Porter (hopefully smokey) (E)

Recipe is another take on B. B had no real body and wasn't smokey/roasted enough. Altering the steeping grains to see if we can get a fuller body and more roasted flavor. Everything else will stay the same as much as possible.

Brewed 5.0 gallons on 2013-04-20

Original gravity: 1.050

Final gravity: 1.024

ABV: 3.4%

Apparent Attenuation: 52.0%

Inspired by Porter (B)

Process notes

2013-04-20

Nothing too special on brew day except there was a lot of grain; needed two bags; and this soaked up a lot of water. Not sure if flavors and sugars were well extracted from grains since they were pretty compacted in the bags. Perhaps I'll put them in a strainer afterwards and run water over them next time.

2013-05-08

Bottled, the fermentation temp was very hot, so I was expecting off yeast flavors, but I'm only really getting roasted, chocolate aroma+flavor, slight bitter finish, not bad.

Boil for 60 minutes

Steeping grains until temp reaches 170 degrees

8 ounces of Carapils (Briess)

8 ounces of Flaked Oats (Briess)

8 ounces of Crystal 60L (GreatWesternMalting)

8 ounces of Caramel 120L (Briess)

8 ounces of Carafa Special II (Weyermann)

4 ounces of Chocolate Malt (Briess)

4 ounces of Maltodextrin (Brewmaster)

4 ounces of Pale Chocolate Malt (CrispMalt)

4 ounces of Peated Malt (SimpsonsMalt)

At 60 minutes

1 ounce of 9.5% Alpha Acid Northern Brewer pellets

At 60 minutes

7 pounds of Ultralight Malt Extract (LME) (Brewmaster)

At 5 minutes

1 ounce of 6% Alpha Acid Cascade pellets

Yeast

2013-04-20

Pitch 1 pack of WLP001 California Ale (WhiteLabs) at 70°. (Closet is hot and it got up to ~78° during fermentation; might lead to off flavor. Definitely needed blowoff tube.)

Tasting notes (5.00/10; 3 ratings)

2013-05-15

[5/10] Fist taste. Slightly khaki head, light chocolate/roasted aroma. Maybe a very slight peat aftertaste, chocolate finish. Very pleased and surprised there are no yeast off flavors. More of a stout?

2013-07-09

[5/10] Smokey/peat flavor and aroma are most prevalent. Not bad, but not balanced. No head, but heavily carbed, probably too carbed.

2013-12-28

[5/10] Last bottle. Tan head that doesn't last. Not overly roasty, still buttery; thin, watery mouthfeel. Carbonation is OK. Overall not very good, though.