Brooklyn Brew Shop's Chocolate Maple Porter - Tips and Advice

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TasunkaWitko

TasunkaWitko

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Hello -

I'm set to begin my first ever brew of any beer - hopefully this weekend - it will be the Chocolate Maple Porter mix from Brooklyn Brew Shop:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-mixes/chocolate-maple-porter-1-gallon-mix-w-o-kit

[ame]http://vimeo.com/31426235[/ame]

My purpose with starting this thread is to ask anyone who has made this recipe to post any tips or advice specific to this recipe. As I understand it, the Chocolate Maple Porter is also in BBS's recipe book, so any experiences from those who have used that source would be appreciated as well.

I've never had a beer like this, so any advice as to what to expect from a porter (and a "chocolate" one at that) would be appreciated. I do know that it uses Fuggle hops, crushed, roasted barley and of course maple syrup as a sweetener.

Thanks in advance -

Ron
 
My advice would be to read the directions before Brew day. Then, if you have questions, you can ask here before you brew. Questions on brew day can be stressful, and instructions aren't always clear.
 
Agreed 100%, 2d2 - I've read the instructions (they are "downloadable" from BBS's website) a couple of times and am pretty sure that I've got a feel for the procedure. I'm fairly handy in a kitchen, so I'll be sure to have everything laid out before beginning, hopefully ready to go - and I'll read the instructions one final time before beginning.

Here are the instructions, by the way:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Chocolate_Maple_Porter_Instructions.pdf

They describe the procedure farily well, as far as I can see.

One question that I have concerns the bitterness of this porter. I am by absolutely no means an expert, but if I'm guessing correctly, this particular mix leans toward a robust porter rather than a brown porter. The reason for this conclusion is that the mix's stated ABV is the same as the robust porter. The source for my reading on this is here:

http://bjcp.org/2008styles/style12.php

Here's my question: The robust porter as I understand it leans pretty far toward bitter, compared to the brown porter. If I wanted to cut back on that bitterness a bit, is there a way to do that, such as cutting the amount of hops in half (or changing the ratios that are added at various times during the boil (see instructions above))?

I absolutely do NOT want to modify the instructions if doing so will mess up the end result, but if there is a way to back the IBUs down a little, I'd like to. Basically, my goal would be to give it the bitterness level of a brown porter, but to leave the rest of the recipe as-is.

If this is not feasible, I will follow the directions and learn to appreciate the bitterness in beer - but I figured that it would be worth asking....

Thanks in advance for any direction that you or anyone else might be able to offer.
 
Adding the hops later in the boil reduces the IBUs. Go to brewersfriend.com and play with the hop schedule. It will give you an idea of what the outcome will be based on how you utilize your hops.
 
Dude, again? :) You've never had this one, or even one like this, so there is no way you can think it's too bitter already.

Follow the recipe the first time. Try to find some commercial example to try. Then you'll know what to expect. Chocolate is bitter. Coffee is bitter. Bitter can be good.

Follow the directions, except maybe let it ferment a week longer than the 2 they suggest.
 
My 2 cents on the BBS 1 gal kits...

They make great beer. But, be aware of your boil off rate before you launch into your brew. If you follow their directions to the "t," you may end up with .5 gallons of concentrated wort (and diluting it back doesn't quite taste like it should).

I'd recommend testing the amount of water that is evaporated in the kettle during the 60 minute boil, in the kettle you're planning to use beforehand. That way you can make adjustments to compensate before it becomes a problem.

Enjoy the brewday!
 
Cobrem - this makes very good sense, and I will do exactly that. I am assuming that you are talking about the boiling of the wort?

If so, I'll start with the 5 quarts that they say I'll be starting the boil with (the broth from the "sparge," if my jargon is correct, plus the gallon that they say to add), then measure the remaining amount after an hour of simmering, then take that into account when I am brewing so that I'll end the boil with a gallon (or something very close to it).

