Harry Porter (Winter 2021-2022)
The idea here was to brew a full-bodied dark Ale that would pair maltiness with a rich cocoa backbone to help me get through our long Canadian winter! I also wanted to add vanilla, coconut and a bit of lactose to pimp both the flavor profile and the mouthfeel. I aimed low at ABV so I could easily enjoy a few in a row if needed
Grain Bill (12.1 lbs)
6 lbs Superior Pale Ale
0.9 lb Brown malt*
0.7 lb Crystal 40*
0.6 lb Biscuit malt
0.6 lb Honey malt
0.6 lb Flaked oats
0.6 lb Red wheat
0.5 lb Carafa II*
0.4 lb Chocolate malt*
0.4 lb Pale chocolate malt*
0.4 lb Carafoam
0.3 lb Acid malt (only to help bring my pH water closer to the targeted 5.3 mark)
0.2 lb Roasted barley*
* All the dark grains were milled and then soaked in tap water at room temperature for 24 hours (cold-steeping)
Mash (70 minutes)
10 minutes @131F
3 oz 100% pure cocoa powder @45 minutes
60 minutes @155F
10 minutes @168F (mashout)
Boil (90 minutes)
19.5 g East Kent Golding @45 minutes
14 g East Kent Golding @12 minutes
0.5 lb lactose @10 minutes
Cold-steeped extract @10 minutes
A pinch of yeast nutrients @10 minutes
1 Whirlfloc tab@10 minutes
14 g East Kent Golding @5 minutes
@0 minute, I ran the wort through my counterflow chiller and then poured it into the fermenter (around 68F). I stirred the wort using a "magic" wand for over a minute before pitching the yeast (Empire Ale yeast M15; the exact same as the one I used for the previous recipe).
Primary fermentation
The fermenter was placed in the basement at room temperature (around 67F) for a week before I moved it upstairs (69F) for another week.
Secondary fermentation
After two weeks in primary, the beer was sampled then transferred into another fermenter with the following ingredients:
- 2 chopped Madagascar vanilla beans soaked in 1 1/2 oz of Vodka for over 2 weeks;
- 400 g of freshly roasted unsweetened coconut chips (20 minutes @240F);
I let it sit for 3 more weeks before kegging it. Then the keg was placed inside my keezer set @51F and the beer was force carbonated @30 PSI. After 36 hours the pressure was lowered to service pressure (14 PSI).
OG: 1.048
IBU: 18.2
FG: 1.010
ABV: 5%
Tasting notes
First things first, I’m very pleased with the result: smooth and almost silky mouthfeel, I mean look at this creamy head (served on regular CO2 with a stout spout). I can barely imagine the texture nitro would give to this beer, that would be crazy!! Not overly sweet nor malty, the roasted grains and dark chocolate tones merge in an almost perfect balance. The only thing I would change is I would add even more vanilla and coconut or I would add them later while in the secondary, with maybe a third addition directly into the keg to enhance their presence.
This recipe is clearly out of style, a kind of chimera containing both Porter and Stout attributes. Nevertheless, I felt this "magical" beer had to be named accordingly, hence the name "Harry Porter"! All in all, this beer is a winner and therefore, the keg won’t last long…! Cheers
Besides, I can't tell about the cheesecake but it was a very good match with an apple crumble!
Cheers Wiri!
Cheers!