Thoughts on a Smoked Porter

[PDevlin75]

Hey folks!

So I'm working on an all-grain recipe for a smoked porter. I'm fairly new to coming up with my own recipes, and the process typically starts out with pen & paper and a calculator, browsing the web for guidelines on % of grains in typical styles, what hops might work best, etc... Then it devolves into, "Hey, let's round this up to an even number, and what the hell, let's throw some of this in while we're at it"!

So here's what I'm thinking:

Batch Size: 5.5 Gal
Estimated OG: 1.071
Est IBU: 31
Est SRM: 38

7 lb - 2 Row
2 lb - Munich
2 lb - Smoked Malt
12 oz - Crystal 60
12 oz - Chocolate Malt
8 oz - Black Patent
8 oz - Brown Malt
8 oz - Flaked Oats
8 oz - Molassas

1 oz Northern Brewer @ 60
.5 oz Willamette @ 30

WLP 001 California Ale (2L Starter)

Mash at 152 for 60 min

Previous incarnations of this recipe (done as 1 gallon batches) have had too light of a body for me. I'm hoping that the addition of flaked oats will help this time around. I saw in the recipe for Ballast Point's Homework series porter that they used candied sugar; That inspired me to add the molasses instead. Figured why not, right?

Is there too much going on in the grain bill? Also, I don't want to be drinking an ashtray... Smoky, but not overpowering. I'd like to share this with friends on camping trips, so a mid-level amount of smokiness. Something for everyone.

Any thoughts on this? I've tried it about 3 different ways already and they weren't quite there for me. Hoping that this one works out a bit better.

Thanks!
-Pete

 

[TheMadKing]

Hey folks!

So I'm working on an all-grain recipe for a smoked porter. I'm fairly new to coming up with my own recipes, and the process typically starts out with pen & paper and a calculator, browsing the web for guidelines on % of grains in typical styles, what hops might work best, etc... Then it devolves into, "Hey, let's round this up to an even number, and what the hell, let's throw some of this in while we're at it"!

So here's what I'm thinking:

Batch Size: 5.5 Gal
Estimated OG: 1.071
Est IBU: 31
Est SRM: 38

7 lb - 2 Row
2 lb - Munich
2 lb - Smoked Malt
12 oz - Crystal 60
12 oz - Chocolate Malt
8 oz - Black Patent
8 oz - Brown Malt
8 oz - Flaked Oats
8 oz - Molassas

1 oz Northern Brewer @ 60
.5 oz Willamette @ 30

WLP 001 California Ale (2L Starter)

Mash at 152 for 60 min

Previous incarnations of this recipe (done as 1 gallon batches) have had too light of a body for me. I'm hoping that the addition of flaked oats will help this time around. I saw in the recipe for Ballast Point's Homework series porter that they used candied sugar; That inspired me to add the molasses instead. Figured why not, right?

Is there too much going on in the grain bill? Also, I don't want to be drinking an ashtray... Smoky, but not overpowering. I'd like to share this with friends on camping trips, so a mid-level amount of smokiness. Something for everyone.

Any thoughts on this? I've tried it about 3 different ways already and they weren't quite there for me. Hoping that this one works out a bit better.

Thanks!
-Pete

I personally think thats WAAAAAY too much smoked malt. I did a smoked brown ale and I used 6 ounces of peat smoked malt and it was about perfect. (the type of smoke also matters... for yours I'd go with a fruit wood, which will compliment the dried fruit character you'll get from the aging brown malt)

I'd also lose the black patent malt, you'll get roasty flavor from the chocolate and the brown malt, without it being overpowering.

To add body, I would actually recommend flaked barley over flaked oats. They do a lot more for me personally.

That's my .02.. I'm thinking it's time for me to make my winter beer too!

 

[PDevlin75]

I personally think thats WAAAAAY too much smoked malt. I did a smoked brown ale and I used 6 ounces of peat smoked malt and it was about perfect. (the type of smoke also matters... for yours I'd go with a fruit wood, which will compliment the dried fruit character you'll get from the aging brown malt)

Thanks for the feedback!

