Doing science all day and talking about science in this blog can get a bit repetitive. But luckily I have a hobby to rest my mind, which takes the form of homebrewing beer (only on extract at the minute). I dabbled a bit before and am now continuing to dabble after my move to Glasgow. My first 'new' homebrew experience is making a porter-like beer (maybe on the 'robust' side), which in my head was a 'less-smooth' stout. You can read the exact description here. This was actually brewed for a friend of mine's birthday in April..Below is the recipe I followed: and results.
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Batch Name: | porter1 |
| Brewed By: | Connor |
| Style: | Robust Porter |
| Batch Size: | 4.50 L |
| Boil Time: | 45 min |
| Initial Boil Volume: | 4.5 L |
| Mash Method: | Steeped Grains and extract |
| Brew Date: | 1/22/14 |
| My Rating: | 5/10 (being harsh) |
| Typical Style Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Style: | 'Robust Porter' | ||
| O.G. | 1.048 - 1.065 | ||
| F.G. | 1.012 - 1.016 | ||
| ABV | 4.8 - 6.5 | ||
| IBU | 25 - 50 | ||
| SRM | 22 - 35°L | ||
| Color dark black/ruby? | |||
| Calculated & Measured Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calculated O.G. | 1.067 (75% Efficiency) | |
| Calculated F.G. | 1.026 (65% Yeast Attenuation) | |
| Measured O.G. | 1.074 (inf% Actual Efficiency) | |
| Measured F.G. | 1.020 (73% Actual Attenuation) | |
| ABV | 7.5% | |
| IBU | 57.2 | |
| SRM | 29.3°L | |
| Color - dark, can see ruby when light shone through it. But pretty opaque. | ||
| Malt Bill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malt Name | Weight | PPG | SRM | Type |
| Light Dry Extract | 0.75 kg | 1.044 | 8.00 | Extract/Adjunct |
| Chocolate Malt - 350°L | 0.10 kg | 1.028 | 350.00 | Steeped Grain |
| Barley, Flaked | 0.06 kg | 1.032 | 2.00 | Steeped Grain |
| Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L | 0.03 kg | 1.035 | 10.00 | Steeped Grain |
| Mash Rest Profile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest | Temperature | Time | Type | Details |
| Hop Bill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hop Name | Time Added | Weight | AA% | Type |
| Northern Brewer (U.K.) | 30 min | 20.00 g | 9.0% | Leaf Hop |
| Yeast Details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast Strand | Quantity | Attenuation | Flocculation | |
| Safale British ale yeast. | 3x10_9 | 75 | High | |
| Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cooking | ||
| 1/22/14 | Brew Date | |
| 3/30/14 | Bottle | |
| Notes I measured the OG with a refractometer, which gave a reading of 18 brix making it an OG of 1.074. Not far off what was expected but (stupidly) over what is recommended by the 'regulations' on a porter. This might explain some of the 'sweeter' characteristics I get when tasted (see below). |
I actually did a 45 minute boil, adding the hops at 30 minutes. I used half the yeast pack with no reconstitution. (should have made a starter). After three weeks in primary at 18-20 degrees C (room measured at 18 but fermenter likely higher?). The brx value was 11, meaning an FG of 1.020 (attenuation of 73%). This level of attenuation is on target of this yeast strain. However, this probably resulted in the inherent 'sweetness' of the beer. This also left the ABV at about 7% (it tastes like it too). To give a low level of carbonation I added 18g dextran to it prior to bottling. Bottles were left for at least 1 - 2 weeks. Many more being left longer. At Week 1. Flat. No head. Little yeast at bottom. Caramel aroma. Taste. Initial. Flat. Mild sweet. Malty. Residual. Bitter chocolate. Hoppy. Mouthfeel. Medium dry. Low in body. Alcohol. Can tell it. Best to gulp. At week 2. Much the same, sweetness appears more and obviously more carbonated but no head still. For next time I would make it less sweet and carbonate it more but would like more body and head. How is this possible? Could incorporate bitter flavors: coffee? cocoa powder to round off the flavour. I also think a better yeast start wouldn't go amiss to bring the FG down. |
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