American Porter Bee Cave Brewery Robust Porter

[LakesideBrewing]

Sorry if this has been asked of this recipe in the previous 57 pages:

I've been looking for a good porter recipe and this one looks great! But, I'd like to make a 'Belgian Porter'. Could I use this recipe but use a Belgian yeast?

Thanks!
-Mike

 

[watersr]

So I finally got around to making this beer. I never had a blowout in my 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket before but this fermentation took off like a rocket ship. Had airlock activity within eight hours and my airlock got blown out. Found about a pint of beer all over the top and sides of my bucket. Who knew notty could be so naughty? Can't wait to taste it!

 

[jb1677]

I brewed this 8 days ago using recipe in post 1, I pitched 1.5 packs of Nottingham and fermented in a tub of water with ice packs (upper 50's / lower 60's water temp). The fermentation was mild, no blowoff needed - started at 1.066 and finished at 1.017 (or 75% attenuation - seems about right?).

The sample I pulled to measure gravity tasted great! Even my wife enjoyed it and asked that I make it bubbly so we can drink it! Its roasty with a coffee like richness, great viscosity and just plain good! I will still probably give it another week or three before kegging..... I think......

How quick are you guys turning this one around?

 

[rico567]

I brewed this 8 days ago using recipe in post 1, I pitched 1.5 packs of Nottingham and fermented in a tub of water with ice packs (upper 50's / lower 60's water temp). The fermentation was mild, no blowoff needed - started at 1.066 and finished at 1.017 (or 75% attenuation - seems about right?).

The sample I pulled to measure gravity tasted great! Even my wife enjoyed it and asked that I make it bubbly so we can drink it! Its roasty with a coffee like richness, great viscosity and just plain good! I will still probably give it another week or three before kegging..... I think......

How quick are you guys turning this one around?

Like most of my beers, I just primary for a month and bottle. Only time I secondary is for bulk aging of something like a barleywine, or dry hopping. This has become my standard porter. I've tried others, but I haven't been able to top this one.

 

[Petekiteworld]

I did 3 weeks primary, then bottled

 

[jb1677]

I will sit on this for a few more weeks to be sure, but wow did it taste good at 8 days!

 

[Voodoo_Child]

It's looking like I'll be brewing this tomorrow. I've been eyeing this for a while now, it was a question of getting my resources together.

Anyway I'm going to do 5 gallons approximately broken up as such:
1 gallon NA (father-in-law is on the wagon)
1.5 normal
2.5 with Bourbon soaked oak cubes

It's the first time I've done anything with Bourbon, any advice on amounts or time? Thanks and I'll update how it goes.

 

[scratchex]

This is the 2nd time I've done a coffee porter (used my own recipe that's VERY similar to Ed's) and we decided to add Bourbon this time. Used a cold coffee toddy from a roaster I've used/met/talked to before and it came out SUPERB. Added about 12 oz's of bourbon that was soaked in bourbon chips; added it all to the secondary. This time we decided to naturally carb the porter in a keg. Used about 1/4 priming sugar in the keg, sealed w/ about 8lbs of Co2 & then let it sit at room temperature for 2 weeks. Moved it to the keezer after 2 weeks & was ready the following day. At first I thought it may have been too much bourbon but it has balanced out perfectly & has by far become one of our best brews. It's a favorite amongst all of our friends right now.

 

[mlstarbuck]

I've read through quite a few pages, but I can't see where anyone asked about using Safale 04. I have a yeast cake of it left from when I racked off a 5 gal batch of Biermuncher's OktoberFAST on 10/8/12. So, a couple of questions. Thoughts on using the 04? I'm thinking that it will be fine, it just won't delvelop the fruitiness that the Notty would produce. And thoughts on reusing the yeast cake from not quite two weeks ago? I've never reused a yeast cake before , and I want to try it just for the sake of experimentation.

 

[RCBIV]

Woo. 58 pages. That's exhausting.

I plan to brew this Saturday in my new house. I scaled it down to 2.5 gallons and I rounded off the ingredients -- for the most part. They were actually all pretty close to being square anyway.

Question: BeerSmith says my OG is expected to hit 1.063, with a FG of 1.011. Seems a little low, no? Here's how the recipe looks, converted a tad:

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 79.9 %
7.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2 7.0 %
7.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.0 %
3.5 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 4 3.5 %
2.1 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.1 %
0.5 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6 0.5 %
0.50 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 24.3 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 7.9 IBUs
4.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 20.0 mins) Other 9 -
1.0 pkg Nottingham Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP039 Yeast 10 -

Thanks, everyone. Looking forward to my first Ed Wort brew.

 

[harrydrez]

Just brewed this up yesterday. It was my first all grain and I ended up with 5.5 gallons at about 1.066 og.

Can't wait to try this!

Life got in the way and I just bottled this beer on Saturday! I took a sample and it tasted great so I added half a pack of 05 and bottled away.

 

[Petekiteworld]

Wow, I really encourage everyone to brew this beer. Truly a classic!

 

[MrMista]

Never made this, anyone tried this on nitro?

 

[periwinkle1239]

Made this yesterday. Mashed at 152-153. Used 0.5 lbs of Carapils in mash instead of the malto dextrin in boil. OG was 1.064. I pitched some Pacman slurry that was leftover from a RIS that I just racked into secondary. Set in my garage which is a steady 60 degrees this time of year, and she blew off in no time. I thought maybe the cooler temp would keep her from blowing but I was wrong! Then again, Pacman is a beast.

I'm going to let her ferment out at 60, hoping for a clean smooth finish with a FG of 1.015ish.

 

[jb1677]

This stuff is insanely good! I brewed it 6 weeks ago, kegged it 2 weeks ago and at this point its drinking excellent. Has a ton of flavor, great mouthfeel/thickness and awesome smell. This will become a regular for sure, already planning to brew another batch in a few weeks.

