1 gallon Coconut Vanilla Porter recipe - Extract

[55chevydude]

Ok, so here is my first try on a Coconut Vanilla Porter. As a test, I am doing a one gallon batch to start.

1.5 oz Special B
1 lb. light DME
.25 oz. Cascade (55 min)
.25 oz. Cascade (5 min)
.50 oz. Vanilla extract at flame out
Nottingham ale yeast

Steep the grains at in 1.25 gallons of water at 155 for 15 min.
Remove grains and bring to boil
Remove from heat and add DME
Return to heat and bring to boil
Add .25 oz. Cascade at 55 min to go
Add .25 oz. Cascade at 5 min to go
Add .50 oz. of Vanilla extract at flame out
Cool, pitch yeast, move to primary
After ferment out (7-12 days) add 2.5 oz. toasted coconut to secondary and rack to secondary
Leave on coconut 10-21 days, remove coconut, rack to bottles/keg.

So I will be giving this a shot tonight or tomorrow. I am using Special B for a more unique flavor/color (and because I have leftover from an AB clone). Should be ready to roll just as the weather turns cold around here.

 

[Curtis2010]

Looks yummy. Ive got loads of coconuts at my place so was considering a similar recipe...maybe smoke some of the base grains w coconuts/kahun nuts...the smoke from the oils create an strong coconut taste...in effect making a specialty grain.

One thing I would change in your recipe, I would add the vanillla extract during secondary or bottling/kegging...will retain more flavor that way. I think at the same time you rack onto the coconut would be good.

 

[55chevydude]

Hmm...that's a good thought. I had considered that too. Just didn't want the vanilla to be the main character. I'll give it a shot this way, then maybe try adding it just prior to bottling down the road. That's the beauty of 1 gallon kits!

 

[Curtis2010]

Hmm...that's a good thought. I had considered that too. Just didn't want the vanilla to be the main character. I'll give it a shot this way, then maybe try adding it just prior to bottling down the road. That's the beauty of 1 gallon kits!

Yeah, I would research the qty of vanilla extract used in other recipes, if you have not already, its pretty potent stuff.

 

[55chevydude]

Ok, well, I brewed this up on Sunday. A few notes to start. The special B seems to give me the flavor and aroma I was looking for (raisins, maple syrup etc.) but lacks the color. In the future I will need something darker like light chocolate added in to the specialty grains. Right now it looks like a dark amber more than a porter.
I also added in 1/2 cup of brown sugar just before flame out to add body and depth. I hit the wert with 1/2 packet of Nottinghams (reconstituted) and nearly blew my airlock off. (I recommend a blow off tube for the first 24 hours) The fermentation can best be described as violent this morning. (Monday, 12 hours later)
I am going with Curtis' suggestion above and will add the vanilla to taste just before bottling.

 

[Curtis2010]

Yes, for a Porter you want something dark and smokey. I should have caught that.

Are you using any software for your calculations?

 

[55chevydude]

No, I base my experiments loosely on other recipes. This one called for English Dark Crystal, but I feel pale/light chocolate would've been good too.
Do you recommend a software?
Fermentation finally slowed (after 3 days!) and I am happy with the experiment so far.

 

[ericbw]

No, I base my experiments loosely on other recipes. This one called for English Dark Crystal, but I feel pale/light chocolate would've been good too.
Do you recommend a software?
Fermentation finally slowed (after 3 days!) and I am happy with the experiment so far.

Porter usually has multiple specialty grains. Special B would be a good one, but chocolate and some additional Crystal would be more usual. I think that's what gives porter "depth."

Also, agree on the vanilla. I added beans/vodka in secondary before (dry vanilla stout), and it gives a faint hint in the finished product. Adding it in the boil might lose it entirely. I also did a blueberry wheat and added the flavoring at bottling, and it was pretty strong that way. (I think it's too strong and I'm not a fan, but others liked it.) So adding at bottling seems to be the way to go.

 

[Curtis2010]

No, I base my experiments loosely on other recipes. This one called for English Dark Crystal, but I feel pale/light chocolate would've been good too.
Do you recommend a software?
Fermentation finally slowed (after 3 days!) and I am happy with the experiment so far.

I use BeerSmith, and am very pleased w it, but there are many options out there that will do the calculations for you..like IBUs, SRM, etc which makes developing a recipe much easier and less of a trail and error exercise.

When I have a moment I will plug your recipe into BeerSmith, tweak it, and post it...worthwhile for me too since I plan to brew something similar.

 

[Curtis2010]

Input your recipe into BeerSmith Mobile. Good exercise for me because its the first time Ive used this version (have used Windows version in the past). Probably still needs some adjusting, but here is the first cut.

