St. Paul Porter

[modelflyer2003]

My third 5 gallon extract kit batch was a St. Paul Porter. The other two being the Caribou Slobber and a Midwest Irish Stout. I thought the Irish stout was a little light on the flavor and color so I decided to up the ante with this one. Rather than steeping the grains for 20 minutes I did 30 minutes. I know people say one should NOT ring out the grain bag when using the sparge water. I didn't, but maybe to some of the purist I did a Cardinal sin. I dunked the grain inside the bag repeatedly like one might do with a tea bag for several minutes at a time about 4 times during the steeping. I tell you the wert was very, very dark. I used whirlfloc tablets to make it more clear than the other batches. Nine weeks after brewing I had the first beer. It was awesome. I used a strong flashlight and I could barely see through it, but what I could see, it was clear. It is certainly the best of the three brews. I know that porters are lighter than stouts, but this porter is darker and more flavorful than the Irish stout. FG was 1.013. Calculated ABV was 4.98%, so essentially 5%. I still have a Big Honkin’ Stout extract kit to brew. I wonder if it will be better than the St. Paul Porter. Does anyone else dunk the grain bag? I don’t think I lessened the final product by dunking the grain bag. I think you can appreciate how dark the wert was during the boil. My brother brewed this batch with me. It was his first but hopefully not his last. He preferred the Slobber to the Irish Stout. He hasn’t tried the St. Paul Porter yet and is planning to tomorrow.


If you are wondering why the first taste was 9 weeks after brew date. I am new and still follow the recipe in the kits: Rack to secondary at week two, and bottle at week six and wait 2-3 weeks after that for carbonation.

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[blackschnauzer]

i always do that. I don't think you have to but it makes me feel better. I never squeeze the bag although I hear that people that do BIAB often squeeze the bag to get all the sugars out. I've never done biab though

 

[flars]

I rest the bag of steeping grains over the wort in a strainer then press with a spoon until no more liquid drips out. Tannin extraction is not mechanical. Tannin extraction is more likely to happen with a high pH wort or sparge water. Go ahead and squeeze.

 

[ruascott]

Squeezing (or dunking) should make no difference, IMO.

Temp control has a lot more to do with it than anything.

 

[RM-MN]

I rest the bag of steeping grains over the wort in a strainer then press with a spoon until no more liquid drips out. Tannin extraction is not mechanical. Tannin extraction is more likely to happen with a high pH wort or sparge water. Go ahead and squeeze.

You could get a tiny bit more color and flavor by pouring a bit of water over/through the bag of grains. Cool water works about as well as hot and the chance of extracting tannins is none.

Forget doing secondaries unless you are adding fruit or bulk aging on oak. It's not at all necessary for most beers. Your beer will clear faster in primary that by racking to secondary as racking stirs up the sediments that have already settled.:rockin:

9 weeks after brew date to take first drink is good. It will be even better in another 8 weeks as the flavors meld and the mouthfeel improves.

Your stout will take even longer than the porter to get really good. I really like how mine tastes at about the 6 month mark and by 2 years it has gotten even better.