 

[Thedagem]

I brewed up a 10 gallon batch of this today... but I forgot to add the malto dextrine... It's in the primary now, can I just add this stuff to the secondary in a few weeks? What would be the best way to do that? Just dump and stir? How easily does it dissolve in the beer? This beer looks awesome btw.

 

[Petekiteworld]

This would be epic on nitro!

 

[jtmwhyte]

Brewed up 6 Gallons of this on Sunday. I described the first runnings to a fellow beer connoisseur as if "chocolatey coffee made a baby with caramel flavoured vodka"

 

[slider67]

just bottled my first batch, my naughty must have dropped quick OG 1.064
final was 1.026 seems high but still tasted good

Later
Slider

 

[Voodoo_Child]

I brewed this up a few weeks ago and just bottled half of it. I put 2.5 gallons on 1 oz light oak chips soaked in enough Makers Mark to cover them. It sat on the chips with 4 oz MM as well for 1 week. The other 1.5 will be untweaked and 1 gallon will be NA. It should be interesting to say the least.

I'm thinking about brewing again and adding 4 oz coffee beans, course ground, in 12 oz water cold brewed to be added at bottling.

This brew is doubling as a Christmas gift for my brothers. The wort tasted fantastic.

Edit: forgot to add it went from 1.064 to 1.016

 

[Yourrealdad]

Just brewed this for a second time (3rd brew ever) and it went much better and smoother. Did extract and had a OG of 1.063. Just bottled it and had a FG of 1.020. I believe my first time I had a FG of 1.018. So got about 5.6%

I am just wondering how I could get the yeast to eat up some more sugars? Both times the notti went crazy and the first three days held at about 76-78 degrees and then I held it at 64 for 3 weeks in the primary. Any ideas?

Thanks

Oh and it tasted great, but watery. I am assuming that is a green beer characteristic from what I read on these forums?

 

[kaiser423]

I routinely make this without the malto dextrin and love the bite of it. Was cleaning out my keezer the other day, and realized that I still had half of keg of this (line had clogged somehow, just assumed it was out).

Needless to say that was a good day :rockin:

 

[Quaker]

I am just wondering how I could get the yeast to eat up some more sugars? Both times the notti went crazy and the first three days held at about 76-78 degrees and then I held it at 64 for 3 weeks in the primary. Any ideas?

You'd be better off doing the opposite; hold it for 2 days at 64 then let it rise up. That let's the yeast concentrate on the growth phase before the big gorge. You could also do a starter or pitch an extra packet.

You could also cut back or eliminate the maltodextrin if your aim is simply a drier beer.

 

[Yourrealdad]

You'd be better off doing the opposite; hold it for 2 days at 64 then let it rise up. That let's the yeast concentrate on the growth phase before the big gorge. You could also do a starter or pitch an extra packet.

You could also cut back or eliminate the maltodextrin if your aim is simply a drier beer.

I have the ability to control the temp on the colder side (just bought a chest freezer), if I keep it around 64 will the yeast be able to heat it back up like they normally do if I don't control the temps? I have no way to heat the beer up.

I was also thinking of using maybe 1 1/2 or 2 packets of Notti. Would that be too much yeast?

Thanks

 

[Quaker]

The yeast will be able to remain active, and that activity will warm it up. I always chill to 64 degrees for pitching ales. Currently I don't have the ability to control temp overseas, so I let it ramp from there. Unfortunately, most standard ale strains exceed the 72 room temp within 12 hours and continue the climb to the upper 70s. I'd prefer to keep it below 68 the whole time, but I can't right now.

2 packets would not be too much. Using Mr. Malty's calculator, with fresh packets you'd need 1.4 packets. Assuming you don't have a brand new pack, 2 will probably be perfect.

 

[ddrrseio]

i know this is a total curve ball, but i'd like to come somewhere near this with the runnings of an imperial stout i'm making this sunday.

the basic grain bill is
17 lb 2row
3 lb munich
1.5 lb black
1 lb choc
14 oz special B
12 oz caramunich

OG=1.106

i plan to go ahead with the hop schedule, maltodextrine and notty yeast. any suggestions on what grains, if any, i could throw in for the partigyle mash to give the beer the right color and flavor level? i'm not very experienced with partigyle brewing and i'd appreciate any advice! i realize i won't hit it exactly, but i'd love to get the general flavor and gravity.

 

[jtmwhyte]

Just sampled my first batch. FG hit 1.015 and it tastes AMAZING heading to the keg. I'm planning to do another batch next week and oak half in the secondary. A new staple for the buckets!

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

My brew partner and I split a 10 gallon batch of this recipe back in mid-November and I am about 4 days into carb-ing in bottles. This was my first Porter and I have to say it was delicious from wort to finish. I had to switch the Roasted Barley and Black Patent amounts because the LHBS was out of stock. We intended on making it into a coffee porter but it was too good the way it turned out.

We got poor efficiency due to too many homebrews while brewing
but the recipe makes up for it in flavor.

Pitched S-05.

Great batch! Cheers

 

[rico567]

Yes. This recipe is so good the way it is in the OP that I've never thought to change it, and I'm on my......batch. Can't really remember how many.

 

[RCBIV]

Question for those who have brewed this recipe:

I brewed it a few weeks back, let it ferment for about four weeks, then I moved it to bottles. I tried the first bottle last Thursday. It was only a week in the bottle, so it was very under carbed. But here's the issue: I'm getting a lot of sweetness and a lot of booziness to the taste. Is this normal? Did I screw something up? I'm a little worried because I brewed it on a brand new setup so I didn't really have my system down to a T (and I still don't).

I also think it will help once I have a good amount of carbonation, but I figured I'd ask...