Review my Southern Pecan Porter Recipe

[Crock_it_out]

This is only my 5th brew but it will be my first original recipe....and also my first porter. Since I'm still new at this it is an extract recipe....but I would love to hear all input from all brewers. The yeast has yet to be determined. Also the Southern Pecan portion of this porter is coming from a Southern Pecan coffee from a local coffee shop. I'm pretty sure I am going to cold steep the beans and add to the secondary. What are your thoughts on amount of coffee and when to add it to the brew....wort, secondary, bottling? Also what are your thoughts on a yeast nutrient?

Recipe: Southern Pecan Porter
Brewer: Crock it Out
Asst Brewer:
Style: Robust Porter
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 3.15 gal
Post Boil Volume: 2.86 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.067 SG
Estimated Color: 31.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 35.7 IBUs
Estimated ABV: 6.9%
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 0.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
GRAINS
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Carafoam (Weyermann) (2.2 SRM)
8.0 oz Flaked Barley (Briess) (1.4 SRM)
2 lbs DME Golden Light (Briess) (4.0 SRM)
6 lbs 9.6 oz LME Pilsen Light (Briess) (2.3 SRM)

HOPS
0.75 oz Galena (US) Hop Pellets [13.80 %] [Boil for 60 min]
0.50 oz Cascade (US) Hop Pellets [6.20 %] [Boil for 60 min]
0.75 oz Tettnang (US) Hop Pellets [6.10 %] [Boil for 15 min]

1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
8.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 20.0 mins)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
8.0 oz Brown Sugar, Dark [Boil for 10 min]

 

[sptaylor70]

Pilsen LME has a distinct flavor that doesn't seem, to me, to complement an English porter, so if it were my recipe, I'd swap out light LME for the Pilsen. This would give you the opportunity to use maybe amber DME, rather than light, to give you another layer of flavor.

Flaked barley is generally used as a source of protein to give a fuller body and aid in head retention, but it has to be mashed with a base grain or it will give you a "gloppy" texture. You can, however, employ roasted barley (and much less of it) to give you some of that body but also some roasted flavor that should work well with the pecan and coffee flavors.

You have both maltodextrin and carafoam, presumably to build body and head. You can probably use just one of them to accomplish your goal, however.

With your hops, you're mixing English, American, and German varieties, which have different flavor profiles which frequently do not complement one another. Since this is an English style ale, you might want to settle entirely on English varieties. So instead of Cascade and Tettnanger, you could substitute the same amount of Fuggles (at 30 minutes) and Goldings (at 5 minutes), and wind up with a more coherent English flavor.

 

[Crock_it_out]

Pilsen LME has a distinct flavor that doesn't seem, to me, to complement an English porter, so if it were my recipe, I'd swap out light LME for the Pilsen. This would give you the opportunity to use maybe amber DME, rather than light, to give you another layer of flavor.

Flaked barley is generally used as a source of protein to give a fuller body and aid in head retention, but it has to be mashed with a base grain or it will give you a "gloppy" texture. You can, however, employ roasted barley (and much less of it) to give you some of that body but also some roasted flavor that should work well with the pecan and coffee flavors.

You have both maltodextrin and carafoam, presumably to build body and head. You can probably use just one of them to accomplish your goal, however.

With your hops, you're mixing English, American, and German varieties, which have different flavor profiles which frequently do not complement one another. Since this is an English style ale, you might want to settle entirely on English varieties. So instead of Cascade and Tettnanger, you could substitute the same amount of Fuggles (at 30 minutes) and Goldings (at 5 minutes), and wind up with a more coherent English flavor.

Thanks so much for the input....the recipe is based on another robust porter I researched on HBT with additions from other porters. I see what your saying about the hop bill and your argument makes sense, I was just going along with what the recipe went with and people seemed to enjoy the hops combo...do you think the roasted barely on top on the coffee is going to give TOO MUCH roasted overtones? I've tasted some porters that tasted burnt almost like cigarette overtone. Man looks like I have some reworking to do. Thanks again for taking the time to break down my recipe attempt.

 

[sptaylor70]

You're welcome.

Roasted barley - You have a point, and the best answer I have is that I don't know. The lighter the coffee roast, the less concern. So if it's a Vienna roast, you might be okay, but if it's a French roast, then maybe it's too much. Maybe just 1-2 oz. roasted barley, then. Or maybe omit the barley and boost the C40L or chocolate by 4 oz.

Hops - Matching flavors can be tricky, and I'd simplify the first time that you try it, just to make sure that you come out with something that you like. The more you brew this recipe, the more you can work with it to get it where you want it.