If you or anyone sees a flaw in that logic, please let me know.

Based on your reply and all that I've read in the instructions etc., I take it that covering or partially-covering the pot is not recommended?

Thanks again -

Ron
 
Alright, guys - I brewed this over the weekend, according to the directions that came with BBS's kit:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Chocolate_Maple_Porter_Instructions.pdf

It was quite an experience, as this was my very first time brewing beer, but I believe things went pretty well!

The first thing I must say is that I took a leap of faith based on ericbw's advice and did not modify the recipe where the hops were concerned. I am glad that I followed his advice! The hops for this beer are incredibly interesting, a variety known as "Fuggle" - here's some information about them:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/hop-of-the-month-fuggle/

The impressions that I got while brewing were very nice, and I am thinking that this is really going to be a good beer for autumn. The aromas were nice and earthy, with an interesting quality that really does remind me of the smell of leaves blowing around this time of year. I was actually pretty surprised that the image came up the way it did, but this morning, walking to the car and getting a whiff of the autumn air, it was confirmed. It seems to be coming together pretty well, and I'm looking forward to see how the flavours of the hops play with the sweetness of the maple and the richness of the roasted chocolate malt, which really came through during the mash and the boil.

The only "complication" that I ran into was during the mash; I do a lot of barbecuing of ribs, pork shoulder and briskets, and temperature control is of primary importance... same with brewing, I see! The instructions said to maintain a range between 144 and 152 degrees; this was a little hectic, and a couple of times it got a little warmer and cooler than the desired range, but only for a very short time. I think for the most part I stayed in that range and judging by the way things smelled and the little bit of tasting I did, things seem alright. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks ~

The boil went off without incident; once that was done, I cooled the pot in an ice bath to 70 degrees, strained it into the gallon-sized fermenter. After pitching the yeast, I set the fermenter up with a blow-off tube in a large plastic bin, insulated by blankets, and put it in the closet of our bedroom, where temperatures are going to be on the cool side, but that's the best I can do. The bin itself is sitting on a couple of blankets, with a couple more also wrapped around it. When I took a peek this morning, it sure looked like there was fermentation and I saw a couple of hiccups of bubbles coming out of the bowl that the tube was sitting in, so I think we're looking pretty good.

Altogether, I am feeling pretty good about this. The whole process took longer than I expected, but I am sure that a lot of this was due to it being my first time, so no worries there. My main impression coming from all of this is that we're looking at a really nice beer for fall.
 
TasunkaWitko said:
Alright, guys - I brewed this over the weekend, according to the directions that came with BBS's kit:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Chocolate_Maple_Porter_Instructions.pdf

It was quite an experience, as this was my very first time brewing beer, but I believe things went pretty well!

The first thing I must say is that I took a leap of faith based on ericbw's advice and did not modify the recipe where the hops were concerned. I am glad that I followed his advice! The hops for this beer are incredibly interesting, a variety known as "Fuggle" - here's some information about them:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/hop-of-the-month-fuggle/

The impressions that I got while brewing were very nice, and I am thinking that this is really going to be a good beer for autumn. The aromas were nice and earthy, with an interesting quality that really does remind me of the smell of leaves blowing around this time of year. I was actually pretty surprised that the image came up the way it did, but this morning, walking to the car and getting a whiff of the autumn air, it was confirmed. It seems to be coming together pretty well, and I'm looking forward to see how the flavours of the hops play with the sweetness of the maple and the richness of the roasted chocolate malt, which really came through during the mash and the boil.

