American Porter Bee Cave Brewery Robust Porter

[BrewerJoe]

So Ed.. I fired up your porter recipe... Loved the aroma when i was Brewing and loved the sample i tasted before fermentation. Ended up with an OG of .1080 and this is what it looked like the next day...

Not sure a blow off tube could of handled this haha. Luckily i did not snap the lid on tight! Cant wait to taste this..

I'm thinking about starting out around 60 next time and slowly ramping the temp up to avoid the mess next brew.

Why not just use a blow off tube, forget about it and don't worry about the mess?

 

[05m50dan]

Brewed this up this yesterday. Used a new MLT I made from a 75qt cooler (11gal batch). Had trouble setting my mash temp in, over shot initial temp, then cooled down too low with too much ice...eventually with decoction got it up to 150, but the MLT lost more heat then my smaller one, so it finished around 147 after about 90 minutes total mash time. Tossed it in my 15 gal fermenter and pitched around 72* at 930 last night. Saw action in the airlock when I got up this morning. Keeping it at about 60* through fermentation (basement floor) then I'll get it up on a rack until I move to secondary. I'll keep up to date!

 

[EdWort]

All I want to know is where the phuck is Sir ED WORT??? Any of you have a clue?

I'm right phucking here.

Busy with a new job trying to make a living.

I did brew 15 gallons of Haus Ale today. I have an agressive brew schedule to fill up the Keezer before hot weather sets in for the summer. It holds 65 gallons.

Here's what I'm shootin for.

10 Robust Porter
20 Haus
10 Hefeweizen
15 Kolsch
10 Wounded Knee IPA

 

[BenjaminBier]

Thanks Ed! This one is fantastic. It's gotta be the closest thing to a commercial example I've brewed. Seems like this one just took care of itself.

Mine ended up with a very light black-licorice flavor to it. Anyone else get that or is it just me?

 

[BenjaminBier]

I partial mashed with as much grain as possible. After 3 weeks in primary, I aged in a new-ish hungarian oak barrel for 48 hours, then bottled.

US 2-Row Malt 6.00 lb 54.1 % 2.3 In Mash/Steeped
US Chocolate Malt 1.00 lb 9.0 % 73.7 In Mash/Steeped
UK Light Crystal 1.00 lb 9.0 % 8.9 In Mash/Steeped
US Flaked Barley 0.50 lb 4.5 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped
US Rice Hulls 0.50 lb 4.5 % 0.0 In Mash/Steeped
US Black Malt 0.10 lb 0.9 % 10.5 In Mash/Steeped
Extract - Light Dried Malt Extract 2.00 lb 18.0 % 1.3 Start Of Boil


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
German Northern Brewer 9.9 % 1.00 oz 22.8 Bagged Whole Hops 60 Min From End
US Cascade 8.8 % 0.50 oz 5.0 Bagged Whole Hops 15 Min From End


Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Irish Moss 0.05 oz In Boil
Malto-Dextrine 8.00 oz In Boil


Yeast
Wyeast 1469-West Yorkshire Ale

 

[EdWort]

Mine ended up with a very light black-licorice flavor to it. Anyone else get that or is it just me?

That's the extract twang. All Grain does not have any licorice notes to it. Just Coffee, chocolate, & malt.

 

[BenjaminBier]

That's the extract twang. All Grain does not have any licorice notes to it. Just Coffee, chocolate, & malt.

Good to know! It's not strong, I actually kind of like it. Others who're drinking it don't notice the licorice. But they do notice it's an awesome recipe.

 

[elproducto]

I'm drinking one right now. Awesome recipe as usual Ed... although it's pretty boozy. I'm wondering if I can scale down this recipe to a little lower ABV.

Speaking of tasting notes.. I get a little spice on the tongue.. wonder if that's just the alcohol.

 

[EdWort]

although it's pretty boozy. .

It's not a Robust Porter for nuthin.

Give it time. It ages well for over a year. Congrats!

 

[bgburdman9]

Brewed a variation of this last thursday and its probably almst done fermenting. I wanted to use pale chocolate so i replaced the chocolate with the pale chocolate and added 1/4 lb of carafa III special to make up for the color difference. Also used half 2 row and half maris otter and bittered with columbus to 40 ibus.


