#10 Port O' Palmer

After liking the porter I made by kit brew I thought I would try one by extract brewing. Back to John Palmer’s book (I am getting more out of this book now things are becoming more familiar). Again I am going to go for a small brew – 10ltrs. If the pot held another few litres then I would do a full batch (partial boil), but I really do not think there is the room to put in a late addition extract of that size in. That does not worry me, but the in ability to source the ingredients from our local and an NZ online store does. The lack of range of both malts and hops means there will be only a few recipes I think I could get 100% as intended. Ah well I guess that is good for trial (and hopefully not error).

Having run out of home brew in the fridge, and knowing #9 is only going to produce a few bottles means I need to brew more often! This should be good fun, and good for learning.

What it is meant to be: Port O’ Palmer

• 1.5kg pale malt extract (LME) in boil
• 1.5kg pale malt extract (LME) at knockout
• 230 crystal 60L malt
• 230 chocolate malt
• 120g black patent malt
• 14g Horizon 12% 60min
• 21g Willamette 5% 40min
• 14g Willamette 5% 20min
• Wyeast 1056 American Ale

When I plugged the values into the recipe calculator, the colour seemed low so I bumped them up a little.

Notes

With half the neighbourhood around for a drink and a show, I filled my pot up about 70% and heated to about 75deg C – the idea being it will not drop below 65deg C (reading you want to stay within 10deg of 160deg F). Then I put in all my malt into my bag and dunked it in. Man the colour that came out instantly! A fantastic black.

After 30min steeping, I removed the grain bag and turned on the heat. I added in the LME as it heated up. Once boil was achieved I started with the hop additions.

I decided not to rehydrate the yeast – a little lazy maybe. Turned off heat and chilled the pot in ice bath to 22deg C. I splashed the whole wort and turb in the pot. Almost perfectly 10ltrs but that is with turb. Note this is into the Cooper's DIY fermenter (whilst the bucket was free having bottled only hours earlier, I am saving the bucket for the IPA. I pitched the yeast on top and then gave the whole lot a good shake around.

I had made my own ice this time which was good, but I should have remembered how much! The wort tasted good.

5/5 well I could not help it and I bottled it today. I am not good at waiting… I worry too much about the lack of airlock on the Cooper's DIY fermenter.

Tasting Notes

12/5 Well on Friday I thought I might just taste one, and man it was so good that I took some around to Pete & Linda’s place to share. Will try to keep the others for a while to age more! Nice chocolate malty flavour with a good hop balance. Probably my best beer to date I must say and renewed my love for porters!

19/5 I have shifted the bottles into the fridge now for drinking. A reasonable number made it to this stage which I am pleased about.