The only "complication" that I ran into was during the mash; I do a lot of barbecuing of ribs, pork shoulder and briskets, and temperature control is of primary importance... same with brewing, I see! The instructions said to maintain a range between 144 and 152 degrees; this was a little hectic, and a couple of times it got a little warmer and cooler than the desired range, but only for a very short time. I think for the most part I stayed in that range and judging by the way things smelled and the little bit of tasting I did, things seem alright. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks ~

The boil went off without incident; once that was done, I cooled the pot in an ice bath to 70 degrees, strained it into the gallon-sized fermentor. After pitching the yeast, I set the fermentor up with a blow-off tube in a large plastic bin, insulated by blankets, and put it in the closet of our bedroom, where themperatures are going to be on the cool side, but that's the best I can do. The bin itself is sitting on a couple of blankets, with a couple more also wrapped around it. When I took a peek this morning, it sure looked like there was fermentation and I saw a couple of hiccups of bubbles coming out of the blowl that the tube was sitting in, so I think we're looking pretty good.

Altogether, I am feeling pretty good at this. The whole process took longer than I expected, but I am sure that a lot of this was due to it being my first time, so no worries there. My main impression coming from all of this is that we're looking at a really nice beer for fall.
Click to expand...

You're probably going to struggle more with keeping it cool enough rather than warm enough. So watch the blankets. As fermentation ramps up, it might go hotter than you expect.
 
Thanks Eric - that's good to know. Our house is generally on the cool side, and our nights have been going down into the 30s (the wall of the closet is an outside wall) - but I hadn't considered that the fermentation process would produce some heat.

I will keep an eye on it and remove the blankets as needed.
 
Alright, about 24 hours into the ferment, things are looking pretty good, I think. There is a steady "blip blip blip" as bubbles come out the end of the blow-off tube (stuck into a bowl of sanitiser), there's a good head of "foam" (krausen?) above the beer in the fermenter as the yeast converts the sugars in the malts and maple syrup into alcohol, and the surface of the fermenter is slightly cool to the touch, neither too warm nor too cold, I think.

There is a little bit of the foamy-looking stuff in the tubing, and the sanitiser that the tube is stuck into is slightly discoloured from some foam or liquid that has worked its way through the tubing. I assume this is normal. The level of the beer itself is well below the end of the tube that is stuck into the fermenter, and only a little bit of foam is touching the stopper.

The instructions say to leave the blow-off tube in place for two more days, then switch it out in place of a sanitised air-lock.

That's all I know for now - as far as I can see, things appear to be progressing well!
 
That all sounds like it should! I might try that recipe soon.
 
Thanks, Eric - so far I am impressed...this beer really reminds me of fall and I can't wait to try it.
 
Man I started out brewing just like you! Got the everyday IPA kit from brooklyn brew shop for a x-mas gift from my girlfriend last year. Brewed their 1 gallon maple porter and oatmeal cookie stout, and then immediately went all the way to all grain 5 gallon batches in less than 2 months. I can tell from the way you write your posts that you are very thorough and interested in every aspect of the whole process, as I was (biochemistry PH.D student, its in my blood lol). A few more one gallon batches, and I bet you will be dying to move to 5 gallon all grain. The 8-10 beers from the 1-gallons don't last very long. Welcome to the wonderful world of homebrew my friend!

P.S. Just a word of advice, one thing I learned in my first few batches is that YOU WILL MESS UP SOMEHOW on one of your batches somewhere down the line. Accept it and move on to the next batch. This drove me nuts analyzing every step that I could have done wrong, until I had the next batch in the fermentor. The best way to learn how to do something the right way is to mess it up really good the first time!
 
Good morning, SRG, and thanks for the encouragement and support. My degree is in History, but as you know, there's plenty of history in beer! :mug:

I agree with what you say about making mistakes - they are the best way to learn, and should not only be expected, but welcomed! If a person can learn from the experience, then it is not a mistake; it is a lesson ~

Update: I checked on my brew this morning, and it is pretty much the same as reported last night. The "blip blip blip" is just slightly quicker, but other than that, all looks the same. Still on schedule, as far as I can see!
 
somerandomguy said:
Man I started out brewing just like you! Got the everyday IPA kit from brooklyn brew shop for a x-mas gift from my girlfriend last year. Brewed their 1 gallon maple porter and oatmeal cookie stout, and then immediately went all the way to all grain 5 gallon batches in less than 2 months. I can tell from the way you write your posts that you are very thorough and interested in every aspect of the whole process, as I was (biochemistry PH.D student, its in my blood lol). A few more one gallon batches, and I bet you will be dying to move to 5 gallon all grain. The 8-10 beers from the 1-gallons don't last very long. Welcome to the wonderful world of homebrew my friend!

