Trying to create a Heath Bar Toffee Porter. Help with recipe inside please :)

[D_Nyholm]

A friend of mine would like to create a Toffee Porter that taste like a Heath Bar. In speaking with him, it seems he wants something that has definite toffee, and not just the presence of toffee flavor. I have been trying to create a recipe using a porter base that I found on here, with the additions of the ideas on adding a toffee flavor to the beer. Here is what I have come up with so far. Ignore the hops/IBU's as they will most likely be changed later.

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Boil Size: 12.95 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Mash Temp 156

16 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 57.1 %
5 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 17.9 %
2 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.1 %
2 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.4 %
1 lbs Candi Sugar, Dark (275.0 SRM) Sugar 6 3.6 %
8.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 1.8 %
4 whole Heath Bars - Boil 15.0 min
1.00 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 22.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 9 0.6 IBUs

Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.3 %
Bitterness: 22.6 IBUs
Est Color: 31.1 SRM

I have read to take a gallon or two of the first runnings and boil that down to 1-2 pints to create a syrup that will help to impart a toffee flavor. I am also hoping that the candi sugar will impart more toffee flavor and the heath bars are thrown in for effect, knowing that the butter and chocolate will most likely kill any head retention and make a mess

Is there anything that I should adjust to give even more toffee flavor?

I also need a suggestion for a yeast that may give off Diacytl to give some butter flavor and that also won't burn this down too low. I would like it to end around 1.018-1.020. Other posts recommend Wyeast wy1968 though I do not know if my LHBS has it.

Should I change to Maris Otter (Which i have on hand)? I feel that it may not help with the overall outcome of the beer which I why I chose 2 row.

Other recommendations have been toward turbinado sugar, UK crystal 40, Carastan, and Thomas Fawcett Amber, but the only one I think I will be able to get is turbinado sugar.

I am also planning on picking up some toffee extract to use at bottling if the taste that I want is not there, but I would prefer to not use it as I do not like the taste that extracts can impart sometimes.

THanks for the help!

 

[alane1]

Ringwood yeast should throw some diacetyl but only if it's stressed.

 

[smyrnaquince]

Will whole Heath bars dissolve in a 15-minute boil?

 

[Teromous]

A beer that really brings the Heath Bar flavor to my mind is the Fullers London Porter. It has a good amount of chocolate and toffee flavor without using any of it in the actual beer. If you are able to find it, you could give him a bottle to taste and decide if it is something you'd like to brew.

 

[adrock430]

Amber malt is my go to malt if seeking toffee flavor

 

[DogStar]

Getting a toffee flavour is simple.

Take 4 pints of your first runnings and put it in a pan on your stove. Boil vigorously for 15 minutes, stiring constantly so it doesn't burn or stick to the pan. It will reduce down and caramalise. I let it reduce to less than 2 pints. Put this into the boil.

I use this method to reproduce the toffee taste you get with Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter which they serve on tap in Yorkshire. It's not my favorite bitter but it's quite good for up North. I like getting a toffee taste when I brew a porter or a dark bitter.

It's a shame they never serve a full pint in Sam Smith's pubs. You always get 3/4 pint of beer and1/4 pint of froth.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Great, thanks for the suggestions. I am definitely going to take a gallon or so and boil it down to create more toffee flavor. I guess I will need to use more water as I will be boiling off more than normal this way.

 

[BackAlley]

Isn't all the fat in the candy bars a concern?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[D_Nyholm]

Yeah, I expect to lose head retention, but if I get a little flavor and the fact they are just in there, that will be enough

Brewed it yesterday, it is either going to be terrible or just OK. Don't have very high hopes for the batch. The sample of wort I took did not have much toffee flavor in it. I think I am going to have to resort to extract when it is finished.

 

[Yooper]

It's too late now, since it's brewed, but I would have used 1 pound of 120L or special B instead of one of the pounds of 30L. Special B is definitely "toffee" like and not sugary caramel like 30L.

Coffee malt (black malt) would give a chocolate-like flavor to the beer as well, in a small amount and pale chocolate malt would give a small amount of roast to give a more "chocolate" flavor, like a Heath bar, without the strong roast of black patent or regular chocolate malt.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Never used special b before, sounds like it was something I could have used. I was reading about the crystal malts and it seems that the darker ones are more raisin while the lighter ones are more Carmel/toffee? At least that is what I took away from the threads which is why I went with c30.

I even had some pale chocolate left over that I could have used instead of the regular chocolate. Live and learn I guess, right?

Time to order that toffee extract

 

[RuthiePowell]

We made a Candy Bar Porter and used Werthers Originals to get a toffee candy flavor. It was not the best idea we ever had. lol It turned out a little oily but it was ok. I'm looking into getting a malt to impart what I'm looking for.

We used cocoa powder and cocoa nibs for the chocolate flavor and PB2 for the peanut flavor.

I hope all went well with your beer. Always think out of the box.

 

[Wolfbayte]

It's too late now, since it's brewed, but I would have used 1 pound of 120L or special B instead of one of the pounds of 30L. Special B is definitely "toffee" like and not sugary caramel like 30L.

Coffee malt (black malt) would give a chocolate-like flavor to the beer as well, in a small amount and pale chocolate malt would give a small amount of roast to give a more "chocolate" flavor, like a Heath bar, without the strong roast of black patent or regular chocolate malt.

Brewed this in November and entered it in my first competition with the local brew club. Followed Yooper's tweaks (except for the black malt), left out the Heath Bars, omitted the lactose due to intolerance, but tried our best to caramelize 2qts of wort on the stove.

8# Pale Malt 2-row
2.5# Munich 10L
1# Flaked Oates
.75# Light Chocolate Malt
.50# Caramel/Crystal 30L
.50# Special B
.25# Acid Malt (for water profile)

Took first place tonight. Thank you very much.

5/7 Will definitely brew again.