Rum Barrel Samoa Porter-Help needed

[KyleWolf]

Hi Everyone.

Looking to make a samoa imperial porter that I am going to age in my rum barrel. I have never used coconut in a beer before though I have had a few good coconut homebrews. I wanted to get some thoughts on this recipe and any ideas of how to get additional caramel flavors. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

12lb 00oz 2row
01lb 00oz Flaked Oats
01lb 00oz Biscuit Malt
00lb 12oz Crisp Brown Malt
00lb 12oz Caramel 80
00lb 08oz Chocolate Malt
00lb 08oz Crystal 120
00lb 08oz Lactose

0.5oz Columbus 60min
Another hop addition at ~15min, just to bring the IBUs up to ~35.

Probably ferment with an English Ale year or maybe Denny's Favorite 50.

OG:1.085
FG: 1.020
ABV: 9%
SRM-28
IBU-35

For the coconut, I was thinking of using maybe 1.5lb of shaved coconut toasted in the oven and added into secondary.
Throw in some cocoa nibs and a vanilla bean into some vodka during fermentation and add into secondary.
I am still a little stumped on how to get that real "caramel" taste into the beer. There have been some suggestions of adding molasses after killing the fermentation with potassium metabisulfite, but I am not sure if that will give the desired effect.

Is the biscuit AND flaked oats too much? If so, I would probably keep the flaked oats for the silky body. Lactose is there for a similar reason, to smooth out the body and also to enhance the cocoa.

So, with that, I would love to hear some thoughts and suggestions. Thanks a bunch!

*Disclaimer, I have read a number of the previous posts on girl scout cookie beers.

 

[Vellum]

Sounds very tasty. I didn't see a mash temperature, what are you planning? The recipe looks like an almond joy beer. Let us know how it turns out.

I think the flaked oat and biscuit malt are fine. The biscuit will perhaps drive home a saltine cracker type taste in the beer (which in my mind will go great with the sweetness of the lactose), while the flaked oat will provide the creaminess of an oatmeal porter which goes right along with the chocolate/coconut flavors.

Good luck!

 

[KyleWolf]

The plan was to mash around 154

 

[KyleWolf]

Additionally, I haven't used biscuit malt before, so I wasn't sure of the exact flavor it would impart. I may look into other bready malts that could give a "cookie" rather than "cracker" flavor.

 

[KyleWolf]

I think I am going to brew this in the next week, and modified the recipe a little bit.

13# 2row
1.25# Carabrown malt (or Crisp Brown)
0.5# Chocolate malt
0.75# Crystal 80
0.5# Crystal 120
1# Flaked Oats
0.5# Lactose

about 35IBU worth of bittering, no late additions.

Mash 154, 1.5lb toasted coconut, 4oz cocoa nibs, 1 vanilla bean split, and 1lb molasses added in secondary (after barrel aging)

Any thoughts on the carabrown vs the crisp brown malt? I have never used carabrown but have had good experiences with crisp brown in my American Brown Ales (carabrown is logistically faster and easier for me to obtain). Just interested in everyone's thoughts. Thanks!

 

[D-Train]

I don't know about getting additional caramel flavors, but golden promise has a certain sweetness quality that might help you get there if you're not set on American 2row. Also carastan is described as being toffee-like which I suppose isn't too far off from caramel.

We want to hear more about the rum barrel!!

 

[KyleWolf]

The rum barrel is a 5gal barrel from a local distillery and brewery (Square One). Unfortunately the barrel held the rum prior to spicing, so there isn't any "spiced rum" character which would have been amazing.

I currently have a spiced belgian quad in the rum barrel at the moment that will be transferred out soon. I am hoping some of the spices get transferred to the barrel.