P.S. Just a word of advice, one thing I learned in my first few batches is that YOU WILL MESS UP SOMEHOW on one of your batches somewhere down the line. Accept it and move on to the next batch. This drove me nuts analyzing every step that I could have done wrong, until I had the next batch in the fermentor. The best way to learn how to do something the right way is to mess it up really good the first time!
Click to expand...

I sort of disagree about moving to 5 gallon batches. If you like doing it frequently, then small batches are the way to go. Right now, I have a 3 gallon and a 1.25 gallon batch fermenting. After this, I'll do another 3 gallon and probably a 1 gallon (might do this porter, in fact).

For me, 2.5 to 3 gallons is the optimal size.
 
For me, the 1-gallon size is working right now. My "consumption rate" is pretty low, and as I learned with this experience, my space is somewhat limited at this time. My expectation is that I'll be doing 1-gallon batches for the most part, but I do indeed have basic equipment for a 5-gallon batch, including a carboy and a mix for American Pale Ale, from Brewer's Best. When the time comes, I look forward to making it, and plan to make 5-gallon batches of any favourites in order to keep the "pipeline" going at a steady rate.

For now though - the 1-gallon batch's are working well as I learn and also experience new and different beers.
 
I checked the fermenter/blow-off tube last night and this morning; it looks like the most active period of fermentation has passed. The "blip-blip-blip" of the blow-off looks to have slowed to a mere crawl that is barely detectable, and the bubbles/foam (krausen?) in the fermenter have decreased to the point where they are almost non-existent. The blow-off tube has a little bit of fermentation residue in it and the sanitising solution that the blow-off tube is in is mildly discoloured from the stuff that apparently made it that far. As far as I can see, everything is on schedule.

This evening will mark three full days with the blow-off tube, and it looks like I will be able to replace it with the airlock on schedule.

More as it happens....
 
Thanks, 2d2!

Okay, at 72 hours (give or take) into this project, I have exchanged the blow-off tube for the air-lock, following BBS's video instructions:

[ame]http://vimeo.com/56642316[/ame]

The beer in my fermenter looks essentially the same as the beer at time-mark 00:05 in the video above, except my beer is quite a bit darker and the fermenter is a bit fuller. The obvious signs of fermentation noted earlier in the process were not present, and to my knowledge things are on schedule. The switch from blow-off tube to air-lock went without incident, and I will now leave my beer alone in order to finish fermenting.

The instructions say to allow the beer to ferment for two more weeks before bottling; however, most sources here say that three weeks seem to yield better results. Indeed, BBS's FAQ section indicates that an additional week of fermentation won't hurting anything. Because of this - along with the fact that temperatures are slightly cooler in my closet (the fermenter feels slightly cool to the touch) - I am guessing that waiting three weeks rather than two will be a good idea.

Turning my attention to the plastic tubing used for the blow-off tube, I saw that it was pretty grungy, with dried fermentation residue all through its length. It is currently sitting in a sink of hot, soapy water, but if anyone has any useful ideas for cleaning it, I'd be interested in hearing them. Naturally, I will thoroughly sanitise it before its next use.

That's all I have for now; more as it happens. As always, any comments, advice and suggestions are welcome.

Ron
 
I forgot to mention one "tip" that I discovered while brewing this beer: two pots will do the job (8- or 12-quart), but it is very nice (and more efficient) to have a third one during the sparging. It doesn't have to be a stainless-steel stockpot or anything as "involved" as the one you will use for the actual brewing, but it should at least hold 5 or 6 quarts so that you can run the wort through the sparge again.
 
