Recipe Review

Never done this before, but with a little help I might make it through. I have done many extract brews with steeping grains but have always followed the recipe to the letter. I want to try to make a beer recipe for myself that I will like. I am looking at doing a smokey porter.

I worked with Brew Target software to come up with what I have. Any suggestions or corrections will be appreciated, but then again, I might just brew it to see what it is like.

3.3 lbs Coopers LME - Amber
4.0 lbs Dry Extract DME - Dark
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (US)
4.0 oz Briess - Smoked Malt

2.0 oz Perle hops - Bittering
1.0 oz Goldings - Aroma

Irish moss in boil

WLP041 - Liquid Pacific Ale yeast.

OG = 1.061
FG = 1.020

if you want the smokiness to come through you may want to up the smoked malt to at least 8 oz, otherwise it looks good.

Thanks a lot, I am just learning with the experimentation and formulating recipes. I hope to be able to work out an all grain one of these days.

keep in mind that dark malt extract has a lot of unfermentables in it. it will probably finish out above 1.020

Agree with Scoggin. I would suggest replacing 1 pound of extract with 1 pound of cane sugar to get the final gravity down to 1.020 or less.

Also I’m not certain but I believe the smoked malt is supposed to be mashed, and I would use at least a whole pound of it to get enough smoky character in your beer. If it is only steeped and not mashed, you could end up with unconverted starches in your beer, which could lead to starch haze and potential contamination or off-flavors. Are you ready for a mini-mash? You could do just a small pot on your stove of perhaps 1 pound smoked malt in a grain bag and a little water (about 1.5 quarts would be good), held at about 150 F for 40 minutes, and that should be good enough to get it to convert to where you can pour the liquid into the rest of the batch. It’s not at all difficult, it just takes one extra step on the side. After that just brew as normal.

Best of luck to you.

Dave,

Thank you for the advice. I will definately try it the way that you suggested.

Great! Let us know how it turns out for you. I think it will be really good.

Briess Cherry smoked malt does require a mash to convert.

It is also substantially more smokey then beechwood smoked malt. I would not go above 1 Lb in a 5 gallon batch.