Full Moon Porter

Description:

This was an extract brew, but contained about 1–1/2 pounds of specialty malts, as well as some coffee. It looks very dark, and smells great.

Ingredients:

• 6 pounds, dark malt extract syrup
• 1 pound, english dry dark malt extract
• 1/4 pound, black patent malt
• 1/4 pound, chocolate malt
• 1/2 pound, roasted barley
• 5 tablespoons, ground Vienna roast coffee
• 1 ounce, Bullion hops pellets
• 1 ounce, Northern Brewer hops pellets
• 2 ounces, Cascade hops pellets
• Porter yeast starter

Procedure:

I used Charlie’s “step infusion” for the specialty grains, 125 F (20 minutes), 135 (15 minutes), 155 (20 minutes), and 170 (15 minutes). I did a mini-sparge with 170 water and a strainer.

To the resulting wort, I added the extract (syrup and dry). The full boil was about 50 minutes total. 15 minutes, then add 1 ounce Bullion and 1 ounce Northern Brewer, and boil 20 minutes, then add 1–1/4 ounce Cascade and boil 15 more minutes. Then, I added remaining Cascade, steeped 3 minutes, and added coffee, and steeped 1 minute. Cooled the wort in the sink ice bath.

The yeast capsule sat in my fridge for at least a month, but I started it about 40 hours ahead of time, and it was bubbling along nicely by the time I pitched.