TasunkaWitko said:
I forgot to mention one "tip" that I discovered while brewing this beer: two pots will do the job (8- or 12-quart), but it is very nice (and more efficient) to have a third one during the sparging. It doesn't have to be a stainless-steel stockpot or anything as "involved" as the one you will use for the actual brewing, but it should at least hold 5 or 6 quarts so that you can run the wort through the sparge again.
Click to expand...

The more pots the better! I use two pots and 3 buckets during a brewday and i don't even do sparging or lautering.
 
The more pots the better!
Click to expand...

Agreed! I now have two 8-quart stainless-steel pots and 1 12-quart stainless-steel pot that are dedicated to brewing, as well as a brewing bucket etc.

Another note: the fine-mesh strainer that I had for this project was just a little small, but not by much - all of the mash(?) fit in there, but it was tight, and made the sparging(?) a little awkward. Since then, I've acquired a 10-inch, fine-mesh bowl-type strainer, and I believe this will work much more efficiently.

Update - one week after exchanging the blow-off tube for the air-lock, I don't see any obvious signs of fermentation when I take an occasional peek; however, I am sure that it is taking place, given the very active fermentation during the first three days while the blow-off tube was attached. I have gotten a thermometer to place where my fermenter is, and am able to maintain room temperatures right in the preferred range, so that worry is now off my shoulders.

My current plan is to allow it to ferment at least one more full week, possibly two; the instructions say 14 days total, but most of the "feedback" that I have seen on these kits indicates that an extra week of fermentation is generally required. My feelings are that it won't hurt anything to do give it three weeks total, and the odds are that it will help, so there really doesn't seem to be any reason not to. At that time, I will bottle, and then wait. Once again, the instructions say to wait two weeks after bottling, but if I can, I will wait three before sampling my first brew.

Thanks to all for the continuing advice, comments and feedback.

Ron
 
So if I remember correctly the instructions for this kit said to carbonate with maple syrup right? I made the mistake when I brewed this kit of using rather low quality generic brand maple syrup. It didn't carb up very well. When I made their oatmeal cookie stout on the next batch I also carbed with maple syrup but I bought high quality pure maple syrup and it made a world of difference in both CO2 level and flavor. Something to consider when it comes time to bottle.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
2d2 - it's been a challenge, but luckily, I've learned the truth of the saying, "good things come to those who wait!" :)

SRG - my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. For this project, I bought some good, genuine maple syrup from Canada, which I found to have a nice, rich flavour. Most of the cheaper "maple-flavoured syrup" that people buy these days is simply corn syrup with maple flavouring added, but in my experience, there's nothing as good as the real thing!

Update: Entering week three, I've decided to stick to my original plan of allowing the beer to sit in the fermenter a week longer than proscribed in the instructions (three weeks rather than two). As stated above, The reasons for this are because the biggest share of the reports I've read say that this became neccessary; also, the folks at BBS say that it's just fine to do this, so there's no reason not to. The beer itself looks about as it has the last week or so, with no active or visible signs of fermentation; my understanding is that after the first few days, there really isn't much to see, even though plenty is going on inside the fermenter. Temperatures are staying right about 65 degrees, give or take a couple of degrees.

The next step will be to bottle the beer this weekend; I've bottled before with Finnish mead (sima) and also with some root beer that I made from extract. I had varying degrees of success (under-carbonation with the root beer, over-carbonation with the sima), but with both of those processes, I had only the shallowest understanding of the what I was doing. After a lot more reading and research on the subject, I hope I am ready to see some success.
 
There is nothing new to report in the middle of this extra (third) week of fermentation; however, I do have a question for those who might have more experience.

