American Porter Imperial Honey Porter

[The Pol]

I must have looked at the same chart as your Pol... I think I am going with magnum too.

Reminds me of when I used to buy "protection" back in college... heh

 

[Korben]

hahaha... Just one last question about the extract version will this get me up to your starting og?

 

[Korben]

And Pol are you going to add the cinnamon and nutmeg?

 

[The Pol]

I dont plan to add the spices, unless it appears that it will be on tap over the holidays.

 

[Korben]

I am actually going with nugget.. I think it may bring a little deeper character to the brew. Mine are 14.6 AA so I think they will be fine... what do you think Pol

 

[The Pol]

I dont think, I do... my Magnums are 14.2 and were listed as a sub for Horizon. I say use what you like, I am no pro... bro.

 

[Saccharomyces]

hahaha... Just one last question about the extract version will this get me up to your starting og?

It should be close.

I also just did a quick PM conversion and that one came up as follows:

5.5# Light DME (boil 15 minutes)
3.75# Munich
2.25# Maris Otter
1# C60
.5# Chocolate
.5# Special B
2# Honey (boil 10 minutes)

Same hop schedule. Assuming 70% efficiency yields 5.25-5.5 gallons ~1.092.

Nugget is closer to Horizon as far as the flavor you get from the hops. Horizon has a bit of an 'edge' to it. Magnum is also a fine bittering hop though it's a bit cleaner.

As this has aged the spices are pretty much gone now. It's more like a barleywine now whereas when it was younger it made a good Christmas ale. The citrus hop flavor of the Cascades is coming through now more than it was when it was young, too, which is nice. For next year I think I will dry hop it with a bit of Goldings for aroma.

 

[The Pol]

HEY! Sacc..

I thought about this mash schedule. It is a 10-15 minute REST at 135 and 15 minute ramp to 150F for the sacc. rest. How do you feel about such a rest in your recipe?

 

[Saccharomyces]

What yeast are you planning on pitching into this beast? With a slow ramp like that I would add a few degrees to sacc temp if using a dry strain so it doesn't overattenuate. Although mine finished at 1.012 I think 1.016-ish would be ideal.

 

[The Pol]

I am going to use an S-05 starter... I can ramp it up to 154F, maybe start at 140F...

 

[Saccharomyces]

I am going to use an S-05 starter... I can ramp it up to 154F, maybe start at 140F...

Yeah looking back through my notes I think 154*F is about right for US-05.

I hit it with an O2 stone, pitched two rehydrated packages and enjoyed a nice constant blowoff for three days.

 

[The Pol]

Yeah looking back through my notes I think 154*F is about right for US-05.

I hit it with an O2 stone, pitched two rehydrated packages and enjoyed a nice constant blowoff for three days.

Sweet, this is what I am doing, thanks Sacc.

 

[Wild Duk]

I plan on brewing this in the next month for my X-mas brew....Couple questions....

I've never done a decoction mash, don't really want this one to be my first attempt, so if I just do a single infusion, what temp and time should I mash at.

I have access to Wyeast, what would be a good one to use....I'm guessing a big starter also....

Thanks

 

[Saccharomyces]

Single infusion I'd aim for 150*F for 75 minutes.

I am planning on using Wyeast 1028 next time I brew this, 2L from the stir plate (that's about a gallon starter without a stirplate).

 

[Hookstrat]

It should be close.

I also just did a quick PM conversion and that one came up as follows:

5.5# Light DME (boil 15 minutes)
3.75# Munich
2.25# Maris Otter
1# C60
.5# Chocolate
.5# Special B
2# Honey (boil 10 minutes)

Same hop schedule. Assuming 70% efficiency yields 5.25-5.5 gallons ~1.092.

Nugget is closer to Horizon as far as the flavor you get from the hops. Horizon has a bit of an 'edge' to it. Magnum is also a fine bittering hop though it's a bit cleaner.

As this has aged the spices are pretty much gone now. It's more like a barleywine now whereas when it was younger it made a good Christmas ale. The citrus hop flavor of the Cascades is coming through now more than it was when it was young, too, which is nice. For next year I think I will dry hop it with a bit of Goldings for aroma.

When you say it's more like a barleywine, is that a good or bad thing? Has it lost it's Porter character?

I was thinking about adding a little Black Patent or Black Barley? Also what do you think about malto dextrin?

 

[Hookstrat]

As this has aged the spices are pretty much gone now. It's more like a barleywine now whereas when it was younger it made a good Christmas ale. The citrus hop flavor of the Cascades is coming through now more than it was when it was young, too, which is nice. For next year I think I will dry hop it with a bit of Goldings for aroma.

Happy beer everybody

This is my 2nd post and I think this will be my 2nd all-grain.

Hope you can answer a few questions for me Saccharomyces:

You say it's more like a barleywine after aging. Has it lost some of its Porter character? Could you update us on the taste/enjoyability?

I'm considering upping the chocolate (as you discussed) to 0.75 lb and maybe throwing 0.25 lb of Black Patent or Black Barley.

What about mouthfeel? Do you think malto dextrin would add subtract anything?

Also, I'm planning to use some Cal V (WLP051) collected or washed from my IPA that is in primary right now. So I guess I should plan for slightly lower attenuation? Thanks for any advice!

Luke

 

[Saccharomyces]

When you say it's more like a barleywine, is that a good or bad thing? Has it lost it's Porter character?

As it aged, the roast character became subdued so the flavor profile got more like a barleywine (if you have had Flying Dog Horn Dog, it was very similar after about six months). To counteract that I'm going to double the chocolate to 1# and sub some special roast for some of the C60 when I brew it again this weekend.

