In the Fermentor: The Great Porter Experiment

Awhile back, I attempted to clone Taddy Porter and came up short. Initially, this beer was to be round two in that quest. Then I had an even weirder idea.

The Porter below was meant to be a variation on my original beer. Unfortunately, my local store was out of Maris Otter (a frustrating ongoing theme), so I used Crisp Pale Ale instead. They were also out of the English yeast strain I intended to use, so I went with Wyeast's London Ale.

I'm not using large quantities of grain, because I don't want a very strong beer. This one should land in the low to mid 5.0% ABV range.

Whether I miraculously clone Taddy in round two, or simply make a nice Porter, what's going to happen to part of this beer once it's done fermenting is the real unique bit. While I could tell you up front what I'm planning, that would be boring. For now, here's the recipe for five gallons:

Grains:
7 lbs Crisp Pale Ale
1.5 lbs Hugh Baird Brown Malt
1 lb Crisp Crystal 77
12 oz Crisp Chocolate Malt

Hops:
0.5 oz Galena (13.4% a.a.): 60 min
1 oz Fuggles (4.8% a.a.): 15 min

Total Boil Time:
60 min

Yeast:
Wyeast 1028 - London Ale

Mash Schedule:
Saccharification Rest: 156F for 60 min
Mashout: 168F for 15 min

Efficiency: 80%

Original Gravity:
1.056
Estimated Final Gravity:
1.014

IBU: 32
SRM Color: 31

Fermentation Schedule:
1 Week Primary
2 Weeks Secondary
2 Weeks Bottle Conditioning

Cost: $14 per case
Commercial Equivalent: Boulder Beer Planet Porter: $32
Savings: $18

Comments

In the Fermentor: Bohemian Kölsch

Being a brewer on a budget, I don't have an extra fridge to lager in. That poses a bit of a problem, because I love a good Pilsener on a hot Summer day. To my palate, the closest style to Pilsener in the ale department is a German Kölsch . To that end, I've wedded a Bohemian Pilsener influenced recipe with a Kölsch yeast strain to create my Bohemian Kölsch pseudo-lager. I realize that the finished product won't be as clean, crisp and clear as a traditional Pils, but I'm hoping to come close. I want a full five gallons of this beer. Since my kitchen setup isn't conducive to five gallon all-grain batches, I've taken the partial-mash approach. I've also thrown in a bit of Irish Moss toward the end of the boil to help with clarity. Here's the five-gallon recipe: Grains: 3.5 lbs German Pilsener 8 oz Munich 8 oz Crystal 10L 4 oz CaraPils Hops: 1 oz Saaz: First Wort Hopping 0.5 oz Merkur: 60 min 1 oz Saaz: 7 min Extras: 3 lbs Pilsen ...

Out of the Bottle: Insert clever use of the word Wit here

My latest Wit was a hit at my friend's birthday party. He especially liked the beer's citrus components. Others found it to be light and refreshing. I heard no Blue Moon comparisons, which actually made me quite happy. Compared to My Wit's End , this beer is much closer to style. Unmalted Wheat is part of the reason, as there's much less grainy sweetness at work. Instead, the beer is crisp and dry. The bitter orange peel really does its thing. The peel's sharp flavor melds nicely with the sweet orange peel I also used. Coriander pushes the beer's spicy character along. If I were to change anything, it would be to dial it back a notch or two. Some light sourdough aromas round out the flavor and aroma. Despite the relatively low ABV of right around 5.0%, the beer sports a fairly hefty body. Overall, I'm quite happy with this Wit. Next time, I'll hold back on the coriander. Maybe I will even take a shot at a Turbid Mash, which sounds like a great sub...

Out of the Bottle: Porter vs Porter

My Beer My attempt to clone Samuel Smith Taddy Porter is ready to pour. For a change of pace, I've picked up a 4-pack of the real deal to compare and contrast against my efforts. Since I'm not exactly an impartial judge, my girlfriend agreed to blind taste test the two beers side by side in identical, unmarked glasses. I've mixed her notes in with mine. First off, I must say that the beers look remarkably similar. Taddy pours with a slightly larger head, but the beers share the same deep garnet hue. Mine has a bit more carbonation going on. Both beers have good head retention and leave some lace behind. My girlfriend's first comment was that my beer was very similar, but finished quicker than the Samuel Smith. She also noted that the Samuel Smith is slightly more bitter, with more depth of flavor. The first thing I noticed was that my beer has a more roasted edge and is a bit nuttier. It also lacks the unique dark fruit esters that I sense in all of the Samuel...

Colorado Kitchen Brew

Search This Blog