5.50 lb Maris Otter (Crisp) (4.0 SRM) Grain 39.01 %
5.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 39.01 %
1.00 lb Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.09 %
1.00 lb Chocolate (Crisp) (250.0 SRM) Grain 7.09 %
0.50 lb Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 3.55 %
0.25 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.77 %
0.25 lb Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 1.77 %
0.10 lb Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 0.71 %
1.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 41.1 IBU

 

[jgoette]

today is 2 weeks in primary for me

my OG was 1.072 and today my gravity is reading 1.031, putting me at ~5.8% abv

should i give this more time in primary or just ahead and keg it up tomorrow?

 

[steinsato]

I would expect your FG to atleast get down to 1.020. I would at the least let it sit longer if not find some way to rouse the yeast.

 

[jgoette]

i am not against shaking up the carboy and letting it settle again... think it would help?

 

[midfielder5]

Well, how did it taste? sweet or done?
I would not shake a fermenter, as you could oxidize it. You can increase the temperature, & gently rouse (w/ sanitized spoon) the yeast.

 

[jgoette]

there is very little head space... anyways, i would have to remove my airlock and cap it to shake it

 

[Toecutter]

Hi Ed,

Not sure if your still watching this thread, but I was going to try brewing this thursday. i was picking up a couple of grains I needed for it at the LHBS and i showed the recipe, and the guy suggested to add a Lb of Special B Grain, what do you think ?? Also, do you think it would hurt to pitch this on a BEE Cave Amber Ale yeast cake ?? i'm ready to transfer my latest batch of that on thursday. thanks

 

[midfielder5]

I wouldnt mess w/ the recipe if I were you. ...and 1# of Special B is a lot.
But certainly wait to see if Ed pops in.

 

[Surface_Tension]

I don't know if I would rack this on top of an existing yeast cake either. Unless you have a really big fermenter. If you haven't seen from some of the earlier posts, the fermentation on this recipe can be rather...well, vigorous.

I’ve done my fair share of racking onto yeast beds but have kind of been shying away from it, because dry yeast is so cheap and the take offs are a little more controlled. I can’t help believe the consistency from batch to batch is better too. I’m not trying to stir up and old controversy, just some thought on the practice.

This recipe is pretty awesome the way it is. You might try it as is first and then decide if it need tweaking.

Dave

 

[EdWort]

Hi Ed,

Not sure if your still watching this thread, but I was going to try brewing this thursday. i was picking up a couple of grains I needed for it at the LHBS and i showed the recipe, and the guy suggested to add a Lb of Special B Grain, what do you think ?? Also, do you think it would hurt to pitch this on a BEE Cave Amber Ale yeast cake ?? i'm ready to transfer my latest batch of that on thursday. thanks

Sounds interesting, but it would be a different beer. It probably would be good, but then again, it would not be a BCB Robust Porter.

One of the great things about homebrewing is tweaking recipes. If you have a good one to start with, you can try different things, but you will never know if you don't start with the baseline to begin with.

Good luck, but I would not add any Special B to it and I would not pitch on a yeast cake of your Amber beer (I don't have a BCB Amber Ale recipe).

 

[rico567]

Sounds interesting, but it would be a different beer. It probably would be good, but then again, it would not be a BCB Robust Porter.

One of the great things about homebrewing is tweaking recipes. If you have a good one to start with, you can try different things, but you will never know if you don't start with the baseline to begin with.

Good luck, but I would not add any Special B to it and I would not pitch on a yeast cake of your Amber beer (I don't have a BCB Amber Ale recipe).

...which is a principle I always follow, whether brewing, cooking, or baking.

 

[bgburdman9]

Brewed a variation of this last thursday and its probably almst done fermenting. I wanted to use pale chocolate so i replaced the chocolate with the pale chocolate and added 1/4 lb of carafa III special to make up for the color difference. Also used half 2 row and half maris otter and bittered with columbus to 40 ibus.


5.50 lb Maris Otter (Crisp) (4.0 SRM) Grain 39.01 %
5.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 39.01 %
1.00 lb Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.09 %
1.00 lb Chocolate (Crisp) (250.0 SRM) Grain 7.09 %
0.50 lb Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 3.55 %
0.25 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.77 %
0.25 lb Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 1.77 %
0.10 lb Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 0.71 %
1.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 41.1 IBU

Just wanted to post back on the recipe changes i used. Using the MO and the pale chocolate probably made this quite different than the original but it has still gone over well and it is very easy to drink. At last weeks homebrew meeting, it went over pretty well and a couple people really enjoyed it. I am already thinking about brewing this again after I realized how much is gone already. On the next batch I may do regular chocolate malt but with all MO. I used columbus because it is just what have been trying to use up but at just a 60 minute addition it probably doesnt matter too much which hop is used.