I was thinking about adding a little Black Patent or Black Barley? Also what do you think about malto dextrin?

Malto dextrin you won't need, there is plenty of body already. The patent/black malt would work, just don't use too much or it'll turn into an imperial stout.

I'm considering upping the chocolate (as you discussed) to 0.75 lb and maybe throwing 0.25 lb of Black Patent or Black Barley.

That'd work great.

What about mouthfeel? Do you think malto dextrin would add subtract anything?

Mash a few degrees higher if you want it to be more dextrinous. It's already pretty full bodied though.

Also, I'm planning to use some Cal V (WLP051) collected or washed from my IPA that is in primary right now. So I guess I should plan for slightly lower attenuation? Thanks for any advice!

Cali Ale V and London Ale are my two go-to strains, Cal V I would mash at 152-154*F, as I mentioned I'll be using London Ale at 150*F to achieve a similar attenuation. Either yeast will produce a fine beer as long as fermentation temps are controlled.

 

[Hookstrat]

As it aged, the roast character became subdued so the flavor profile got more like a barleywine (if you have had Flying Dog Horn Dog, it was very similar after about six months). To counteract that I'm going to double the chocolate to 1# and sub some special roast for some of the C60 when I brew it again this weekend.



Malto dextrin you won't need, there is plenty of body already. The patent/black malt would work, just don't use too much or it'll turn into an imperial stout.



That'd work great.



Mash a few degrees higher if you want it to be more dextrinous. It's already pretty full bodied though.



Cali Ale V and London Ale are my two go-to strains, Cal V I would mash at 152-154*F, as I mentioned I'll be using London Ale at 150*F to achieve a similar attenuation. Either yeast will produce a fine beer as long as fermentation temps are controlled.

Thanks for the tips, I went with 1# of chocolate and no other changes to grains. I used Nugget for bittering and I'm thinking of dryhopping with Willamette, but we'll see.

I just finished a bit of a nightmare 12-hour brew session. Stuck sparge, low mash temp, low pre-boil gravity, clogged spigot on my brew kettle...

I had to add 1# of DME and adjust my hops schedule for a longer boil, but my O.G. of the 4.5 gallons remaining after boiling ended up at 1.110!

I thought about letting it ride but ended up diluting a bit to meet your recipe.

Half way through I decided I didn't want to leave all of that sugar behind in my MLT, so I ended up making a 3 gallon Brown Ale as well.

I split some of the Cal V yeast I collected earlier in the day and the Imperial Honey Porter was already bubbling away before I finished cleaning!

 

[Saccharomyces]

Cool. Be sure to let us know how it turns out for ya. Sounds like a successful (if long) brew day.

 

[Wild Duk]

I know its up to me , but i'm not to the point yet of formulating my own recipies....I'm going tomorrow to get the grains for this brew.

I'm gonna take your advise and make it 1 pound of chocolate....

and would you sub .5 # of the special roast for .5 # of the crysatl 60, or get rid of the c 60 alltogether and do 1 # of the special roast?????

Thanks

 

[Saccharomyces]

I brewed last weekend, here was the grainbill:

50% Maris Otter
20% Munich
5% Flaked Wheat
5% Chocolate (UK)
5% Special Roast
2.5% Crystal 60
2.5% Special B
10% Honey (flameout)

131*F 30, 150*F 75, pulled 1/3rd for a decoction mashout to hit ~164*F. I slowly fly sparged and managed to eek out about 83% efficiency which is typical for me on a beer this big. Pitched 2L of Wyeast 1028 from the plate around 66*F, the bubbling has already slowed down as of yesterday so I'll take a gravity reading soon to get an idea of the attenuation. My gravity was a bit low but I have six gallons in the fermenter so in three weeks I'll pull a couple of liters for flip tops and use some carb tabs in those before moving the remainder into a 5 gal carboy to finish settling out before kegging.

 

[Wild Duk]

Flaked wheat in this batch huh?

 

[Saccharomyces]

I use 5% flaked wheat in everything I brew these days to improve head retention. I use it in place of base malt when re-brewing recipes. It's a tip I learned from a local micro-brewer.

 

[Saccharomyces]

My modified re-brew finished at 1.021 with the London Ale yeast. It's resting in a secondary for a few days to drop the rest of the yeast before kegging.

The initial impression is that it is quite a bit roastier than last year's (ie, the original), and has substantial body since it didn't attenuate as much. We will have to see how it ages before I will know whether doubling the chocolate malt was too much, but I really REALLY like the addition of the special roast in place of some of the crystal 60. The special roast malt has a great character that comes through and screams PORTER! PORTER!

 

[AnonyBrew]

I think this is next up for me. Since I liked the original so much I plan to just make it like that. WLP001 is what was used originally?

What if I used s-05?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Nope, I used US-05 yeast, two packages rehydrated, first time I brewed this. A 2L starter of WLP001 from the stir plate would work fine as well.

 

[AnonyBrew]

Setting up to brew this massive beer.

 

[akardam]

just wondering.. did you manage to scale your initial recipe down to a normal porter..circa 5-6.5%ABV? If so what did you alter?
I'm trying to get a porter (e.g. anchor porter) strength and flavour with a honey taste to it.. I'm new to this, but very excited..
cheers,
andre

 

[Saccharomyces]

Nope never tried scaling it down but I imagine it would be quite tasty.

 

[AnonyBrew]

I'm assuming 3 week primary & no secondary is sufficient for this beer?