Smoked Porter - advice & flamings

[petesbrew]

Hi lads,
I felt like trying out some rauchmalt finally, and figure I'll try it in a porter, seeing as the cooler weather is coming up and this could be the go.
I've usually just used english hops in my porters & stouts, but I'm running low on them and have heaps of US hops available (have plenty of Chinook, Citra, Cascade, Amarillo), but no US yeast at present.
I'm also using up the last of my basemalt - hence the addition of pils malt.

(looking at it now I might swap the Styrian goldings for chinook... save my styrian for a future belgian)
Any criticism & suggestions on hop use or if the yeast is okay will be great. (but I think it's wise that I invest in a US liquid finally).
Thanks in advance.
Pete


Apocalyptic Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.50 Wort Size (L): 23.50
Total Grain (kg): 7.01
Anticipated OG: 1.061 Plato: 15.056
Anticipated EBC: 90.2
Anticipated IBU: 34.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.3 1.00 kg. JWM Export Pilsner Australia 1.039 3
54.2 3.80 kg. TF Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt UK 1.037 6
5.1 0.36 kg. Crystal 55L Great Britian 1.034 108
8.6 0.60 kg. JWM Chocolate Malt Australia 1.032 750
14.3 1.00 kg. Weyermann Smoked Germany 1.037 4
3.6 0.25 kg. Carafa Special Germany 1.030 1182

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
28.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 5.80 22.5 60 min.
12.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 7.5 30 min.
12.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 3.9 15 min.
15.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 5.25 0.0 0 min.
15.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 0.0 0 min.

Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP013 London Ale

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I dont know enough to critique whats in yours - but here is the smoked porter i did and it turned out a cracker IMHO.

Batch size 23L

GRAINS
Ale Maris Otter 2.0kg
Chocolate Malt 600 0.3kg
Carafa 2 0.3kg
CaraMunich 1 0.7kg
Munich 1 0.8kg
Smoked 1.4kg
CaraAroma 0.3kg

HOPS
Magnum 15g @ 90 Mins
East Kent Golding 12g @ 45 Mins
Magnum 12g @ 20 Mins
East Kent Golding 12g @ 20 Mins

YEAST
Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale)

On the Mythical recipe Database tehre is one called Lucas' Smoked Choc Porter that I copied (cant remember if I copied exactly or modfiied slightly).

In the absence of the DB here is a link to the Recipe DB discussion about it. http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/35504-recipedb-lucas-smoked-choc-porter/?hl=%2Blucas+%2Bsmoked . It gets pretty good reviews from a number of very experienced brewers.

 

[petesbrew]

Thanks BNB,
One day the DB might appear again.

 

[bum]

Have you brewed the base porter before, petesbrew? If you like that (or brew enough porters to know you'll like it) then I reckon you're good to go. 1kg of smoked won't get out of control and will be noticeable. I haven't brewed a chocolaty beer with amarillo before and I'm interested to hear how it goes. Let us know.

Lucas' smoked choc porter is really nice. BNB's recipe looks pretty close but I think he may have an extra grain or two? Can't recall properly. I think his yeast selection is different too. Anything based on Lucas' recipe would end up pretty great anyway. I'd go with your recipe though because you always wonder how these things would have worked out when people convince you to change your mind.

 

[petesbrew]

Haven't done the base porter yet Bum. Actually I do have another porter recipe I can base it on, but after a year of rebrewing my old recipes it's time I got rid of the dust & cobwebs off my brain and start trying different things again.

Basically I'm too sure on the american hop/porter/smoke combination, but want to give it a try anyway.
Last time I brewed US hops in a porter was back in my kit days, and the combo wasn't to my liking back then.

 

[petesbrew]

Well, I just cracked the grain tonight (thanks to Doc), and hoing off the grain bill, I've got just enough for a double batch.
Otherwise it would've ended up in the 8% category, which for now I'd rather give a miss (but is usually hell awesome).

I've swapped the american hops to Nth Brewer & Styrian Goldings.... really a better match.
And also while reading Designing Great Beers, I'm going to go out on a limb and hit the 2nd fermenter with some brett yeast for a bit of wild experimenting.

Bring on Brewday!
Pete

Apocalyptic Porter
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (L): 40.00 Wort Size (L): 40.00
Total Grain (kg): 8.09
Anticipated OG: 1.042 Plato: 10.401
Anticipated EBC: 62.8
Anticipated IBU: 29.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.4 1.00 kg. JWM Export Pilsner Australia 1.039 3
48.0 3.88 kg. TF Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt UK 1.037 6
4.4 0.36 kg. Crystal 55L Great Britian 1.034 108
7.4 0.60 kg. JWM Chocolate Malt Australia 1.032 750
24.7 2.00 kg. Weyermann Smoked Germany 1.037 4
3.1 0.25 kg. Carafa Special Germany 1.030 1182
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.80 25.3 60 min.
20.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 5.80 2.7 15 min.
20.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 5.80 1.7 5 min.

Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP013 London Ale

 

[stakka82]

Only personal opinion but I think you dodged a bullet by changing the hop bill. I don't mind Amarillo with other American style hops in an APA/IPA, but the idea of it in a porter makes me nauseous.

