Js Porter/stout Help

[shark]

Hi Everyone,

Well up to my 3rd brew now and after tasting the james squire porter I wouldn't mind having a crack at something similar.

After searching the forums for most of the day I have decided on:

Cascade Chocolate Mahogany Porter Kit

250g Chocolate Grain (steeped)
20g Fuggle Hops (steeped)
Sefale s-04

But I am just not sure on what fermentables I should be using???

The LHBS has a stout mix:
Stout Mix, 1 kg ---- Dark dried malt extract 500g, light dried malt extract 250 g, maltodextrin 250 g

Or could I just chuck in a can of Coopers Dark malt extract 1.5kg (dark or amber)?



With the grains do I just buy them straight from the HBS, chuck them in boiling water for 30 mins and then strain them into the fermenter? Do I need to crush the grains or do anything before hand?

Still dont want to go down the path of having to boil anything for a long period of time. Wife will kill me for using the stove.

Thanks
Ben

 

[manticle]

Hi Everyone,

Well up to my 3rd brew now and after tasting the james squire porter I wouldn't mind having a crack at something similar.

After searching the forums for most of the day I have decided on:

Cascade Chocolate Mahogany Porter Kit

250g Chocolate Grain (steeped)
20g Fuggle Hops (steeped)
Sefale s-04

But I am just not sure on what fermentables I should be using???

The LHBS has a stout mix:
Stout Mix, 1 kg ---- Dark dried malt extract 500g, light dried malt extract 250 g, maltodextrin 250 g

Or could I just chuck in a can of Coopers Dark malt extract 1.5kg (dark or amber)?



With the grains do I just buy them straight from the HBS, chuck them in boiling water for 30 mins and then strain them into the fermenter? Do I need to crush the grains or do anything before hand?

Still dont want to go down the path of having to boil anything for a long period of time. Wife will kill me for using the stove.

Thanks
Ben

You need to crack the grains (not too fine like flour) or get them cracked if you can. Put in hot water (not boiling) for 30 mins to extract flavour, strain and boil the resulting liquid. You can put your fuggles hops into this boiling liquid for 10 minutes.

That sounds like a cellar plus stout mix - I've used them before and they turn out fine. Consider chucking in 100-200g roast barley (treat the same way as the choc grain) as I'm pretty sure the JS porters I've had contain some. Crystal will give a bit of sweeteness (again, crack, steep, strain, boil). If you go for the liquid use the amber or even a pale as the mahogany and the choc will give a fair wack of colour. You could also use straight dried malt extract (light) rather than the stout mix which will also give loads of colour.

 

[rackemup]

Hi Everyone,

Well up to my 3rd brew now and after tasting the james squire porter I wouldn't mind having a crack at something similar.

After searching the forums for most of the day I have decided on:

Cascade Chocolate Mahogany Porter Kit

250g Chocolate Grain (steeped)
20g Fuggle Hops (steeped)
Sefale s-04

But I am just not sure on what fermentables I should be using???

The LHBS has a stout mix:
Stout Mix, 1 kg ---- Dark dried malt extract 500g, light dried malt extract 250 g, maltodextrin 250 g

Or could I just chuck in a can of Coopers Dark malt extract 1.5kg (dark or amber)?



With the grains do I just buy them straight from the HBS, chuck them in boiling water for 30 mins and then strain them into the fermenter? Do I need to crush the grains or do anything before hand?

Still dont want to go down the path of having to boil anything for a long period of time. Wife will kill me for using the stove.

Thanks
Ben

G'day Ben,

with choc malt you can just steep it in hot water (~65 deg) for about an hour and then filter out the grain and rinse it (sparging) with more hot water, keep the liquid(throw away the spent grain) and boil this liquid for a bit to kill any bacteria, add to this your tin of whatever along with your stout mix(or light/dark dry malt,coopers extract)and hops and boil it again, then cool it to about 25 deg and strain into your fermenter and add the yeast(rehydrated),then top up with cold water, you will need to crush all/any grain you use - have fun using diff ingredients and experimenting with flavours
hope this helps

 

[shark]

Thanks for the info guys. Clears things up a bit.

