Recipe Critique - Porter

[MNBugeater]

Ok, a really good friend of ours is celebrating her 30th birthday in a few months as well as the fact that she is now in remission from Hodgkin's. She asked if i would make her a beer for her birthday party...Aside from being honored, i am also looking for my inaugural brew on my new Brutus 10 single tier clone.

I freely admit that i am new to creating recipes from scratch. I usually find one that meets the style and is proven..but i wanted to make it special and say i designed it myself for her. So here goes. Im thick skinned, so if i missed the mark..please let me know.

Her name is Penny and she likes a 'darker and sweeter' beer; she also wanted a beer that would have some appeal to a lot of people, most of which are good beer drinkers. So I came up with a porter on the light side as well as a mild hop bill.

Here is my: Copper Penny Porter

[size=+2]Copper Penny Porter[/size]
[size=+1]12-A Brown Porter[/size]

Size: 10.01 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 152.39 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.046 (1.040 - 1.052)
|===============#================|
Terminal Gravity: 1.011 (1.008 - 1.014)
|=================#==============|
Color: 21.0 (20.0 - 30.0)
|=========#======================|
Alcohol: 4.51% (4.0% - 5.4%)
|=============#==================|
Bitterness: 22.26 (18.0 - 35.0)
|============#===================|

[size=+1]Ingredients:[/size]
15 lbs 6-Row Brewers Malt
3 lbs 2-Row Caramel Malt 80L
.5 lbs American Black Patent
2 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
1 oz Fuggle (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min

[size=+1]Schedule:[/size]
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 1100 ft


[size=-1]Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.29[/size]

 

[sconnie]

My initial thought was that you need more dark grains for 10 gallons, but if you're going for a sweeter, more drinkable porter, I think you're right on the money. Looks good.

 

[MNBugeater]

My thoughts too...i was just 'barely' trying to hit the SRM guidelines so as too keep it 'lighter' looking and sweeter as well as give it a "Copper" color versus the traditional dark porter.

Im a little foreign as to when to use 6-Row vs. 2-Row. Is my use of 6 row in this case appropriate ?

 

[Blender]

Most porter recipes I see and have made have some chocolate malt in the grain bill.

 

[david_42]

6 row isn't necessary, but it will work fine. I'd cut the Black Patent to 4 ounces and add 4 ounces of chocolate malt. Or even 2 & 6. Just my preference.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

I'd cut the Black Patent to 4 ounces and add 4 ounces of chocolate malt. Or even 2 & 6. Just my preference.

Agreed, I think you'll be much happier with the flavor of chocolate malt in this recipe. Also, maybe it's just me, but I think this recipe would be awesome with a pound of lactose. Along with your crystal grains I think it would be a nice sweet beer, but not overly so.

On another note......Baudette :rockin: What's the weather been like up there? Probably only another month or so before the ice is off the lake. My grandparents have a place on the south side of Oak Island that I spend a week at every summer. I love Colorado, but if there was another place that I could choose to live it would be as close to LOTW as possible.

 

[MNBugeater]

Ok all...thats great input. I am going to switch to 2 Row after reading the characteristics of 6 row, i agree it isnt needed. I dont have adjuncts nor the need for an improved grain bed and the two row will produce a cleaner beer and im going for a Brown Porter on the lighter side of the SRM scale, so poor clarity might show through.

I'll take the consensus opinion on the use of chocolate.
Here is my 2nd attempt. You can ignore the mash schedule and water amounts, i havent put in my brew equipment yet for my new stand and kettles (Blichmanns ordered). And i just switched from ProMash(PC) to Beer Tools (Mac) so i need to learn the software a little better yet.

[size=+2]Copper Penny Porter[/size]
[size=+1]12-A Brown Porter[/size]

Size: 10.01 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 167.52 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.050 (1.040 - 1.052)
|=====================#==========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.008 - 1.014)
|====================#===========|
Color: 20.3 (20.0 - 30.0)
|========#=======================|
Alcohol: 4.95% (4.0% - 5.4%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 22.26 (18.0 - 35.0)
|============#===================|

[size=+1]Ingredients:[/size]
14 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt
5 lbs 2-Row Caramel Malt 30L
8 oz 2-Row Chocolate Malt
4 oz American Black Patent
2 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
1 oz Fuggle (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 ea White Labs WLP005 British Ale

[size=+1]Schedule:[/size]
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 1100 ft

00:07:44 Mash In - Liquor: 6.17 gal; Strike: 160.0 °F; Target: 148 °F
01:07:44 Saccharification Rest - Rest: 60.0 min; Final: 148.0 °F
01:08:57 Mash Out - Heat: 1.2 min; Target: 170 °F
01:53:57 Sparge - Sparge: 7.06 gal sparge @ 170.0 °F, 10.72 gal collected, 45.0 min; Total Runoff: 11.0 gal

[size=-1]Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.29[/size]

BTW, Ooopa...I live on Rainy River about 5 miles upstream from "The Gap" into Lake of the Woods. If you are ever up in this area, let me know. Homebrew is always available.
Ice fishing out my backyard about 200 yards from my deck. One of the best spots on the River. Dont fish the Lake much, but brewing on my Deck while looking into Canada...Priceless. Took this picture just for you.

This picture was taken 10 minutes ago off my deck. You can see the deck starting to expose under the snow...yard...trees on the river bank...two guys fishing on the river [more that likely my neighbor] ..and thats Canada across the river where you see the big white house.

 

[dannypo]

Looks like a good recipe. My only critique is that IMO a brown porter needs brown malt in it. But I realize that it can be tough to find but if you like Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter you might want to get some.