 

[bum]

Dunno about nauseous but I also had reservations. It may have worked but it could have gone pear shaped too. Good call on the Stryian, should go nicely. I like the look of this grainbill a bit better too.

Very keen to hear how the brett one goes. Sounds like it could be amazing.

 

[brettprevans]

Amarillo in a stout is awsome. Been there done that. In a porter it would interesting becuase of the slightly differant malt flavour profile iee more choc as bum said.

Yup I recon 1kg of smoke in a double is fine for a hint of smoke. Just as well since your brewing this allready lol.

Love brett in beers esp dark beers. Just leave it alone to age and dont use PET. I still have ossues getting rid of brett from the PETs I used. Wtf I didnt think about that I have no idea.

Ill have a look for lucas' s porter recipe on my pc. I might have it in promash.

 

[petesbrew]

Yeah believe me, I was a bit scared of trying the amarillo too. Maybe if it were an unsmoked porter it could be worth a shot, but for now I'll give it a miss.
The brett I have on hand is brett bruxellensis.

 

[Bizier]

Amarillo in US brown ale kicks date!

I am not a fan of smoke and hops together, nor really any porter/stout with forward hop flavour, but a lot of people seem to like black IPA... so what would I know.

I think your current recipe looks quite good. The smoke will be pretty subtle though.

 

[petesbrew]

Amarillo in a stout is awsome. Been there done that. In a porter it would interesting becuase of the slightly differant malt flavour profile iee more choc as bum said.

Yup I recon 1kg of smoke in a double is fine for a hint of smoke. Just as well since your brewing this allready lol.

Love brett in beers esp dark beers. Just leave it alone to age and dont use PET. I still have ossues getting rid of brett from the PETs I used. Wtf I didnt think about that I have no idea.

Ill have a look for lucas' s porter recipe on my pc. I might have it in promash.

Brett & PET.
Yep done this before (a flanders brown ale for 5 months) and the fermenter is still in service... not sure which one I used , but lots of cleaning involved. Maybe this time I'll write "BRETT" on the side so I know for sure.
ps. there's now 2kg smoked malt in there.

 

[petesbrew]

It's sparging as I type. 8kg grain is pretty much the most I can get into my 25L fermenter.
Almost near the end, then it's a matter of waiting till the kids are fed, bathed, read to, put to bed, then it's boil time!

 

[petesbrew]

Just finished. About 39-40L in 2 fermenters. OG = 1050.
Hotdamn, I'm good at this ****.

 

[petesbrew]

Pitched the yeast tonight. S04 in one, WLP013 London Ale in the other.

 

[petesbrew]

Came home to check on these the next night and the spare room they were fermenting in stunk like vegetables/corn. Feral. Spent that night trying to Nuke the room with Glen 20, candles and whatnot... thought the beers (well, at least one) were destined for the drain, but left them anyway.

Tried them last night and they both tasted fine! Typical me - forgetting the RDWHAHB rule.
Definitely a lot more body in the London Ale batch.
I lazily threw in some brett yeast on the S-04 batch, then later remembered I really should've racked it to a secondary first. D'oh!

Got one last brett culture, gotta try and build that up this week and do it properly.

 

[Samuel Adams]

How did these smoked porter's turn out Pete ?

25% smoked, too much, too little, just right ?

I'm thinking of brewing a smoked porter and your thread came up first from a search

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I'm thinking of brewing a smoked porter and your thread came up first from a search

The recipe DB is farked so you wont find the recipe in there - but "Lucas' Smoked Choc Porter" is an awesome recipe.

Lots of good reviews by people that tried it and there are a few of us (me included) that have made it also

Have a read of this thread - the recipe is on page 2.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/35504-recipedb-lucas-smoked-choc-porter/page-2

 

[AndrewQLD]

I've used 35% beechwood Smoked malt in a porter recently, not overpowering but obvious to begin with, the smokiness mellows with age.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Lucas smoked choc porter (Robust Porter) 18 litre batch

Original Gravity (OG): 1.049 (°P): 12.1
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.81 %
Colour (SRM): 32.2 (EBC): 63.3
Bitterness (IBU): 33.3 (Rager)

36.64% Maris Otter Malt
22.9% Weyermann Smoked
15.01% Caramunich II
13.74% Munich I
4.07% Carafa II malt
4.07% Chocolate
3.56% Caraaroma

0.7 g/L Magnum (14.4% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
0.4 g/L East Kent Golding (6.5% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 65°C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 90 Minutes

Fermented at 18°C with Wyeast 1098 - British Ale

Notes: carafa and pale chocolate milled separately and added with 15 mins left of the mash

(Or if you can step mash I did this....)

Step mash= Mash in at 52C rest for 10 mins. Step to 66C for 60 mins, Step to 72C for 20 mins......mash out at 77C for 10 mins.


SG 1.045 pitched 1098 starter Wed 9/05/12 fermented at 18C.

Cheers Grumpy.
Holy crap that is a lot of caramunich !

That is surprising Andrew, I thought that sort of amount would be too much.
I think I will go with 15-20% as I don't want it to dominate just add something extra.