Critique My Porter Recipe

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Bourbbon Barrel/Pirate
Brewer: Mitch
Asst Brewer:
Style: Robust Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Boil Size: 12.55 gal
Estimated OG: 1.060 SG
Estimated Color: 35.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.50 lb Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 6.06 %
16.17 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 65.32 %
2.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 10.10 %
2.50 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 10.10 %
1.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.05 %
0.83 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3.37 %
2.76 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 30.5 IBU
1.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (0 min) (AroHops -
2.00 oz Oak Chips (Secondary 7.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 23.25 lb
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Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
45 min Mash In Add 7.27 gal of water at 174.4 F 158.0 F


Notes:
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Split batch
Add 16 oz of Makers Mark Bourbon to secondary with oak chips to 5 gal

Add 16 oz of Dark Rum to secondary with oak chips to other 5 gal

Never used oak before but otherwise I say Brew with Confidence! I brewed something very very similar and I still have to say it was the best porter I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.

You don't think it will be to Bitter due to the almost 3 oz in at 60 min?

The similar porter I made was this, give or take a few differences.

If you think the 3ozs is too much, I would recommend bittering to 20-25 IBU as your formulation is a bit weaker at 1.060 OG. I'm not too familiar with EKG as a bittering hop but I would think the amount of specialty malts would balance your bitterness. The black malt might enhance some dryness or percieved bitterness but then again, your bourbon and oak might add some vanilla notes which always seems to smooth things out. Depends on how bitter you want this to be but I tend to let some of the darker malts add it rather than big hops. These are reasons why I think you are okay as is. Besides can we detect a 5 IBU difference?

Keep in mind that this is a ten gallon batch. The IBUs are only ~30, and with the amount of crystal there I think that he should be fine with that. Everything looks good to me, other than the 16oz of bourbon/rum. You might want to look for a precedent for that amount (if you haven't already) first, because it seems like a large amount.

I do have a question though: why the 1.5lb of extract? Is that recipe too big for your tun? If not, you might as well just put some more 2 row in there.

I think Denny's bourbon vanilla porter uses 10ml/pint, or in this case a 750ml bottle for 10 gallons. 16oz is about 475ml or half a liter. I used that amount and felt the bourbon wasn't overwhelming the beer. However, that beer has more roast in it and has a higher OG.

Good to know, because I planned on doing something similar to this in the future and had no idea how much to use!

devilishprune, you are correct I just fell a little short with mash tun size vs grain. So that is the reason for the extrct, and you'll never notice that little extract in the beer.

I came up with the 16oz from Northern Brewers recipe, although the gravity is higher. I will back off on the bourbon then. I thinking 8oz then.

http://legacy.northernbrewer.com/promash/1603_.html

Well, I added 8oz of bourbon to the secondary last night. I sampled some and it was good. I will let you know how the finished product turns out.

Thanks for the help,

MrLucky13