Porter recipe. Thoughts please

[davereal]

Hi all.Winter's coming, so going to have a go with a porter this afternoon. Done a couple before, sort of tweaked clones. Fullers and a taddy porter.This is my 1st attempt of a recipe . Looking for a bit more coffee notes but not overkill. So am i in the right area with the black?. Also have some chocolate malt but wasn't planning to use. Also thoughts on the crystal. got 150 open but a bit old and a fresh bag of 50. Not to bothered with colour but don't want overly sweet. so here goes.35 ltr batch.B.I.A.B
Golden promise.8000g
Brown500g
Black700g
Crystal550g
e.k.g 95g at 60min
e.k.g. at 15 min
Looking at an o.g 1.055
and i.b. u's of 33.Using the brown cos it's there, have another200g or so. Not to hot on software but run thru biabacus to get numbers right for gravity and i.b u. Just wondered about the complexity. P.s also have some melanoidin but not sure about quantity, so probably leave. Oh and yeast safale 04. Any thoughts most welcome. thanks, dave.

 

[MyQul]

Looks good. Although my Stout & porter book says you want to have a maximum black malt of 5%. You've got 7% so if you cut it down to 500g or less you'll be within range; and yes black malt will give you the coffee flavours you after

 

[strange-steve]

That is a lot of black malt. Even for a stout I would be using half that amount or even less. Personally I'd drop it completely and add a few hundred grams of chocolate malt instead. You'll get some coffee from that and the brown malt.

 

[davereal]

Yep, think you'r right on the black. was after more coffee taste but don't want to over do it.What you think of say 500g black and 200g chocolate or an even split of 350g each? Any thoughts of which crystal to use, 55 or 150? cheers guys,

 

[MyQul]

ersonally I'd me more inclinded to split 50/50 as you can overdo it with black malt and it can come out really roasty/smoky then you have to wait ages for it to mellow out.
The lighter crystal will give you a sweeter caramel flavour and the darker crystal will give you more toffee flavours. You can split 50/50 again if you like and use both

 

[strange-steve]

Too much black malt can be quite unpleasant so I'd go with Myqul and split 50/50 with the choc.

 

[davereal]

Cheers guys, i will do and i'll split the crystal 50/50 also. Just done with cleaning and half way through boiling near 50ltr of water, then let it sit. So start measuring out in a bit.

 

[davereal]

It was going so well.Erm, haven't brewed for about 4 months and my pale malts probably 7 months old. Usually no probs cos would have all been used up in 3 to 4 brews. anyway, Stored in the cellar ,tied up in a bag and sealed in the box off the ground. Went to measure up and seem to have lost it's aroma and feels a bit moist, spungy. looks o.k and tastes o.k. So what to do. Nearest H.B 15 miles away. Not happening today. Sack it and order for next week?Or crack on? I'm gonna go with it. I've half done the work already today, cleaning, treating etc. Was going to half keg and bottle, so now just keg, so not to much leg work wasted. As long as the paranoia of detecting off flavour and off smells that aren't there doesn't take hold. Fingers crossed.

 

[Dads_Ale]

We've all got our fingers crossed as well :)
Good luck.

 

[davereal]

Cheers buddy. Bout to pull the the bag.Smells alright not musty/mouldy but not that big horlicks hit. hopefully when i get the boil on. Sound.

 

[davereal]

Think it went o.k. Smell from the dark malts probably masked any ills. Only difference detected was efficiency. Boiled over my pots capacity, so held some water back, took starting gravity which was way out so just didn't top up. came in at 1.057 not 1.055 and about 6 to 7 ltr shy.pure luck, if anything. glad i didn't top up as i'd rather have less beer than a thin porter. sitting in 2 f.v's in two trubs. i'll keep you posted. hopefully there's not a future thread about the detrimental use of dank grains. cheers, dave

 

[davereal]

Update guys. Just cracked a small bottle , thou a week early. Still got a bit of a zing from being a tad green but pretty pleased. Nice coffee notes and not to chocolaty( if that makes sense). Clean and a touch roasty. So all good with the dank old malts.Should be able to leave alone till end of jan, lots of driving, visiting etc. at xmas. Then away for 2 weeks mid jan to india, watching cricket:).I know,it's a tough life.Should be a cracking porter by february.Anyway, just to say thanks for your replies and advice chaps. Glad i took on board and toned down the black, cos as said , i think could have been to bitter. Splitting 50/50 with the chocolate seems spot on. A big cheers guys. dave

 

[davereal]

P.s. Bottled all in the end. Instead of kegging. So will now have 60 of them winking at me for the next few weeks:nono:Going to get a nutty brown ale on next saturday. Sort of Sam Smiths clone, but have some cascade needs using, so bit of an American brown.All new malts.Thanks , Dave