Malt Porter

[DublinOhioBrewer]

I didn't get any action on this in the recipe/ingredients Forum so I figured I would try to post it here to get some feedback

So, one of my favorite things about my childhood was maltesers which are essentially the Canadian / British version of a Whopper candy. I was fumbling around on some recipe websites when I came across an old recipe for malted milk ball Stout. The problem is the author of the recipe can't be reached and I had too many questions about how it was brewed and what style and what have you. So I've decided that my mission is to create one of my own.

I've debated back and forth multiple times about whether I should do this as a milk stout or as a porter. I know Porter's tend to be a little bit sweeter than Stouts and don't have as much of the bitterness from the grain selections. However, milk Stouts have better body to them which would probably be more conducive to the flavor profile I'm looking for. I decided on a porter... but im open to change..

Below is a chocolate porter recipe that I think would work well. Essentially, what I'm going to do, is go to Walmart and get a couple 13 ounce packages of either Ovaltine or chocolate Carnation malt powder and include it with 10 minutes left in the boil.

My questions to you experts are:

1) do you think starting with a chocolate porter or chocolate milk stout would be better for a base?

2) do you think that the malted milk powder would cause issues with head retention

3) would you add anything to the secondary (presuming a rack to a secondary, which I've never done - so maybe "dry hop" would be a better description).

4) finally, do you think I would be able to get better control over the flavor profile using extract or All Grain Brew in a bag?

I plan on doing this in a two and a half gallon batch so I can see how it turns out before I decide to make a full version. I did find some old milk stout recipes that added malted milk powder and some of them used two containers and some of them even use three so I'm going to use one unflavored and one chocolate flavored.

I would love some feedback on my endeavour.

Chocolate Malt Ball Porter:
AG BIAB (2.5 GALLON)
OG: 1.066 FG: 1.019 ABV: 6.15%
40.5 IBUs
35.7 SRM

Grain Bill:
4lb 8oz Maris Otter
12oz Flaked Oats
10oz Chocolate Malt
6.5oz Caramel/Crystal Malt 80L

Hops:
1oz EKG @ 60min

Other Additions: (@10 mins)
4oz Cocoa Powder
13oz Carnation Unflavored Malt Powder
13oz Carnation Chocolate Malt Powder

Yeast:
Wyeast Labs #1968 - London ESB Ale

BIAB MASH @ 153 - 60 Min, no sparge

 

[orionol73]

Unfortunately I do not have much to add to your recipe design from personal experience but here is a Michigan brewer that has made a dynamite malted milk ball porter. Check this out for some direction maybe?
http://www.perrinbrewing.com/malted-milk-ball

 

[DublinOhioBrewer]

I've been searching the internet trying to find that beer but there's none anywhere near me. it looks like they use lactose and vanilla bean in there so I could add vanilla for sure. I think the malt powder would probably serve the same purpose as the lactose would?

 

[archthered]

I have never heard of anyone using Olvaltine or Carnation milk powder and have no idea how they will affect your beer but I can't think of a reason it would kill head retention. Personally if I was trying to make the beer you have described I would probably use cocoa nibs, vanilla bean, lactose and mash at a high temp for more malt flavor.

That said I like to, and appreciate when others, experiment so more power to you on this and let us know how it works, or doesn't. I think you may be better off starting with a stout rather than a porter but the reality is the difference is largely academic and based on who's definitions you want to use.

I think you will get more control by doing all grain brewing since you can use your mash temp to help drive the mouthfeel and flavor.

Have you considered adding you Olvaltine/Carnation to the secondary? Possibly going so far as to add a stabilizer, like with a mead or wine, and then adding your Olvaltine/Carnation so that all the sugar doesn't get converted to alcohol, though adding a stabilizer will make carbing difficult for anything but kegging, just a thought.

To be more concise: 1- Stout; 2- No idea but I would guess not; 3- Maybe do all the fun stuff in secondary; 4- Definitely All grain

 

[RM-MN]

All grain gives you complete control over what goes into your wort. It can be hard to find out just what is in extract.
Get your sweetness from the use of a caramel malt. Using malted milk powder is an unknown that might work or might be totally wrong. Leave it out of this batch and if you feel like experimenting, do another batch with it and compare. C10 or C20 would add the sweetness without much other flavors. Ignore the rules on what percentage will be too much and double it. You want a sweet, very malty beer. Use the unsweetened cocoa powder for your chocolate flavor. When you sample for FG, drinking the sample will tell you if you used enough chocolate powder. If not, use a chocolate extract added to the fermented beer to get the flavor. Make very good notes on what you did so you will know how to get what you want in the next beer or what to leave out.

Make a porter. There is a fine line between a strong porter and a weak stout, usually defined by the use of roasted barley in the stout. That roasted barley would be inappropriate in your malted milk ball beer. If you think you need more sweetness you can add lactose to a porter but I think you will get plenty from the C10 or C20.

 

[BigCrazyAl]

I have never heard of anyone using Olvaltine or Carnation milk powder and have no idea how they will affect your beer but I can't think of a reason it would kill head retention

Someone did try fermenting only Ovaltine so take that how you will. I don't know what it would do as an addition to a grain bill so I'm still curious.

Food for thought: I am currently fermenting Ovaltine.

Tasting video: YouTube Link

 

[archthered]

So my take away from the video is don't do it!