noob needs helpful hints on Baltic Porter

[rickyspalding]

I'm about to bottle my first batch. Now, that was to get a feel for it. I just bought a Brewer's Best Baltic Porter kit. The alcohol content is suppose to be between 7 to 7.5. The several questions I had:

1. I don't have any capacity to bottle when the porter is ready to bottle. Now some of the consumed beers from the first batch will be available, but I doubt all of it will and yes I can obviously buy more bottles but if I can do this..... My question is, since its a higher gravity Porter, they can just sit there for years aging. Can I just leave this in the fermenter for months or I can only do that in the bottle conditioning stage?

Part B of this is,

if it can stay in the fermenter, I would have to do a secondary at some point, because the dead yeast and all will effect it in the long term right?

2. I am mulling over increasing the gravity, maybe get to 8 to 9 percent, now any thing with sugar works... for this porter would molasses be sufficient?

3. I plan adding just a touch, not to over power it, cardamom, some coffee beans, and raw cacao nibs, (actually, I plan to roast them first), hmm, (maybe some cumin, who knows) Now I know simple can be better, but does this sound stupid and I am getting too over my head or this can work?

Part B is, if I can do whatever, because its personal preference, is there any recommendations, when things should be added?, like in the wort, or in secondary fermentation?

Thanks for any input,

I have been imagining making a porter like this for years, just wanted to make sure this all makes sense.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[maffewl]

If you need bottles, call your local recycling center and see if you can swing by and pick some up... I haven't paid for a single bottle yet (unless it was filled with beer when I bought it).

There is no problem in leaving it in the fermenter for several months, but at one month, I would transfer to a secondary to get it off the yeast cake.

Molasses will work fine to increase the gravity, I've never used it so I will rely on others to comment on what it contributes to the beer when finished. I've used mixtures of corn sugar and DME to great success, so that would be my recommendation.

As for adding the cardamom, coffee beans, nibs, etc... I would stay with the basic recipe to start out so you know how it's supposed to be before tweaking the recipe. If you jump right into adding other ingredients, and the beer doesn't turn out how you had expected, you won't really know where it went wrong. Just my opinion, but I can't blame you for wanting to experiment. If you must though, most transfer to secondary and rack onto the extras there.

 

[Patirck]

I would not try to bump the gravity of a baltic porter with sugar or molasses. You will end up with too low a final gravity and it won't match the flavor of a Baltic porter. This style of beer should be super malty and not terribly dry. Sugars will up the alcohol but dry out the flavor too much. My advice would be to leave it where it is. 7 - 7.5% is fine. You can age this but like maffewl said - much more than a month and I would probably try to get it off the yeast cake.

 

[beerkrump]

I like molasses in big porters. It adds a rum like alcohol heat. Do not use too much though, (as noted) it can really thin the beer and does add other flavors.

Use the search function at the top of the page for your other ingredients. You can see how others have used them and the amounts they suggest.

 

[rickyspalding]

thanks for the info!,