 8 oz will give a good smoky flavor to the brew but not over power it.
 
Is 8 oz a bit much for this small of a batch?

Of rauchmalt? No way, you can easily do upwards of 80% of base grain with smoked malt depending on how smoky you want it. I did my last smoked porter at 50% smoked and it came out great, the smoke was in the background and not the predominant flavor but definitely there. Also consider using Briess' new cherry-smoked malt if you can find it; I haven't used it yet but it smells awesome.

Concerning the rest of the recipe, cut the peat-smoked grain, and cut your black malt down to an 8th of a pound. I think I would also delete the 15min hop addition and let it be a malty, smoky beer - no need to complicate the flavor with hops.

Good luck.
 
I used 3.25# smoked malt AND 1# peat malt in my "smoked" porter. Now I wish I had done the reverse. Or at least reduced the smoked malt to about 2# and *increased* the peat malt to 2#. But then again, I love really super peaty single malt Scotch (ever hear of the Ardbeg Supernova?).
 
Thanks for the feedback!

I'm definitely into the peated malt, so I'll keep that in there. Would upping the peated malt percentage be too much? I am a West Coast IPA kinda guy so I'm not shy of big aromas. I just don't want it to be ridiculous. Roasted instead of black patent? Cool, I may do that.

Any comments on the yeast type?
 
Thanks for the feedback!

I'm definitely into the peated malt, so I'll keep that in there. Would upping the peated malt percentage be too much? I am a West Coast IPA kinda guy so I'm not shy of big aromas. I just don't want it to be ridiculous. Roasted instead of black patent? Cool, I may do that.

Any comments on the yeast type?

Yeast sounds good. 007 is also nice for a porter. My smoked porter has 9% peated malt, 29% smoked malt, 42% 2-row pale. There was other stuff in there too to make up the rest. I have found many people who like it. Matter of fact, we all do the same thing when we drink it: we head to the bonfire and keep our noses in the beer. It's almost like a religious experience. And these guys are not homebrewers or people that I would think are particularly sophisticated when it comes to beer. In my next try at my recipe, I'll use 15% peated malt and 15% smoked malt.
 
So maybe I'll get rid of the black patent and add smoked malt in it's place. Would .5lb of each be too much?
 
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