I've been reading a bit about "cold crashing," and it seems that the benefits would be worth the time invested. As I understand it, the process involves placing the fermenter in the refrigerator for a few days in order to achieve an extra level of clarification in the beer, as well as a tighter compaction of the sediment on the bottom, which will lead to a slightly higher yield of final product. If this premise is wrong, please correct me.

In any case, for my 1-gallon batch, it seems that a minimum of three days should be enough time to have a successful cold crash; with that in mind, I'll give this a try once the third week is ended, loosely covering the fermenter with foil and placing it in the refrigerator for at least three days. Due to my schedule, it might end up being a few more, so that I can proceed with the bottling of the weekend, but this is no matter.

Once this brew is bottled, I am looking forward stepping up my efforts in this endeavour. The second beer that I will be brewing will be Grapefruit Honey Ale (which is the one that my wife got for me for my birthday), and since I now have a second fermentation set-up, I might proceed directly to my next "winter beer," the Chestnut Brown Ale. After those, the Oatmeal Stout (with the oatmeal raisin cookie variation) and the Smoked Wheat will follow. I will prepare a new "diary thread" for each brewing session.
 
Not loosely covered with foil. Keep the airlock on or tightly cover with sanitized foil.
 
Hi, Eric, and thanks for the quick reply.

I don't think that the fermenter will fit in the refrigerator with the airlock on; however, I do have a rubber stopper, if that would work better than the foil?

Thanks!

Ron
 
I haven't tried cold crashing yet. Just remember thermal expansion and contraction. If an airlock is used, the liquid will get sucked back into the fermenter. If you use a rubber stopper, it might get lodged.
 
Since the airlock won't fit, go with a sanitized stopper. (If you were using the airlock, I would fill it with vodka rather than sanitizer, so that whatever gets sucked back in would simply be alcohol.)

If the beer releases CO2 (either because it is still fermenting or from the motion of moving it around), it will probably push the stopper out. So keep an eye on it.

Any amount of cold crashing will help with clarity (even a day). BUT MAKE SURE IT IS DONE FERMENTING before bottling. The cold will also slow/stop the yeast, and a lot will drop to the bottom, but there will be some still in suspension. If it has not eaten the sugar, then when it warms back up/wakes up in the bottle, you have the potential for explosions. So be sure it's done fermenting before crashing.

Also, be sure to sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Bacteria or other wild yeasts can ferment more sugars than most ale yeast. If these get in the beer or bottles, they can also cause explosions. That's why you don't want to simply cover with foil - your fridge is probably full of all kinds of interesting stuff that would love to finish fermenting the beer.
 
your fridge is probably full of all kinds of interesting stuff that would love to finish fermenting the beer.
Click to expand...

This is especially true of our refrigerator - I have 4 boys.

Perhaps I can insert a stopper to a point where it will be snug enough not to pop out, but also where it won't be too difficult to extract if it is sucked in a little.

I am pretty sure that fermentation will be done by Sunday, which is when I will do this. The instructions say to ferment for two weeks, and I am letting it go for three; however, I'll keep an eye on it as it comes up to room temperature when I remove it from the refrigerator, and if I see any sign of fermentation activity, I will wait a few days.

If I would have been thinking, I would have set the fermenter at a slight angle immediately after pitching the yeast, so that the sediment could settle in a manner that would leave a trub-free area of the bottom of the fermenter, but I neglected to do this. Hopefully, I will remember next time.

In any case, I'll definitely be sanitising everything thoroughly - I've come too far to drop the ball, now!

Thank to all for the advice and assistance -

Ron
 
Do you know what the yeast is with that kit? If it was s-04 or US-05, you're probably in good shape after 3 weeks.
 
I don't recall seeing any specific yeast type on the packet that came with the kit, Eric, but I do have BBS's recipe for Chocolate Maple Porter in their book at home, and I'll check when I get off from work.
 
Prob Nottingham in the kit? That should be done at 3 weeks from what I hear. Haven't used it much muskeg though.
 

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