High ABV - Honey Porter

[beerspitnight]

Ladies and Gents,
We brewed a honey porter 3 weeks ago. It was a 10 gallon batch. OG was 1.074. We added in 2# of honey at flameout. After two weeks on the yeast, we threw in another pound of honey. From what I have read, our gravity readings won't be accurate. or we won't be able to figure out ABV since we added in additional honey. I took a reading with the refractometer last night (we don't have a hydrometer right now...long story of theft of brewing equipment in China...) and with the conversion calculation done, we are sitting at 1.024.
Tasting the beer last night, it was really nice, but you can tell there is a lot of alcohol in it. It isn't hot (we fermented at 18c/64.5f ambient) but it is strong. I plan on leaving it on the yeast for another month or so in order for it to mellow a bit more. Question is, would dry hopping with willamette help to mellow the flavor a bit more? I woud dry hop in three weeks or so, and them them hang out for 7 to 10 days before kegging.
Thoughts?

 

[Pappers_]

It doesn't surprise me that you would have noticeable alcohol flavor, the yeast will eat up all the sugars in the honey, leaving it dry, from my experience. So, you have 3 lbs of honey that were fermented completely out. Plus you started out with a big robust porter, it sounds like.

If it were me, I wouldn't dry hop a porter, but that really is up to your personal tastes. Maybe some vanilla beans?

 

[beerspitnight]

Thanks for the reply.
It isn't dry by any means, just boozy. Vanilla bean might be nice! I will rack it into secondary and let it mellow for a few more weeks to see what we get in the end.

 

[beerspitnight]

Just a quick update on this beer. It has been sitting in the keg for 5 weeks and it is fantastic. We didn't add vanilla to it, we just let it sit and mellow. It is a beautifully thick beer, hints of roast and chocolate with a nice sweet finish.
It really needed the time as it was boozy and rough in the beginning.
Patience did the trick!

 

[brewfish]

How does the honey flavor come thru in the porter?

I have a couple of jars of home-clover honey that I'm thinking about brewing with.

 

[beerspitnight]

How does the honey flavor come thru in the porter?

I have a couple of jars of home-clover honey that I'm thinking about brewing with.

It is really nice and on the backend of the swallow. We used 2#s at flame out and another 1# after it fermented out (day 7).

 

[brewfish]

Thanks, looking forward to brewing a honey porter