Bentspoke Brewing Big Nut Dark Ale / Robust Porter Clone

[Brewseph]

Howdy All you knowledgable brewers,

Here in Canberra, our micro brewery culture is really starting to flourish, and the brewery leading the way here in the capital is Bentspoke. They are fantastic and have an awesome collection of incredible beers on tap and one such beer is what they classify as a Dark Ale called "Big Nut." This beer is incredible. It is a dark ale with roasty coffee, nutty and hoppy flavours and aromas that is so good i cry myself to sleep, it is seriously the best Dark Ale I've had in many years if not ever.

I am looking at trying to develop a clone brew for this beer if possible and was hoping for some help. The description from the brewery says;

A Dark Ale with toasty coffee, nutty and hoppy dark ale, pours with a thick dark tan head (i love how dark the tan is on the head).
Hops: Ella and Aus Cascade
IBU: 45
ABV: 7.5%

I am a newbie at all this and was hoping to get some guidance from you more experienced brewers on how to make this Robust Porter and hit the IBU and ABV specified. Which hop would be for bittering and which for aroma.

I will be using my Grandfather so am happy to do either an all grain brew or partial mash.

Any ideas and/or help on achieving this delicious goal would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Matplat]

Have you tried asking the brewery for any pointers? Usually micros are amenable to home brewers.... they might even make up the grainbill for you, but not tell you what's in it?

 

[mtb]

Glad to see another Canberran on the forums.
Following this thread as I'd love to replicate Big Nut too

 

[fdsaasdf]

I remember when it was launched Richard Watkins mentioned dark chocolate and caramunich (2?). I'd ask the bar staff if I were you.

 

[Brewseph]

Hello,

Yeah, I have tried asking around and people are tight lipped, or say that they will ask and get back to me with no avail, i have even tried to buy a keg to dispense at home but this is not something they do at the moment (maybe this will change with the new cannery open). So as a result i am forced to attempt to brew m own variation of this delicious brew.

I am thinking a good place to start is by using Jamil Zainasheff's Robust Porter recipe from his "Brewing Classic Styles," book.

OG: 1.064
FG: 1.015
IBU: 37
Alcohol: 6.5%
Boil: 60 mins
Pre Boil Volume: 26.5lt
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.055

This is the Jamil Extract Robust Porter recipe;

Extract
3.90kg Light LME - (72.6%)
450g Munich LME - (8.4%)

Steeping Grains
450g Crystal (40 L) - (8.4%)
340g Chocolate Malt (350 L) - (6.3%)
Black Patent Malt (525 L) - (4.2%)

Hops (This hop schedule/amounts needs work to reach the 45 IBUs)
50g Ella - 60mins
21g Aus Cascade - 15 mins
21g Ella - 0 Mins

Yeast - Recommended by Jamil.
White Labs WLP001 Californian Ale
Wheat 1056 American Ale or
Ferments Safale US-05

For All Grain Option
Replace the light extract with 5.33KG American Two Row or equivalent.
Replace Munich extract with 680g Munich Malt or equivalent.
Mash at 67 degrees.
Ferment a 19 degrees.

SO this is the recipe i am going to base my Big Nut Clone on but what i need to know is;

1. How many of which grains do i need to add to increase the ABV from 6.5% to 7.5%?
2. How many of which hops do i need to add to increase the IBU's from 37 to 45?
3. Does the Grain Bill look good to achieve a dark tan head?
4. Is there enough roasted character in the grain bill to give it a very dark, roasted flavour with coffee and chocolate notes?
5. Which of the hops should i use for bittering?
6. Does this look well balanced?
7. Which yeast is a good one for this style? i was thinking the US-05

Thanks guys, i am excited to hear your thoughts.

 

[dr K]

Richard will tell you whats in it in it....
I actually do not drink it very often as it is "big" at 7.5% and my Fridays are usually 4 to 6 pints.
Also I would likely not follow a robust porter style either.
If you are using a grainfather then an all grain is really the only way to go..
I have a beer on tap at the moment that is a tiny bit similar (a sort of robust not terribly hoppy american brown) and here is what I did for 32 litres
80% or 8kg base malt (in this case a mix of Weyermann Bohemian Pilsener and Voyager Atlas
10% or 1kg Bairds Brown malt (you really need this sort of malt for that nuttiness)
5% or 500g Caramunich 2 (great malt character from this)
5% or 500g pale chocolate

Hopping
EKG 50gm with 40 minutes to go
Fortnight 20gm with 20 min to go
Fortnight 20gm with 10 min to go
Fortnight 20gm at ground zero

You will have to boost the hopping to get it up to Bentspoke IBU

I used WLP002 cause I like it, you will use US05.
Dropped a a cap of Servomyces in with the whirlfloc with 10 min to go, brilliant nutrient.
Would have added Calcium Chloride at leat to the mash

K

 

[Brewseph]

Hey thanks K,

Yeah i rarely see Ricard these days as i have shifted work locations and now am not as convienently close to the Brewpub in Braddon.

Last time i spoke to him he did mention that Big Nut would definitely be put into cans and another staff member mentioned that it would likely be by this winter so there is hope of having it sitting in my fridge with a longer shelf life than the growler offers.

I really love the Porter style, especially the Robust version of this. I love the dark roast, coffee and chocolate of this style and traditionally only drink dark beers all year round, so to find me a porter recipe that hits close to the Big Nut mark would be awesome.

All grain was the only way i was going to do this with the Grandfather, i agree. I just put down the extract option in case there are some brewers who might be interested.

So is Ella the bittering hop to use or does Aus Cascade suit this style better as the bittering hop?

Thanks for the Servomyces tip, i had not considered a nutrient.

What style would you follow to get a similar outcome if not the Robust Porter?

 

[dr K]

Bentspoke creates rather than follows styles, I think.
Thus BigNut does really follow a style as we know it !
Opo in and try my Brown (its not a BigNut but I think it might be close to what you are hoping to make.

I you are in Canberra Brewers you know how to find me, if not you could try a PM.

K

 

[AJS2154]

I agree with your comment regarding Bent Spoke and also the Big Nut. Bent Spoke is my go to bar when in Canberra. I will watch this thread with interest.

Another beer I have very much enjoyed from Bent Spoke is the Reflector. I would love to know what is that beer too, absolute cracker.

Good call, Brewseph and thanks for the contribution dr K. Anthony

 

[Gigantorus]

My next brew will be this one from Gordon Strong's recipe book. A Nut Brown Ale.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[Matplat]

A flavour descriptor I notice you don't mention as desirable, is ash or acrid. The black patent in the Brewing Classic Styles recipe will give you the ashy flavour that's in most stouts and in robust porter.

I would either follow Dr Ks recipe, or perhaps look at the brown porter recipe in BCS, I will be giving that one a crack this winter. To boost the abv to 7.5% just up the quantity of whichever base malt you use by the required amount (by plugging all the numbers into brewmate.)