AG#3 - Event Horizon (Robust Porter)

[periolus]

I had planned to do something else for Number 3, but will now be going for a Robust Porter. Before I brew, just wanted to post the recipe below for comment to see if I am on the right sort of track:

81% Maris Otter
8% Crystal (60L - it's all I have)
5% Munich I Malt
3% Chocolate Malt
3% Black Malt

Centennial 30IBU @ 90
Northern Brewer 14IBU @ 15

Fermenting with WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast

This is based on a clone recipe for Nogne Porter. Any comments gratefully received. I am not so fussed about it not turning out exactly like Nogne, I just want a decent Robust Porter at the end of it all ; )

 

[graysalchemy]

I like the look of that :thumb:

 

[periolus]

Me too! Nice one :

I could drop the chocolate and black by 0.5% each and add 1% Carafa Special III instead, just to smooth the flavour out. I need to save the rest of the Carafa for the Brown Porter I am planning a month down the line from that! It's expensive stuff :shock:

 

[graysalchemy]

I wouldn't worry about that 3% of each isn't much IMHO

 

[periolus]

I may well up the chocolate to 4% and stick a bit of Carafa in anyway.

 

[graysalchemy]

Sounds like a plan you can't beat a bit of chocolate malt. :thumb:

 

[periolus]

I've adjusted the malt bill - now final!

79%Maris Otter
8% Crystal (60L - it's all I have)
5% Munich I Malt
3.5% Chocolate Malt
1.5% Carafa Special III
3% Black Malt

Looking forward to brewing it!

 

[Vossy1]

Looking good :party: personally I like a bit of smoke in me porter, but that's just me :drink:
Hope the brews better than the film of the same name...twas pants :lol:

 

[periolus]

I like smoke in mine too, but want a less complicated first AG porter. Next time I might straw-smoke some pale by shoving straw in the gas BBQ with the lid down!! Would that just be rough?

The film was fairly bad, but I like bits of it. I hope my beer doesn't make people's eyes explode!

 

[Vossy1]

Next time I might straw-smoke some pale by shoving straw in the gas BBQ with the lid down!! Would that just be rough?

Only one way to find out :hmm: naturally Rauch malt would be a good second choice :drink:

The film was fairly bad, but I like bits of it. I hope my beer doesn't make people's eyes explode!

:lol: ...it was one of those films for me...very dark...almost there but not quite :hmm:

 

[periolus]

Aha! Have just discovered cold-steeping : ). I plan to steep the black malt for this recipe. Will read more about it shortly,

 

[periolus]

Getting this brewed today! : Came back from school run this morning to find I was at strike temp, so doughed in and away we went. Had to split the day in half due to other jobs on the go, so now the kids are in bed I am boiling. Rolling boil at 7.10pm with 90 min hop addition. Just chilling out and waiting until I need to the next bit, which is over an hour away!

Cold steeping was successful - steeped the black malt and half the chocolate malt according to Aleman's 3x quantity in mash tun at 2.5L/kg formula. Great stuff.

Keep you posted!

 

[periolus]

All done. Bit of a problem at the end, as I realised once it had been chilled that I hadn't added the stuff I had cold-steeped! I boiled it up separately on the stove for 10 minutes, then put that in the FV before emptying the boiler. Warmed the yeast up a bit, but didnt realise how hot the wort was (turned out to be 26.5C). The brew fridge got it down to 18C overnight, but just hope I didn't shock the yeast I spent so long nurturing in my starter. I warmed it up quickly using a water bath but don't know what temp it was at.

Good brew day though - enjoyed it!