maple porter / warm wort....

Just dumped this into the fermenter....
Maple Porter

6 lbs DME
1 lb Crystal 60L
0.5 lb Chocolate
0.25 Roasted Barley
13 oz Pure amber Maple Syrup
1 oz Northern Brewer at 60 min, 1 oz at 30 min
1028 London Ale yeast

First question is...any comments on the recipe?

Second question is...I may have been impatient in pouring my wort into the primary because it still felt a little warm (i know, i know, i need a thermometer). I had been ice-bathing it in the sink for a good long while, I thought. I still pitched the yeast and just wrapped a towel around the plastic fermenter. Should i worry with a high starting temp? I expect it to get down around 70 by tonight....

Nice recipe, i have two suggestions. Use black patent instead of roasted, and add a little crystal 80-90 for a burnt caramel flavor, which will work with the maple. Good call with the real maple, can't beat the real deal!
What temp do you pitch around? I try to pitch at 60-65F, as long as you are below 80F it's fine, however I feel pitching at 70F might create extra esters. If you don't mind go for it, but you are already using and estery yeast strain so try pitch around 65-68F, if you can.

Well, I think I pitched around 80, but now it is in a water bath. I think it's down around 60-65 now! So if I hold it constant down there, should I be avoiding most of the off-flavorness? Or is the temp at pitching the most crucial one?

So my maple porter is fermenting, no sign of a problem (except maybe it smells a little estery?)

My questions now are:

1. I have it in a water bath, and throw in small amounts of ice every now and again (only trying to maintain 60-65). The bucket is about 50-60% submerged. I also have the bucket wrapped in a towel, which is staying wet, because the ends are in the water. So....Is my WHOLE bucket of beer actually at the same temp, or is it a problem that part is submerged, and part is towel-wrapped?

2. The little strip thermometer on my carboy CANNOT handle this. The part in the water is reading really, really, low, but the part above is reading really high. I have a temp range between 50 and 70! (which prompted my first question - are there actually possible temp differences?). Does this type of thermometer only work for a while? Has it gone haywire? Or could I actually have a temperature disparity? If so, that should make for a fascinating beverage....

Since fermentation creates currents in the beer, it's mixing and the temp of the whole thing should be about the same. As far as the thermometer goes, well it's half in cold water and half in warm air. It's not a mercury/digital thermometer so.... It will read 2 different things.

Also let me know if you get any maple flavor in the finished beer. I'd love to make a maple porter, but like all other sugars, I'd be afraid most of the flavor disappears.

Thanks for the info! I'll let you know.....I can't wait to taste it!

Want a maple porter bad myself. I'm thinking about priming with it in a recipe much like this but closer to 8lbs of DME.

Any updates?

Damn you beat me to it. I was just discussing this with another member just last week

I just boiled down 40+ gallons of sap over the week end . Ended with a little over 5 quarts of maple syrup. I will be sugering this weekend


Your recipe sound great..


edit : didnt realize the age of the thread

I would go with a full quart for a 5 gallon batch. If anyone makes it to Bennington VT. The madison brew pub has a maple porter on tap right now. It is fantastic, my favorite non home brew of the day. If you have a growler it is only 8 bucks for a refill.