Porter - Brambling Cross hop schedule guidance?

[timw]

I was hoping I could get a brew on tomorrow morning and use up some of the stocks - a Porter I think, as a change from all the IPAs.

I've used some useful guidance from members of this great forum, along with BeerMate, to develop the following grain bill, but wondering about the hop schedule:

Marris Otter - 4750gms - 73%
Crystal - 750gms - 11.63%
Munich - 500gms - 7.75%
Chocolate Malt - 300gms - 4/65%
Black Malt - 125gms - 1.95%

Hops - I have Fuggles and Brambling Cross in stock (along with Challenger and Northern Brewer). I don't really know the flavours of Brambling Cross so thought I'd try and use that 70gms up in this recipe using them late to get lots of flavour from them.

I've come up with a schedule as per below - using the fuggles as the main bittering hop, then adding BCross late in the boil and at flameout.

I've no experience on this - will this suit this style of beer? Should I dry hop too?

60mins - Fuggles - 50gms - 30 IBUS
20mins - Brambing Cross - 30gms - 7ish IBUS
10mins - Brambling Cross - 10gms - 1.68 IBUs
0mins - Brambling Cross - 30gms -

Comes in at 43ish IBUs according to BrewMate


Any thoughts - I have to say, me and hop schedules is all a bit of a gamble...

 

[Dr Mike]

I'm not sold on BX as a late hop addition, I once did a Bitter which had it as a flameout addition (with Fuggles) and the beer had a sort of 'dusty' taste which others have also reported from using it late.

I find I still get it's distinctive black current fruity character when it's used in just a bittering addition at 90 mins.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

That's a lot of Crystal. Brambling Cross isn't particulary good for aroma.....Switch your Fuggles to Flameout.

 

[graysalchemy]

I agree on the crystal and with all that Munich as well. I would aim for no more than 10% between the two. :thumb:

Stouts and porters aren't usually big on the aroma front, so not much in the the way of aroma additions and certainly no late hopping or dry hopping, but having said that if that's what you are after then go for it. :thumb:

 

[Hawks]

I'm another one who would drop the crystal and munich down, and agree around 10% between them,

I love BX as a bittering hop in stouts and porters, I also add hops at 10 mins even though its not per style ( but it's what I like and that is the joy of brewing your own :thumb: ). EKG makes a nice late addition or if you really want to ignore guidelines a mix of EKG and Willamette at 10 mins works a treat :

 

[timw]

Just bottled this - definitely a bit too sweet, I'm afraid I had to get going with the brew before your advice. But all the same, it still has potential to be tasty, it certainly wasnt unpleasant, but just not quite right.... :hmm:

 

[clibit]

IMO it's the crystal that needs to be kept down, not the Munich. Keep the crystal around 5-7%, and use around 10% Munich.

Hopwise, Bramling X are used a lot in dark beers. For flavour as well as bittering. Some dark beers have flavour hops, some don't. A lot of American dark beers are very Hoppy, using late additions and even dry hops. Try different methods, and see what you like. I like dark beers all ways, from traditional English with no late hops through to highly hopped black beers with a strong piney hop aroma! I just love beer, me! :drink:

 

[timw]

Thanks Clibit - we'll see how it comes out, hopefully it won't taste lik cough syrup....all sweet and sickly!! I'll give it a few weeks and have a test.