Robust Porter critique

[harrymanback92]

Reposted this because I think I originally posted to the wrong section.

So I just brewed this yesterday and it's happily fermenting. It's an original recipe I'm messing around with. I wanted to know what you guys thought, my LHBS complemented my grain bill, which was a first.

I don't know if this technically a "Robust Porter", but it's what I'm calling it.
Anyway, here it goes. I also do BIAB in a 6 gallon kettle so my batches end up usually coming out around 4 gallons.

Partial Mash Robust Porter
Original Gravity: 1.068-.1070
ABV: 8.09%
Boil Size: 5.5 gallons
Batch size: 4.5 gallons(topped off with .5 gallons water)

6lbs Maris Otter Pale Malt(51.9%)
1lb UK Crystal 60 malt(8.4%)
8oz Pale Chocolate Malt(4.2%)
8oz UK Brown Malt(4.2%)
4oz Honey Malt(2.1%)
4oz German Chocolate Wheat malt(4.2%)
4oz Belgian Biscuit (2.1%)
4oz Special B(2.1%)
2lbs Amber DME(16.7%)
8oz Crystal 15(4.2%)
1 Whirlfroc tab (10 minutes)

Safale S-04 yeast is what I used. Though I'm sure any English/Irish yeast will do, I use WP002 for my stouts and will probably try that next time.


I threw all my grains, milled, into a grain bag and mashed them for 1 hour with a consistent temperature of 156F, stirring every 15 minutes(I place my kettle in the oven at 170F during my mash to keep my temperature constant. I find that a temp as low as 170F has the ability to keep the kettle as hot as I need it, while not having enough time to raise the temperature of the liquid/kettle). I than mashed out at 168F(ish) for ten minutes. Combined all collected liquid and brought it to a boil.

Hop Schedule:
.5oz Fuggle/.5oz Kent Goldings (60 min)
.5oz Fuggle/.5oz Kent Goldings (30 min)
.5oz Fuggle/.5oz Kent Goldings (15 min)
.5oz Fuggle (10 min)
.5oz Kent Golding (0 min)
1Whirlfroc Tab (10 min)
Estimated IBU: 49

(This is my first brew to use UK hops, in the future I may change that, if you would use different hops what would it be?)

I was shooting for a gravity of 1.066 and got 1.070. My ABV is 8%, so I may try to lower that in future batches. My Estimated FG is 1.025. I may add a sucrose syrup at high krausen for future batches to knock that down abit, while still retaining enough body.

Let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear what you'd change around if you were to brew it, and will be posting pics throughout the process, especially once it's carbed/conditioned.

Cheers!

 

[whatsleftofyou]

Message to harrymanback: (had to be done)

I really think that you have too many malts going on in that thing. This may be strictly my opinion but I think that this many specialty grains just makes things taste muddy and then nothing stands out. My two cents.

I know this is just me, but I can't stand EKG hops and I will never use them again. They just taste like a red delicious to me, and I really dislike red delicious. My robust porters are strictly Fuggle, and only a 60 minute addition at that - not a huge fan of late-hopped English Porters.

 

[harrymanback92]

I'm glad someone got the Tool reference!

I did use quite a bit of specialty malts for this brew. I've recently just branched out into Partial Mashing so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself? haha. If you were to brew this, what would you drop?

This is my first time brewing with English hops, so I used a hop schedule(times) that I use for a stout I've made; granted, the stout uses american hops, with different quantities.

I've mainly stuck with IPAs/Pale Ales, all American style, so I wanted to branch out into a more malt based brew, and figured, what the hell, let's use English hops. The Special B/Belgian Biscuit malts I guessed where 4oz additions. I had those malts lying around so I just added a little less than a cup of each, figured 4oz is close.

I'd like to perfect this recipe, so I'm really curious what others would do differently. I plan on updating this post once the beer is carbed/conditioned so I can let everyone know how it turned out.

 

[BaronVonMeisterburger]

Special B and Biscuit seem unconventional for this brew, but maybe that's what will make it your Porter.

 

[whatsleftofyou]

Off of the top of my head, I'd drop the Special B and either the Honey or Biscuit, use Light instead of Amber DME, and then add a bit of black malt to get the color back to where you want it.

p.s. In case you didn't notice, my "brewery" logo is very 10000 Days-driven. I have a 40x60 poster of the Alex Grey art that I bought at a concert a few years back matted/framed and hanging in my basement.

 

[944play]

I know this is just me, but I can't stand EKG hops and I will never use them again. They just taste like a red delicious to me

I say they smell and taste like carrots but I don't like them (Goldings, not carrots..) either. I humbly suggest Chinook for a Porter.

 

[harrymanback92]

Alex Grey is awesome! I can definitely see the influence in your logo!

I'll drop the Special B/Biscuit next time; that was a last minute decision on my part. I probably had one to many in me to think it through.

Chinhook you say? I've heard that's the Arrogant Bastard hop? I could see that being mighty fine in a stout/porter. Do they pair well with Columbus hops?

Also, I used Kent Goldings, is there a noticeable difference between East Kent Goldings and Kent Goldings?