Saw this recipe on Shut up about Barclay Perkins website the other day and said to myself this beer sounds awesome. Adjuncts and spicing based on a real turn of the century recipe. Sweet! Porters used to be brewed quite commonly with licorice root which adds a bitter somewhat anise flavor and a non fermenetable sugar that is intensely sweet. There was also quite a bit of salt in it – almost a teaspoon per 5 gallon – probably to help balance out the sweetness of the licorice root. I have to admit I chickened out a bit and scaled back the licorice root and salt by about a third, because I have never used these ingredients before and I am always a little sketchy on spicing having had a really bad experience a few years back trying to clone Het Ankers Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw. Used way too much cinnamon and it was a gag fest although some people really liked it.
A very small amount grains of paradise and hot pepper should add just a faint hint of heat. Flaked corn and sugar will give you the cheap ABV. A lot of my schedule is winging it except for the hops. When do you add the licorice? All sorts of differing info out there. Some say 60, 30, 10 minutes in the boil. I went for the lower side with 15 minutes.
This beer traditionally didn’t get great attenuation. It started at 1.072 and ended at 1.025. I mashed high so maybe it will quit maybe around 1.020 to give it a full body. We’ll see it – hasn’t even been 24 hours and thing is ripping and looking to come to high krausen.
Amsdell Porter
5 gallon all grain
1.072 SG (1.070 actual)
1.025 FG (shooting for 1.020)
6.5% ABV (hoping for 6.9%)
42.9 SRM
40.6 IBUs
Grain
9 lbs oz Pale Malt (2 Row)
2 lbs Corn, Flaked
1 lbs 4 oz Black (Patent) Malt
2oz Roasted Barley
1 lbs 2 oz Sugar, Table
11 oz Brown Sugar, Dark (panella/piconillo)
Hops
2oz Fuggles
1oz Tettnanger
Spices
3.61 g salt (about a teaspoon)
8 g licorice
.5 g hot pepper (1/8 teaspoon)
.5 g grains of paradise (1/8 teaspoon)
Schedule
90 minute
2oz Fuggles
30 minute
1oz Tettnanger
15 minute
licorice root
yeast nutrient
moss
5 minute
salt
hot pepper
grains of paradise
Yeast
California Ale or London Ale or British Ale
Mash and Sparge
Mash in add 4.5 gallons of water at 166.2 F let stabilize to 156.0 F for 45 min
Sparge 4 gallons at 168.0F