02: A Merciful Release Smoked Porter

A Merciful Release Smoked Porter (Batch #3, OG 1056 - 1018, Brewed 14/11/20)

Based on my Smoked Porter, back to none fruit version with a tweak to grain bill and hops to get back to a better beer.

Ingredients:
2.8kg pale ale malt
500g crystal malt
600g chocolate malt
500g carapils malt
500g smoked malt
500g oats
500g wheat
Total grain bill 5,650 g
FG: 1012 (04/12/18), ~ABV = (1058 - 1018) x 0.129 = ~4.9%

Hop Profile: New hop variety!
Galena 13.3% - 25g 60m
Galena 13.3% - 15g 30m
Galena 13.3% - 10g 0m hop stand 15m
Dry Hop - N/A

Yeast: English Ale S-04
Priming: 5g table sugar per 500mml bottle

Notes: New hops worked very well. Prime sugar was good after a week in the bottle for a very well balanced brew, lovely! Just hope it does not carbonate too much! Back to a great brew.

A Merciful Release Smoked Cherry Porter (Batch #2, OG 1058 - 1012, Brewed 17/11/18)

Based on my Smoked Porter, not enough priming sugar and not much cherry flavour. Go back to original smoked Porter for next brew.

Ingredients:

2.8kg pale ale malt
500g smoked malt
600g chocolate malt
500g carapils malt
500g crystal malt
500g wheat flakes from the Hippy shop.
Added two tins of steeped cherry's to the boil - to little effect
(total malt bill 5,400g)
Sugar to get to OG (was 1060 diluted to 20l then upped with cherry syrup to 1058

FG: 1012 (04/12/18)

~ABV = (1058 - 1012) x 0.129 = ~5.9%

Hop Profile: Not as good as previous profile
Cascade 25g 60m
Fuggles 15g 30m
Fuggles 12g 0m
Brambling 10g, dry hop,
Yeast: English Ale + yeast nutrient
Priming: 5g table sugar per 500mml bottle

Notes: Not so carbonated or cherry flavour as i was hoping, perhaps add fruit to FV not boil, or not bother and go back to the nicer smoked version.

UPDATE: Well after a fair while in the bottle it has become way too carbonated, seems as it didn't ferment to a low SG the time in the bottle has allowed it to get a bit excited, if the FG stays high on the next batch will think of reducing the priming sugar.

Note: Original version was much better. Retry this one ! Or if to use cherry's go for at least a kilo of some kind of cherry puree not 300g from small tubs. Or maybe not to the boil but secondary fermentation may work better.

A Merciful Release Smoked Porter (Batch #1, OG 1058 - 1022, Brewed 03/12/17)

Based on my Athena Porter with chocolate flavours and nice smoky tones with good head retention.

Ingredients:

2.8kg pale ale malt

500g smoked

600g chocolate malt

500g wheat malt

500g crystal malt

500g carapils malt

(total malt bill 4,950g)

500g (+500 to adjust ABV) of Muscavado (added to the boil)

Hop Profile:
Cascade 25g 60m
Golding 12g 0m
Fuggles 10g 0m
Golding 10g, dryhop, 19/09/17
Yeast: English Ale

Notes:

  1. Kit: Stainless boiler, coolbox mashtun and conical fermenter.

  2. Mash: 3.5gall @80oC (stir) then leave for 90m and drain to bucket.

  3. Sparge: 80oC to gather 5.5 gall. Slowly poured hot water over the grain (with perforated tin foil and tap closed) until there was a good head of water above the grain bed. Then opened the tap slightly for a trickle of wort to run and keep sparge water topped up, seemed to work very well and hopefully less interaction once my pump is sorted.

  4. Boil: 1hr to hop profile above, Irish moss (15m to end) half the sugar (10m to end) to produce 5.5 gall of wort. Cooled: Cooling coil added at 0m to end of boil and cooled to 20oC

  5. OG: 1054 - adjusted (up) to 1058 with remaining sugar

  6. FG: 1022 (~4.6% ABV, not sure why it did not ferment lower, but too lively in the bottle!)

  7. Finings: None.

  8. Bottled: xx/xx/xx.

  9. Condition: 1 week warm, then two weeks cool prior to drinking.

  10. Priming: A teaspoon brown sugar per bottle.

  11. Taste: Very good! Nice dark chocolate flavours with a smoky overtones and a good head!