First Porter recipe attempt

[llamabox]

So thanks to the Pay it Forward thread and iaefebs I got a selection of specialty grains in and I wanted to try something new. Let me know what you folks think.

So I got all those specialty grains and I wanted to try something with them so check this recipe and let me know what you guys think.

This will be an extract with mini-mash.
Estimated OG: 1.057 SG
Estimated Color: 26.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.0 IBUs

Ingredients:
------------
3 lbs 4.8 oz Amber Liquid Extract
2 lbs Amber Dry Extract
1 lbs Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
7.2 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min

Still debating vanilla or coconut.

 

[aseg]

Personally, I'd scale back the Spec B and Cara by 50% especially because you are using an amber malt. I would then double the black patent. Brown Sugar may be a bit over the top for your first porter formulation, but it depends on what you are hoping to learn.

I wouldn't add any vanilla or coconut with the smoked malt; kind of a one-or-the-other thing for me.

 

[Calder]

Ingredients:
------------
3 lbs 4.8 oz Amber Liquid Extract
2 lbs Amber Dry Extract
1 lbs Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
7.2 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min

Still debating vanilla or coconut.

I would say it would make a pretty good brown ale.

1) Ditch the vanilla and coconut. They may turn out great, but this is "FIRST" porter attempt.

2) Why does everyone use Amber malt. Light/Pilsner/X-Light/Pale would be much better. Amber malt is just colored light extract, problem is; you don't know what made it amber - probably some crystal malt.

3) 1 ozs of Black, or the smoked is not going to make much difference. At these levels, it might add a something in the background, but I suspect not. I have added 1 ozs of black to light beers to help them clear ... it doesn't affect the color or taste.

4) If you want to make it a Porter, I'd add an extra half lb of chocolate if available.

 

[llamabox]

The guy at the LHBS said the same today. He broke out the Brewing Classic styles and Jamil said the same about using the light extract. So that's what I got.

I do not have more chocolate on hand, this is what I have thanks to the Pay it Forward.
10oz Briess Black Patent
12oz Breiss Special Roast
9oz Dingemans Belgian Biscuit malt
8oz Dingemans Belgian Special B 145L
7.5oz Dingemans Chocalate malt 325L
4oz Dingemans Belgian Aromatic malt
13oz Weyermann Smoked malt
16oz Weyermann CaraMunich 2
4oz Weyermann Dark Munich malt

 

[aseg]

So - same advice as before - bump up the black patent. And as Calder said - more smoked malt. Amounts will vary to your taste. How black and smokey do you want it?