OG shows as low. What was your OG?

Color very low for a Porter. What was the SRM value of your DME?

My thoughts are lets get your base recipe accurately represented in BS and then tweak it to bring it more in line with target style.

 

[55chevydude]

I know this is the cardinal rule of creating recipes, but I didn't take an OG reading. There was an additional 1/2 cup of light brown sugar added in the final 5 minutes that should have bumped that up some. I was shooting for the mid .050s to the low .o60s. As for the SRM of the DME, it was Munton's light DME with a value of about 19 SRM or 10 EBC and looks about right on the scale.
If needed (or wanted) I might hit it with some additional light brown sugar in the next day or so, maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup diluted in water.

 

[Curtis2010]

(Duplicate. Deleted)

 

[Curtis2010]

OK, added the brown sugar, guessed at a weight of 4oz, that got the gravity up into the lower end of the style, let me know if you have a more accurate measurement.

Also entered a new DME profile with 19 SRM. That darkened the color a bit to 18 SRM which sounds like about what you are seeing.

So, I think we are pretty close on your current recipe. I will start to tweak.

BTW another great resource for creating your own recipes is Daniel's "Desingning Great Beers". It has an extensive section on Porters.

 

[Curtis2010]

Recipe tweaked. Major characteristics now in mid ranges for a Robust Porter.

Added Brown Malt to bump up color and malt flavors a bit. Appropriate malt for a Porter.

Backed off DME a bit to account for grain addition and keep OG in mid range for style.

Exchanged the late addition Cascade for Fuggles...which is a popular aroma hop in Porters...just to add some variety to hops schedule.

Noted from Daniels that sugar is not uncommon in Porters so left in brown sugar.

Style afterthought. Ive assumed a Robust Porter, but given the light flavors of coconut and vanilla a Brown Porter may be more appropriate and not over power these flavors....opinions?

 

[Curtis2010]

BeerSmith screen shot of latest version.

 

[Curtis2010]

A few tweaks and now its a Brown Porter. I think this will let the vanilla and coconut stand out more.

Hops. Swapped Cascade to Goldings to get the IBUs in range.

Tweaked the grains and DME to get gravity and color in range.

 

[55chevydude]

Thanks, that looks more like what I was going for. I need to drop the $8 and get BeerSmith.
Right now, fermentation has slowed. It was one week yesterday. I will siphon it off the trub into a nice, clean jug for another week or so of conditioning. Then on to adding the toasty coconut and vanilla bean.

 

[ddrrseio]

you're going in the right direction but you're probably going to want a more robust roast flavor than brown malt alone will provide.

porters usually have some chocolate malt and a bit of black malt. in addition, bumping the gravity with brown sugar will actually lead to a dryer beer, since the brown sugar will mostly ferment out. using more DME would be preferable, even though the sugar would give you a light SRM boost and seemingly bring it closer to style.

 

[Curtis2010]

Thanks, that looks more like what I was going for. I need to drop the $8 and get BeerSmith.
Right now, fermentation has slowed. It was one week yesterday. I will siphon it off the trub into a nice, clean jug for another week or so of conditioning. Then on to adding the toasty coconut and vanilla bean.

Be sure and post how it turns out.

What are your ferm temps?

 

[Curtis2010]

you're going in the right direction but you're probably going to want a more robust roast flavor than brown malt alone will provide.

porters usually have some chocolate malt and a bit of black malt. in addition, bumping the gravity with brown sugar will actually lead to a dryer beer, since the brown sugar will mostly ferment out. using more DME would be preferable, even though the sugar would give you a light SRM boost and seemingly bring it closer to style.

Agreed, a more diverse malt schedule would be more typical of a porter.

I was tweaking the OPs original recipe so did not change it a lot, but if I use this as a starting point to scale up to a bigger batch then will add some other malts to the mix.

 

[55chevydude]

Yeah, I would have used some light chocolate in their too, maybe even some Caramunich for complexity, but this was just to see what Special B could do on its own.
I toasted the coconut and added about 1/2 cup before racking on top of it in a clean, fresh jug. Added 1/2 a vanilla bean also. Give it another week to jive then bottle.
Meantime I brewed up 6 gallons of a AB/WTF hybred ale. Check it out under Crescent Valley Ale.

 

[55chevydude]

Just an update on this one. I would highly recommend this beer, especially for those wary of high hop or overly dark brews. In the end it came out more along the lines of a Coconut Vanilla Brown Ale. If you have a spare 1 gallon jug, try this out. I think you will enjoy the unique flavors.