How much Light DME would you recommend for this kit? 1kg?

Can I use a mortar & pesal to crack the grains? Or is there another way that people do it at home????? Without having to buy a machine?

 

[rackemup]

Thanks for the info guys. Clears things up a bit.

How much Light DME would you recommend for this kit? 1kg?

Can I use a mortar & pesal to crack the grains? Or is there another way that people do it at home????? Without having to buy a machine?

no worries!
if you are making this to about 20 ltrs then use about 750gms of malt extract, because it isn't fully fermentable so too much and you will have a residual sweetness that may be undesired,and also maybe 250gms of another sugar like dextrose(fully fermentable-ups the alc) and maybe abit of brown sugar too goes well in porters/stouts. If you plan on brewing in the future you may want to buy a grain mill which are hand operated, i could see you getting annoyed with using a mortar for large quantities of grain. if you are going to use the grain the same day you buy it then ask the people at your lhbs to crack it for you(thats what i do) or if you have a blender then that would work well
cheers

 

[manticle]

Thanks for the info guys. Clears things up a bit.

How much Light DME would you recommend for this kit? 1kg?

Can I use a mortar & pesal to crack the grains? Or is there another way that people do it at home????? Without having to buy a machine?

You can use a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin. Cracking grains without a machine is a major pain in the bum (don't let that put you off). I tried it every wrong way you could imagine.

First time I bought spec grains I didn't even know I needed to crack them so they went, whole into hot tap water for a bit.
After working out all grains (not just base grains) need cracking I bought a coffee grinder. This is not recommended. While I managed to get some good brews and I was very careful to wizz only for a couple of secs, you run the risk of creating flour or extracting bitter tannins.

After learning this I tried cracking 4 kg of pilsner malt inside two plastic bags with a rolling pin (kilo by kilo). This did bugger all so I switched to a wooden mallet. That cracked them but I got woeful efficiency and had to chuck in an extra kg of of LDME at the beginning of primary.

I ended up buying a cheap mill from ebay (corona cereal mill) which is still a lot of work but at least I can crack fresh grains.


See if your home brew shop will do it for you - otherwise use the mortar and pestle but aim for rough like chopped nuts. Pain in bum but adds another dimentsion and is well worth it.

Alternatively a brewer nearby might help out. What's your location?

 

[manticle]

[quote name='Rack'EmUp' post='490923' date='Jul 13 2009, 09:19 PM']or if you have a blender then that would work well[/quote]


If you go this route, (similar to my coffee grinding experience), you want to aim for really rough. I think a blender will make too much flour and fine particles and I'd look at other options first. While I seemed to fare ok using the grinder, it's not something I'd suggest anyone else follows and I think it's best to try the right things from point 1 rather than point 6 (stated by a man who's done almost everything wrong at point 1 and usually 2 and 3 as well).

 

[mwd]

Most decent HB Shops and any of the sponsors above will supply grains milled for you free of charge.

They normally ask when you order whether you want it milled or not.

Small amounts just use a rolling pin and a plastic bag.

 

[RdeVjun]

Yep, as per previous posts, smaller quantities of specialty grains are crackable with a rolling pin and a bit of patience. If you were mashing a couple of kilos it'd be another story. No need to completely pulverize them into flour, just cracked is fine, although its hard not to overdo it with a rolling pin, but that'll matter naught in the long run.
Oh, and don't boil the grains directly. No, just steep them in 60-70degC water for half an hour, drain through a sieve or collander and boil the resulting liquor and hops for 20 minutes. Toss that into the fermenter along with everything else, wait for it to cool to around 20degC and then pitch the yeast. Happy days...

 

[shark]

Thanks guys, just found out that my local HBS will crack the grains free of charge. Thanks for all the help

Ben