Robust porter timeline

[KuntzBrewing]

Brewing a 6gal robust porter this week. How long will this take from grain to glass (approx) I'm hoping maybe christmas or early january

Grist
12lbs american 2 row
0.75 lbs of roasted barley
0.75 lbs chocolate malt

Hops
2oz kent goldings at 60
1oz fuggles at 15

Gonna do infussion at 153 for 1-130 then pull 1/3 volume medium thickness decoction for mashout.

 

[Walker]

How long will this take from grain to glass (approx) I'm hoping maybe christmas or early january

Christmas is only 5 weeks away. I basic pale ale would be rushed to be ready in time for Xmas, IMO.

I would guess that the porter could be made and carbed up for new years, but probably won't be at it's peak until mid January.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

Ok that's not awful, I just was hoping I didn't make this too late for the winter season, this is my first year brewing and I've realized time is everything, standard lagers take at least 3 months and a lot need more time, and ales range from 3 weeks to a year, I've got to get a brewing calendar!

 

[GuldTuborg]

No crystal malt in that? Most people like a bit of the darker stuff to compliment the roasted malts, but to each their own. It looks more stoutlike to me than porterish, for what it's worth.

I find higher gravity and roasted malts both require a bit of time to start tasting their best. What's your planned OG? I'm sure this could be drinkable by Christmas, but it might be very rough around the edges.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

I like the body a decoction gives, but I don't like the way crystal malts interact in a decoction, but as far as og I'm shooting for 1.058

 

[GuldTuborg]

Interesting - I've never tried a decoction mash of any type, but I'll keep this in mind. What about this combination don't you like? What I mean to ask is, how does it affect the beer, exactly?

All of my beers at 1.060 or more, and/or with around that level of roasted malt, definitely take a while to even out. Porters and stouts are the only beers (aside from sours and the other obvious stuff) that I always rack to a secondary; even after a 2-3 week fermentation, another few weeks in a secondary carboy will inevitably result in another thick layer of trub. A lot of that is some of the harsher roasted particles settling out. Once that process is done, I think the beer tastes a good deal better. Anyway, that's been my experience. Whatever you decide to do, I hope it turns out well.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

Decoction mashes give the beer the body and sweetness the carmel malts later came to give, carmel malts can be added to infusion mashes, but when if you plan to decoct (sp?) Its almost like adding too much carmel malt, I think a good comercial example is Sam Adams Octoberfest, the website says they do a traditional decoction mash (assuming they mean triple decoction) but the recipe also shows they add 60*L crystal malt, I think their beer is way to carmelly. Once you notice it its all you taste, I once loved their beer until I noticed this taste, this is what I want to avoid

 

[KuntzBrewing]

When you boil the grains you can see them turn darker and more crystal like, I've never found this but I believe crystal malts were made to mimic the decoction taste once the malts were modified enough to not need decoction mashes

 

[rico567]

I have done robust porters of a similar size (Bier Muncher's Black Pearl Porter, and Bee Cave Brewery Robust Porter), and I agree with "Walker." At this point, six to eight weeks grain to glass is a good estimate. Got a batch of the BCB Robust Porter in the fermenter now. It will be bottled after a month (Dec. 6th), and I won't even think about cracking a tube until a month later. And it'll be better after that.

 

[Malticulous]

My last one was served at 14 days. Basically at day seven crashed primary, day eight keged with finings and shook. Day 13 I bottled half the keg and took it to the party.

The only good reason to do a decoction mash out is for lack of space.

 

[jlpred55]

I guess I will be a dissenting voice. There is no reason you cannot have it ready and tasting great. I brewed one specifically for Thanksgiving on 10/30. It is kegged, carbed and ready for our guests this coming weekend. Basically 4 weeks after brew day. I just had a pint last night and it is wonderful. I pitched a large slurry from a previous batch brewed a week earlier and it was done in 4 days. I left it to do its thing for another 10 days. Kegged and carbed at 30 psi for 4 days. Once carbed moved it to serving pressure and voila. I mashed it fairly high and like a large dollop of crystal with my porter but it doesn't have any roasty bite or ashy acrid bitterness that needs aged out. Basic recipe was 10lbs Rahr 2-row, 2.0lbs Weyermann 7L Munich Malt, 1.25lbs TF Crystal 50-60L, 1.0lbs Weyermann Chocolate wheat. Goldings and Willamette to 32 IBU, large slurry of 1056.

 

[Grumpybumpy]

You can also add a little melanoidin malt to avoid doing a decoction. I hear it has very similar results, but I have yet to try my 3 week old robust porter that has .25# of it.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Home Brew Talk

 

[rockytoptim]

I regularly make ed wort's porter and I usually primary for 14 days. Crash cool for 2 - 3 days then keg. Force carb and it's ready to drink and it's good. It's alot better after another month of aging but it's very drinkable in @ 2 weeks from grain to glass.

 

[TastySalmon]

Just do it ASAP and see how it is come Christmas. Don't let the experts dissuade you from doing a batch of beer that could potentially come out excellent.