How To Make It Blacker?

[Fermented]

'Morning!

I recently made a Porter that I wanted to try to push towards a good, deep black colour but seem to have failed.

The specialty grains I used were choc (200 g), roast barley (200g) and dark crystal (1000 g) steeped at 70c for 25 mins then strined into the boil. In Beer Smith, it indicated >65EBC but it looks to be <50.

The taste is pretty good from the fermenter, but the colour just isn't right and it's lacking that roasty, burnt character.

Any hints on what grain I should be using to improve this one on the next round?

And no, AG is not an option for now despite the lure of the dark side.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[Gavo]

Try some Carafa T1 - T3 I have used a small amount of the T1 in an english special bitter Yum. :icon_drool2:

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[Fermented]

How much did you use and what would you describe the flavour and colour effect to be?

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[Bribie G]

+1 with the Carafa T3. Slight smoky aroma. Be careful however as that stuff is blacker than the ace of spades Even 50 grams made my Scottish 80 shillings almost like a porter in colour.

Edit: I'll bring you a sample week after next. I originally got a kilo which is going to last me till we are well up the league in the Hades snowball throwing championships.

 

[Gavo]

Well here is the grain/malt bill

1.30 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC) Dry Extract 42.62 %
1.50 kg Ale - Perle Malt (Bairds) (6.3 EBC) Grain 49.18 %
0.20 kg Caraaroma (390.0 EBC) Grain 6.56 %
0.05 kg Carafa I (950.0 EBC) Grain 1.64 %

As you can see it was only 50 grams of the Carafa T1 Here is a pic post no 1330.

I am not always good at describing flavors but it does have a mild roasty flavor. Could certainly use mor of it if after a dark beer without tasting burnt.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[matti]

joecast porter from recipe DB
keep it at 22 l mark
boil the DME it will caramelize and go darker.

 

[Fermented]

Thanks for all the information and help fellas!

Special thanks Bribie - it will be good to see you and your creation!

T3 it is for me then.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[Bribie G]

Thanks for all the information and help fellas!

Special thanks Bribie - it will be good to see you and your creation!

T3 it is for me then.

Cheers - Fermented.

No, the T3 not the beer... I've got 200g in a baggie in the fridge for you.

 

[Fermented]

lol - well that will teach me to to post without my glasses on and before the first cup of coffee.

Thank you!!!

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[drsmurto]

'Morning!

I recently made a Porter that I wanted to try to push towards a good, deep black colour but seem to have failed.

The specialty grains I used were choc (200 g), roast barley (200g) and dark crystal (1000 g) steeped at 70c for 25 mins then strined into the boil. In Beer Smith, it indicated >65EBC but it looks to be <50.

The taste is pretty good from the fermenter, but the colour just isn't right and it's lacking that roasty, burnt character.

Any hints on what grain I should be using to improve this one on the next round?

And no, AG is not an option for now despite the lure of the dark side.

Cheers - Fermented.

Is this a typo? 100g i can understand but a kilo of crystal malt would be way over the top.

Agree with carafa spec III, its a gorgeous malt for porters. Back in the kit days i made one using 500g of it and no other spec malts. Effin gorgeous but as black as the ace of spades!

 

[buttersd70]

That Bitter recipe looks ever so slightly familiar, gavo. :lol:

Agree with smurto on the quantity of crystal. The carafa has a nice mellow roastiness (not unlike esspresso) that balances crystals well, but with 1000g of crystal, the crystal will dominate strongly, overiding the carafa. I find the ratio that is in gavos recipe is enough to balance any possible cloying effect of the caraaroma/crystal, but still allowing the caraaroma/crystal to dominate. (as it's meant to in that recipe.) 2:1 will give a more even balance between the two, and should still come in slightly sweet on the front, with dryness on the end; and 1:1 will allow the carafa to dominate without being overly aggressive, so it's about the opposite of the 4:1 in gavo's. So my thought would be go 200g for the crystal, and 200g for T3, and 200g for the roast (if you like the more aggressive burnt notes. My personal tastes would probably make me cut that back to 100g, allowing the smoother carafa to do most of the work. But thats entirely a preference thing.)