 

[05m50dan]

I made a 10g batch of this, and am currently enjoying the fisrt keg. I was wondering about putting come chocolate into the second 5gallons sitting in a carboy. I've got some Hershey's unsweetened coco powder, and was wondering what procedure to use and amount. Any suggestions??

 

[bgburdman9]

Just wanted to post back on the recipe changes i used. Using the MO and the pale chocolate probably made this quite different than the original but it has still gone over well and it is very easy to drink. At last weeks homebrew meeting, it went over pretty well and a couple people really enjoyed it. I am already thinking about brewing this again after I realized how much is gone already. On the next batch I may do regular chocolate malt but with all MO. I used columbus because it is just what have been trying to use up but at just a 60 minute addition it probably doesnt matter too much which hop is used.

Well I realized that I was drinking this much faster than my other 2 beers on tap so I thought I better brew it again before I run out. I changed the recipe a bit this time too, but it is actually closer to the original than my first one. I used all maris otter this time instead of 2 row but all other grains were the same. I bittered to 40 ibu with centennial and I am fermenting with nottingham. I realized I forgot the maltodextrin with about 2 minutes left. I grabbed it quickly from my storage and quickly stirred it in and let it boil for 5 extra minute. So I had a 65 minute boil.

Other than forgetting the maltodextrin til the end which wasnt a big deal to me, this batch was the smoothest all grain yet and got my highest efficiency yet. I hit about 76-77% with a gravity of 1.071 and a full 5.5 gallons. My mash start at 150.5 according to my brand new thermapen and finished at 149.5 also.

 

[bgburdman9]

Well I realized that I was drinking this much faster than my other 2 beers on tap so I thought I better brew it again before I run out. I changed the recipe a bit this time too, but it is actually closer to the original than my first one. I used all maris otter this time instead of 2 row but all other grains were the same. I bittered to 40 ibu with centennial and I am fermenting with nottingham. I realized I forgot the maltodextrin with about 2 minutes left. I grabbed it quickly from my storage and quickly stirred it in and let it boil for 5 extra minute. So I had a 65 minute boil.

Other than forgetting the maltodextrin til the end which wasnt a big deal to me, this batch was the smoothest all grain yet and got my highest efficiency yet. I hit about 76-77% with a gravity of 1.071 and a full 5.5 gallons. My mash start at 150.5 according to my brand new thermapen and finished at 149.5 also.

Well final gravity was down to 1.017 when I checked it for the first time after 9 days. So I am already to about 7%. Ill probably let this sit about another 1-2 weeks then keg and let it sit a couple more weeks.

 

[ohso]

Hey edwort. Just wanted say how much I like this recipe. Brewed back in February and now in bombers and assorted 12 ozers ( i think around a month or so), this has such a nice roasted barley character and the thickness from the dextrin really brings a full mouthfeel to the beer. As you said "chewy." It reminds me of my wake n bake clone w/ out the coffee and the 8.2% abv. I also woke up to an "oil spill" out side the fermenter and in my basement hallway lol, blow off tube couldn't handle this beast, legendary!

Prost!

 

[Scruff_McGee]

Sharing the love for the original recipe. I'll say this is probably my favorite out of all the EdWort brews and I've made about 5 of them. This will be a staple at Danger Dog Brewing, many thanks for this, and for creating accessible and delicious recipes!

 

[fermenter]

Hi,

I am going to be brewing this! I was wondering how many 11g packets of the Nottingham yeast people have been using? The recipe calls for 1 but mrmalty.com says 1.5 ish any thoughts? Or just pitch 2 just to be safe?

 

[knappster]

Hi,

I am going to be brewing this! I was wondering how many 11g packets of the Nottingham yeast people have been using? The recipe calls for 1 but mrmalty.com says 1.5 ish any thoughts? Or just pitch 2 just to be safe?

I had an explosive fermentation with 1 packet. In fact, I have never pitched more than one sachet of yeast in a brew except for when I had a packet of recalled Nottingham that didn't rehydrate. You should be fine with 1.

 

[rico567]

I had an explosive fermentation with 1 packet. In fact, I have never pitched more than one sachet of yeast in a brew except for when I had a packet of recalled Nottingham that didn't rehydrate. You should be fine with 1.

Same here. Threw a pack of Nottingham onto wort, no starter, no rehydration, and I had fermentation in 4-5 hours. And this beer is great! About as close to stout as you can get and still be in porter-land.....but the name does say 'robust." Ed W. strikes again.

 

[fermenter]

Hey thanks guys I really appreciate it - I will pitch one and be done!