Thoughts on Fireside Sipper Wheat Porter

I know this isn't 100% porter. I tried to come as close as I could. The hops is quite a bit less than a true porter, and I think the molasses is not typical, but I wanted that little bite of molasses in this one (is there a steeping grain that could give that?).

1 gallon batch
1lb wheat lme
1oz molasses
2oz honey
5oz sugar

steeping grains
2oz black patent
1oz flaked barley
1oz flaked oats
4oz chocolate
2oz dark munich

hops
.5grams simcoe 60 minutes
.5 simcoe 10 minutes

only a guess..but with 8 oz of sugars in a 1 gallon batch (what i think are almost 100% fermentable) your beer may come out extremely dry.

I was wondering about that. I was thinking, too, my straight sugar was too large of a percentage of my fermentables. I could up my dark munich to 4, my chocolate to 6, and my black patent to 3. Then drop my cane sugar to 3. The ABV drops a bit, but it is still in the porter range, and isn't too low. That makes my straight sugar fermentables 16%. Still high, but better, yes?

I'm trying not to buy more LME than I need, because I don't want any to go to waste. I'll be getting 1lb for this brew, and 1lb for a second brew. I'll think about just buying 3lbs, and put 1-1/2 in each, instead of the sugars. These will be the only two I'll be doing for the next month or so, though.

My other is here, if you wouldn't mind looking at that one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=590504

torilen said:

I was wondering about that. I was thinking, too, my straight sugar was too large of a percentage of my fermentables. I could up my dark munich to 4, my chocolate to 6, and my black patent to 3. Then drop my cane sugar to 3. The ABV drops a bit, but it is still in the porter range, and isn't too low. That makes my straight sugar fermentables 16%. Still high, but better, yes?

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Watch that black patent! That stuff is harsh and astringent. Of you need color minute amount of roasted barley. Usually 1% of a 5 gallon batch.

torilen said:

I'm trying not to buy more LME than I need, because I don't want any to go to waste. I'll be getting 1lb for this brew, and 1lb for a second brew. I'll think about just buying 3lbs, and put 1-1/2 in each, instead of the sugars. These will be the only two I'll be doing for the next month or so, though.

My other is here, if you wouldn't mind looking at that one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=590504

Click to expand...

Can't help with that one . I have never dabbled in pumpkin or spice beers.

So...maybe replace the black patent with the roasted barley? I could do that, drop it to 1oz, and still easily be within the proper ABV...changes it very little. And 1oz is only 3%. I'll look at upping one of the other grains so I can get that a little bit lower.

Thanks for the tips.

torilen said:

So...maybe replace the black patent with the roasted barley? I could do that, drop it to 1oz, and still easily be within the proper ABV...changes it very little. And 1oz is only 3%. I'll look at upping one of the other grains so I can get that a little bit lower.

Thanks for the tips.

Click to expand...

3% roasted barley is still large for a 1 gallon batch. Although not as bad as black patent, it will still be "rougher" tasting than you may be looking for.

Here is what I suggest, or at least what I do, think about what the flavor profile is you want all the way from initial taste to finish. Then start layering your malts. Figure out what is really needed and nix those that don't play a real role.

I am NO expert on recipe writing, but have started to use the mantra that if I cannot explain why I included a malt...then it probably doesn't need to be there.

Luckily, small batches allow you to experiment and play around with your ingredients.

ENJOY!

Also, don't know how i missed this, really no need for flaked oats and flaked barley. Pick one and run with it. There are differences which I quick google search will explain. I have used both in recipes, but never together.

I thought the flaked barley was needed for the flaked oats to convert? Have I misread something. Do the other malts accomplish that goal?

As for the black patent/roasted barley - I was looking for a little bit of the coffee/smokey flavor they're supposed to add, and for the color. Looking on the calculator again...I'm actually a little darker than supposed to be for a porter (according to two ratings - I'm good for two others). I could get rid of this completely...or go down to .5oz.

Basically, I'm looking for a basic wheat porter...a little bit of subtle flavor of the chocolate and coffee/smokey...to mix with the flavors of the butternut squash and spices and molasses. You know...something you can sit beside the fire on a cold winter night and watch snow fall outside, sipping on a nice harvest-flavored porter.

After you had mentioned roasted barley...I researched it a bit. This is where I got most of my info: http://byo.com/malt/item/1559-using-roasted-barley-tips-from-the-pros

Thanks again for all the advice. I've only made one batch of beer so far...this will be my second...and I'm trying to keep with the style (porter) as much as possible. I'm learning a lot by doing this, too...lots of fun.

Look into designing great beers. That's where I learned my baiscs. Great read.

So, I made this as the recipe shows on the first post of the thread. I had cut back
on the sugar at first, but gave it a quick taste while brewing and felt it still needed a bit more (for my own tastes). I left the black patent as it was, and to be honest, that could probably be cut a little, and maybe replace it with something else next time.

All in all, though, it is a pretty good porter. It actually did not come out too dry...at least, not enough for me to notice. The coffee tone is excellent.

I got 9 bottles out of a 1 gallon batch. Not too shabby.

So - update on this. It was GREAT. I had the last bottle about a week ago. I gotta say, I make a darn good porter.

And, just for the record, I used basically the same recipe to make a chocolate porter last weekend. I used just plain
old light LME instead of the wheat this time, but everything else is the same.

Well - I used a different hop...Whitbread golding this time...it's what was on hand at the time. I added 1T of cocoa
powder in the last 20 minutes, then another 1T cocoa powder in the last 10 minutes, and another in the last 5 minutes.

It tastes good. I can't wait until it ages a few weeks.

Update - the chocolate porter IS AMAZING. Yet another lesson in patience, though. I had one bottle last weekend, and it was still pretty strong. Good taste, but a bit harsh. Hadn't change much in almost two weeks, and I was afraid that's just how it was going to be. It's designed to be a higher ABV beer, after all.

I had one Saturday night, and over the week it had smoothed out and mellowed out, and it is now wonderful. This is a definite keeper recipe.