Rye porter, thoughts?

[dragonfyre]

Hello everyone!

Man, it has been a long time! New house, new challenges = no time for brewing. But, I want to run this recipe by you all and see what you think. I'm really not too worried about style here, just filed it under "American porter" because it seemed more American than British. Thanks in advance!

Recipe: Rye Lopez Robust Porter BIAB
Style: American Porter
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.41 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.66 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.78 gal
Estimated OG: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 33.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 47.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 gal Greenfield Drive Well Water 1 -
4.50 g Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
3.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
0.50 g Salt (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 -
5 lbs Pale Malt, 2-Row (Rahr) (1.8 SRM) Grain 5 67.8 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (Briess) (3.7 SRM) Grain 6 13.6 %
8.0 oz Brown Malt (Crisp) (65.0 SRM) Grain 7 6.8 %
6.0 oz Black (Crisp) (605.0 SRM) Grain 8 5.1 %
6.0 oz Wheat Malt, Red (Rahr) (3.2 SRM) Grain 9 5.1 %
2.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 10 1.7 %
0.25 oz Nugget [16.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 11 23.4 IBUs
0.20 oz Nugget [16.80 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 12 14.4 IBUs
0.35 oz Nugget [16.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 13 6.5 IBUs
0.20 oz Nugget [16.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 Hop 14 3.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) [124.21 Yeast 15 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 7 lbs 6.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 19.79 qt of water at 158.0 F 152.1 F 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------

 

[dmtaylor]

Ditch the baking soda and epsom salt -- yuck! Those are two really nasty salts, in too great of amounts.

Other than that, your recipe looks really good honestly. I'm sure I would drink a lot of it as long as you don't use those two salts.

Cheers.

 

[saltymirv]

Ditch the baking soda and epsom salt -- yuck! Those are two really nasty salts, in too great of amounts.

Other than that, your recipe looks really good honestly. I'm sure I would drink a lot of it as long as you don't use those two salts.

Cheers.

I'm a little confused by the salt additions too, but for different reasons. I don't think either are "yucky", baking soda is just bicarb and sodium and he may be using it to correct his pH. The MgSO4 is unusual though. Most people use CaSO4 and maybe a little Mg. IDK why he wants to use NaCl either.

OP can you post up your water profile or tell us what you're going for with those salts?

I think the rest of the recipe looks fine

 

[dragonfyre]

Calcium: 55.50 ppm
Sulfate: 14.50 ppm
Magnesium: 2.50 ppm
Chloride: 52.00 ppm
Sodium: 14.00 ppm Bicarbonate: 0.00 ppm
PH: 7.50

This is the base water profile, I was aiming for a London profile in Beersmith, which is below

Calcium: 52.00 ppm
Sulfate: 77.00 ppm
Magnesium: 16.00 ppm
Chloride: 60.00 ppm
Sodium: 99.00 ppm Bicarbonate: 156.00 ppm
PH: 8.00

 

[Sadu]

Keen to see how this one comes out. Been on my todo list too.

 

[saltymirv]

Calcium: 55.50 ppm
Sulfate: 14.50 ppm
Magnesium: 2.50 ppm
Chloride: 52.00 ppm
Sodium: 14.00 ppm Bicarbonate: 0.00 ppm
PH: 7.50

This is the base water profile, I was aiming for a London profile in Beersmith, which is below

Calcium: 52.00 ppm
Sulfate: 77.00 ppm
Magnesium: 16.00 ppm
Chloride: 60.00 ppm
Sodium: 99.00 ppm Bicarbonate: 156.00 ppm
PH: 8.00

Have you use those values to check your mash pH before? Is it accurate? I put those into Bru N Water and it says the report is unbalanced. I have to input 100-120ppm of bicarb to get it to balance

I see now why you were adding the MgSO4 and NaCl though. I personally wouldn't worry about adding sodium or trying to match a historic water profile. Most breweries treat their water before brewing

 

[dragonfyre]

Have you use those values to check your mash pH before? Is it accurate? I put those into Bru N Water and it says the report is unbalanced. I have to input 100-120ppm of bicarb to get it to balance

I see now why you were adding the MgSO4 and NaCl though. I personally wouldn't worry about adding sodium or trying to match a historic water profile. Most breweries treat their water before brewing

My water reading that was taken in February before I bought the house (yeah we needed water testing for arsenic, which btw there's a bit of in the water, not deadly mind you...) did not include bicarbonate. I'm really just experimenting at this point with water profiles and stuff especially with the new house and new water.

 

[saltymirv]

My water reading that was taken in February before I bought the house (yeah we needed water testing for arsenic, which btw there's a bit of in the water, not deadly mind you...) did not include bicarbonate. I'm really just experimenting at this point with water profiles and stuff especially with the new house and new water.

I see, so you just plugged in 0 because you didn't know? If so, I estimated it to be around 100-120ppm if you want to plug that in. You likely won't have to add bicarb like you were thinking before

 

[mongoose33]

Hmmmm.....I might have to try this one too. I brew a Rye beer that is very Rye-ie, but my grain bill for 5 gallons is

8# MO
3# Rye Malt
6 oz Chocolate Wheat
4 oz flaked rye.

Yours has less, but mine is pretty Rye forward. I think yours has just enough Rye to make it interesting.

Full report, please.

 

[dragonfyre]

Hmmmm.....I might have to try this one too. I brew a Rye beer that is very Rye-ie, but my grain bill for 5 gallons is

8# MO
3# Rye Malt
6 oz Chocolate Wheat
4 oz flaked rye.

Yours has less, but mine is pretty Rye forward. I think yours has just enough Rye to make it interesting.

Full report, please.

You will get said report, thank you for the feedback! I want the rye to be subtle, not in your face, as this beer along with two others will be Christmas gifts to friends and family, some of whom are not craft beer aficionados. My main idea here is to get people to open their minds to how classic styles can be infused with "non-traditional" ingredients.

 

[dragonfyre]

UPDATE:

At a gravity reading I took a taste: smooth roasted flavors, some earthy spice from the rye, some dark fruits (think cherry, raspberry, red delicious apple). Very malty, more malt forward than roasted flavors. Overall, great stuff and I cannot wait to bottle this later in the week.

 

[mongoose33]

I'll PM you my address....