Wassa's Honey Porter

[Bizier]

Are the hops in this recipe pellets or the teabag-things?

Just get a 90g bag of cascade pellets or flowers, I think there are very few people here who will regret that purchase. I would recommend the 08 NZ flowers from Ross if he still has them in. http://craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=632

I am yet to do this recipe, but I have a kg of my dad's honey sitting around, I think it has just found a home.

[tazman67]

Just do it !
I do one of these every year for winter..Kick myself for not making a second...

[Throsby]

Briliant stuff.

Thanks for the tips gentlemen.

I thought Porter was somewhere between a Dark Ale and a Stout - glad to hear my memory isn't as hazy as I feared.


Looks like I'll be picking up some Cascade Porter next time I'm at my HBS...

Cheers,

Throsby

[Canbrew]

I have just started experimenting with specialty grains and was thinking of adding some Carafa Special T2 to this recipe and if so how much? I would be interested to hear some opinions. I also have some crystal (amber I think, I haven't trid it yet) and some Carapils.

Would this recipe need some additional bittering or should I just boil the Cascade additions at 15 and 5 maybe?

Cheers

[Wassa]

I'd think about using some chocolate grain to get the extra chocolate boost.

Recipe doesn't need extra bittering so I'd stick with the 15 min and 5 min or even dry hop.

[Canbrew]

Thanks for that. I've picked some up and will give it a go.

I just bought some grain, hops and malt online from CraftBrewer and am very happy with the freshness and prompt delivery so I thought I'd give them a plug while I'm on here.

[Throsby]

Okay, you've talked me into it.

I've bought all the gear from a coupla Newcastle HB shops and I'm putting a Honey Porter down tomorrow morning.

Can't wait. It's very exciting.

This will be my first encounter with Safale - from what I've read on this forum it seems that once I've used it I'll never go back to the kit yeast. We'll see I guess.

I'll hang on to the kit yeast anyway - never know when you can throw it in with another yeast as a bit of a starter.

I had a JS Porter the other day just to remind myself of the style and now I'm super-keen to get this show on the road.

Thanks Wassa for the recipe and everyone else for twisting my arm.

Cheers,

Throsby

[Throsby]

Is 1052 too high for OG? Oh well, too bad if not I guess. I'm a bit annoyed that it looks like we're going to cop a 30-degree day here today so I'll have to try to keep the temp down wwhile the yeast takes hold.

Is the S-04 yeast fairly hardy? I pitched at 23 degrees - couldn't get it down any lower (it's already 20 degrees in my laundry/brewery and it's only 8am!). Hope she'll be okay.

Cheers,

Throsby

[KEG]

it will definitely start at that temperature, unless the yeast was cactus to start with. which is unlikely.

[Throsby]

Yeah she certainly started alright. First bubbles through the airlock in only 45 minutes. That's hours faster than any of my previous 21 brews.

Bubbling along okay now. The laundry peaked at 28 degrees today and the fermenter made it as high as 26. Even though it is now 10:30 at night, the fermenter is still hovering around 26.

Regardless, the airlock is bubbling away like crazy (every second or so) and there is a strong crusty krausen forming already.

This safale seems like fairly energetic stuff.

[timmy]

throbber,

Before I got my temp controlled fridge, I used to put the fermenter in one of those plastic tubs and fill it with water. Then I have a few PET bottles that I freeze (with water in) and rotate them. This keeps the brew temps down and reduces some of the off flavours you can get from fermenting too warm. You can also try a wet towel over the fermenter.

Hope it helps,

Tim

[Rob C]

Anyone got a AG recipe for a honey porter?

Cheers
Rob

[skurvy84]

hi everyone,
i've read the thread and so far lke the sound of this very very much.

i'm a complete NOOB to the art of home brewing and my question is would this suit a first timer and will it all fit inside the 23L coopers kit i got on the weekend?.

thanks for your response.

Wassa, it seems you have done quite well with this beer, well done.

[timmy]

I assume you mean the fermenter, and yes it will.

It should suit a first timer - the only difference between this and a standard kit & kilo is you need to do a short boil for the hops.

[skurvy84]

excellent!!,

thanks for your help timmy. your a champ

[Smabb]

Ok, I've fallen for the sales pitch.

This will be my next brew, once I've racked the Stout I put down last week (and acquired some more bottles.....)

[Wassa]

Funny thing about this beer is I keep on making it and it just keeps on drinking well.

As a matter of fact I am going to put one down again on Saturday, using Leatherwood Honey and ferment with Safale.

[Brendo1]

I've yet to bottle my first brew and already have the ingredients/plan for my second and third, I think this one will be my fourth its only natural progression.

Couple of queries, whats yellowbox honey and where do you get it?

This brew would be my first experimentation with hops, whats the newbie hops instructions? And yes, i've read all the stickies, some of them a few times over but I keep seeing contradictions and varying opinions. Do I buy it in a teabag, soak it in water straight out the kettle and toss that in? Buy it as pellets and toss straight into the fermentor? Or do I have to do a crazy boil where I add some at start some 30mins later and some more 10mins after that...?

[Smabb]

Couple of queries, whats yellowbox honey and where do you get it?

This brew would be my first experimentation with hops, Do I buy it in a teabag, soak it in water straight out the kettle and toss that in? Buy it as pellets and toss straight into the fermentor? Or do I have to do a crazy boil where I add some at start some 30mins later and some more 10mins after that...?

Gidday Brendo

All I know about Yellow Box is its a type of honey (honey of course varies depending on where the bees get the nectar), I'd just try the supermarket or your HB shop- not much help I know.

In regards to hops, I'd buy it in the form your local homebrew shop sells it and not worry too much about it at this stage. For this recipe the hops you buy separately (there are already some in the Cascade Kit) are for finishing. I'll boil them for 15 minutes. No need for it to be a "crazy boil". So if its a tea bag throw that in, if its pellets throw that in.

Make notes of what you used (honey type, pellet form, boiling time etc etc) and the taste etc and if you make it again you can then make changes based on your drinking notes.

Wazza - I've got 250g of Black patent malt I was going to steep (been cracked, gotta use it!), any comments?

cheers

[chadjaja]

Coles and safeway will have your yellowbox honey and its about $6.