Can I use a single infusion mash for this recipe?

[americanweirdo]

Honey Porter

7# American Vienna
1# Crystal 90
1# Black Patent
1# Chocolate
3# Clover honey (60 min. boil)
1/2 oz. Chinook (60 min.)
1/2 oz. Chinook (5 min.)

My concern is the Vienna. Any thoughts on a single infusion on this one?

This would be my third AG, so I'm still new to it all.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Glibbidy]

Single infusion will work just fine.

 

[david_42]

Vienna will work as a base malt in a single infusion, but ...

That's a lot of BP for a porter. I rarely use more the 4 ounces. My favorite porter recipe (Rogue clone) only uses 2 ounces and 6 ounces of chocolate.

 

[Blender]

That's a lot of BP for a porter. I rarely use more the 4 ounces. My favorite porter recipe (Rogue clone) only uses 2 ounces and 6 ounces of chocolate.

Yeah, that is a lot. Let us know how that works out because it is strong stuff.

 

[americanweirdo]

That's a lot of BP for a porter. I rarely use more the 4 ounces. My favorite porter recipe (Rogue clone) only uses 2 ounces and 6 ounces of chocolate.

Can I adjust the amounts, with negligible effects to the overall recipe?

Is BP high in tannins? I've read about large quantities being very astringent. What about Chocolate?

 

[Blender]

Black patent can taste like charcoal if it is to strong. I would use no more than .5 and probably less in my brew.

You won't get honey flavor if you boil it for 60 minutes.

 

[americanweirdo]

You won't get honey flavor if you boil it for 60 minutes.

well, now this recipe seems all sorts of screwed up. how long would you suggest for the honey? i made a honey porter extract batch a while back and only used a pound of honey (60 min. boil) and it was one of the best beers i've made. didn't notice a honey flavor, but that didn't distract from the awesomeness of the beer.

 

[Blender]

There is a Honey Pale ale recipe from Morebeer and 3 lbs.of honey is added in the last 15 minutes. Folks also use honey malt at mashing time for honey flavor.

 

[King of Cascade]

Folks also use honey malt at mashing time for honey flavor

I know a lot of people say they get a honey flavor from honey malt but I've use Honey malt several times and never get honey flavor even with quantities as high as 10%.

Add the honey (not malt) at flame out to avoid scorching.


+1 on too much black patent. If you use less but grind it up fine (almost power) you will get more color and flavor with less astringency

 

[americanweirdo]

How does this revision sound?

7# American Vienna
2# Crystal 90
2 oz. Black Patent
12 oz. Chocolate
3# Clover honey (end of boil)
1/2 oz. Chinook (60 min.)
1/2 oz. Chinook (5 min.)

I added a pound of crystal and adjusted the BP, chocolate and honey. Suggestions?

 

[the_bird]

OK, I'll confess. I don't get this recipe.

Why use honey in a beer with a lot of dark roasted malts? Even at these reduced levels, it's going to be hard for any of the honey character to come through. The honey will ferment out almost completely, which will leave the ending beer a bit on the dry side. But, that's countered by TWO pounds of crystal malt, which is a buttload for most recipes. But, that'a a darked crystal, which I wouldn't necessarily envision with the honey..... so I just don't know what's going on here

Back up to the beginning... how do you envision this beer coming out? What kinds of flavors and characters are you trying to do? You started out with a recipe that was going to be WICKED harsh from all that roasted malt (especially the BP), now you've almost moved to the other end of the spectrum.

What are you trying to make?

 

[americanweirdo]

OK, I'll confess. I don't get this recipe.

Why use honey in a beer with a lot of dark roasted malts? Even at these reduced levels, it's going to be hard for any of the honey character to come through. The honey will ferment out almost completely, which will leave the ending beer a bit on the dry side. But, that's countered by TWO pounds of crystal malt, which is a buttload for most recipes. But, that'a a darked crystal, which I wouldn't necessarily envision with the honey..... so I just don't know what's going on here

Back up to the beginning... how do you envision this beer coming out? What kinds of flavors and characters are you trying to do? You started out with a recipe that was going to be WICKED harsh from all that roasted malt (especially the BP), now you've almost moved to the other end of the spectrum.

What are you trying to make?

i don't know...

as i said in the original post, this is my third all-grain. this is also ONLY my 8th beer. so i'm very new to everything. i've been studying the BJCP guidelines and (casually) researching different malts (base and specialty). for some reason, i no longer like the idea of taking someone else's recipe... i'm much more interested in building my own recipes based on the style guidelines. that's why i'm here, i guess... to learn how different grains and ingredients interact with one another.

i got the original extract recipe from my LHBS. and I LOVED IT!!! so i thought i could replicate it in an all-grain recipe.

for the overall recipe, i'm not too concerned with a heavy honey flavor. i want a beer that doesn't have a super heavy hops bitterness, but i definitely want the malt to have a bite to it.

if anyone's interested in helping me revise this recipe, i'd be more than appreciative.

seriously... lay down what you would do for this recipe, and i'll probably end up brewing it. but i don't always want to brew a beer that someone else has already done... to me, it takes the fun out of it.

thanks for all the advice!

 

[King of Cascade]

for some reason, i no longer like the idea of taking someone else's recipe... i'm much more interested in building my own recipes based on the style guidelines

Got to admire that!

I never owned a clone book, I think they’re for people who are scared to try to make a recipe on there own. (JUST MY OPINION) Disclaimer: I did check out a book from the library so I could try to make my wife an Oberon Clone.

I would start simple. Pick a style you like, say a porter with some honey.
Porter or Northern Brown tweener
For a 5 gallon batch

8 lbs Base malt (Marris Otter)
1.25 lbs Crystal 40
.75 lb Victory
.75 lb Special Roast
.5 lb Chocolate Malt

1 oz EKG @ 60 min

Add your honey at flame out. Wait 3 weeks then bottle. Wait 3 weeks then taste. If you think it needs more roasted malt add it to the next batch. If it needs more body add more base malt or cara pils. If it’s too sweet add more crystal and so on just start with an easy recipe and build on it. Once you think you have that style mastered move on to the next style.