My experience with smoked malt is limited to my attempts at refining THIS recipe. With that, I can only say that "I have read", that yes, you are correct in that this would be way too much for peat smoked malt. But I don't think my LHBS has peat smoked. I've been using a lighter smoked malt which isn't as harsh as I understand peat to be. In my first attempt, I split the base malt 50/50 2 row to smoked, and yes, it was definitely smokey, but not undrinkable. I cut it down for the second batch to about 1/4 of the base malt (17% of the grain bill overall) and it was better. With this recipe, I plan on reducing the amount of smoked malt further, to about 13% of the total grain bill. I may even tweak it down to 10%. I'm thinking it'll come out alright. Again, from what I've read, if I were using peat smoked, yes, you would be correct.

 

[kh54s10]

It really depends on which smoked malt. I have used more than that with cherrywood smoked malt, but only .1 pound when using peat smoked malt. .25 pounds would be the very maximum I would use of peat smoked malt. I have also used mesquite smoked malt. It is a little more harsh than cherrywood so I would use less.

 

[passedpawn]

I'd say not too much smoked malt at all. In fact, less than that and you probably won't detect it.

Peat malt is a different animal, but I've used plenty of that too in a beer and it was great. In fact, there's a guy on here who brewed a 100% peat smoked malt beer and said it was great (I'm sure the smoke was not subtle, though).

You probably don't need that brown malt in there. Between the munich and the smoke and the C60, that's a lot of things going on. Same for the molasses. I'm not saying any of this will ruin your beer.

 

[TheMadKing]

I'd say not too much smoked malt at all. In fact, less than that and you probably won't detect it.

Peat malt is a different animal, but I've used plenty of that too in a beer and it was great. In fact, there's a guy on here who brewed a 100% peat smoked malt beer and said it was great (I'm sure the smoke was not subtle, though).

You probably don't need that brown malt in there. Between the munich and the smoke and the C60, that's a lot of things going on. Same for the molasses. I'm not saying any of this will ruin your beer.

I stand corrected on the smoked malt amount. My experience is limited to peat smoked, so sorry about that!

I do however disagree with getting rid of the brown malt. Get rid of any of the others, just not the brown. Its a traditional porter malt, has great flavor and adds an amazing depth to porters. I personally won't call a beer I've made a porter unless it has brown malt in it.

Lots of people do without it though, I just feel strongly about it haha

 

[passedpawn]

I stand corrected on the smoked malt amount. My experience is limited to peat smoked, so sorry about that!

I do however disagree with getting rid of the brown malt. Get rid of any of the others, just not the brown. Its a traditional porter malt, has great flavor and adds an amazing depth to porters. I personally won't call a beer I've made a porter unless it has brown malt in it.

Lots of people do without it though, I just feel strongly about it haha

I love your conviction MadKing! I'm not gonna disagree with you. I've got a porter on tap right now in which I used several pounds of brown malt. However, I think that the character that brown malt brings, an earthy & malty character, is going to be covered by the other malts and the smoke.

I don't feel strongly about this, and you do, so the OP can judge accordingly

 

[PDevlin75]

Good feedback, folks!

Yeah, I think I want to keep the brown malt in there. It's completely feasible that it might be overpowered by the smoke, but I like the chocolate flavor it adds. I'm hoping that holds up. I'm also interested in doing this recipe again but without the smoke.

As for the molasses, any suggestions as to when to add it? Towards the end of the boil? The beginning? After the kraussen falls?

 

[jtswkd]

Here is my robust porter recipe, based on a clone for Founders Robust Porter (can't remember who had the base recipe, i just took out base malt and swapped in the cherry smoked malt):
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Brewer: Justin Schultz
Equipment: Keggle BIAB
Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.8 %
Taste Rating: 30.0


Taste Notes: use medium body for more abv
After aging in the keg for a few weeks, beer is fantastic!

Ingredients
4 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 36.8 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Cherrywood Smoked Base Malt (5.0 SRM) Grain 32.2 %
1 lbs Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 9.2 %
14.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.0 %
8.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
8.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
3.00 oz Willamette [4.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 38.9 IBUs
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 3.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast

This beer came out awesome after 2-3 weeks in the keg. I had some people describe it as tasting "bacony" or "meaty" which is what I was going for. I really enjoyed it and plan on brewing soon again.