Help with Whitbread 1896 Porter

[paulcav]

Evening all

I brewed the Whitbread 1896 Porter recipe from The Durden bookon the 5th of November but I've run into a couple of problems. Firstly my OG was 1.066 but so far it is only down to 1.028. I know that the grain bill does offer up fewer unfermentables but surely the gravity is still too high.

Secondly, the black malt presence is, not quite, but just off overwhelming. Is this just in keeping with the style of the day or have I got it wrong somewhere? My thoughts on solving these two issues are to pitch a yeast that will take thew gravity down to a more respectable level (suggestions welcome), and/or to brew the same recipe but with no black malt and to blend them.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.



11-05-2008 Whitbread's (1896) Porter

A ProMash Brewing Session Report
--------------------------------

Brewing Date: Wednesday November 05, 2008
Head Brewer: Paul
Asst Brewer:
Recipe: Whitbread's (1896) Porter

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

15-A Porter, Robust Porter

Min OG: 1.050 Max OG: 1.065
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 59 Max Clr: 177 Color in EBC

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 20.50 Wort Size (L): 20.50
Total Grain (Kg): 6.42
Anticipated OG: 1.061 Plato: 14.90
Anticipated EBC: 99.9
Anticipated IBU: 62.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.066 Plato: 16.13
Actual FG: 1.030 Plato: 7.56

Alc by Weight: 3.66 by Volume: 4.77 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 53.2 RDF 45.1 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Actual Mash System Efficiency: 83 %
Anticipated Points From Mash: 60.68
Actual Points From Mash: 72.15


Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 10.00 Percent Per Hour

Raw Pre-Boil Amounts - only targeted volume/gravity and evaporation
rate taken into account:

Pre-Boil Wort Size: 22.78 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.055 SG 13.48 Plato

With sparge water, mash water, additional infusions, vessel losses, top-up
water and evaporation rate recorded in the Water Needed Calculator:

Water Needed Pre-Boil Wort Size: 32.74 L
Water Needed Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.038 SG 9.51 Plato


Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
35.8 2.30 kg. Pale Malt Marris Otter Great Britain 1.036 5
46.7 3.00 kg. Amber Malt Great Britain 1.032 69
9.7 0.62 kg. Brown Malt Great Britain 1.032 138
7.9 0.51 kg. Black Patent Malt Great Britain 1.027 1034

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
113.40 g. Fuggle Whole 4.00 62.8 60 min.


Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast S-04 SafAle English Ale

Water Profile
-------------

Profile: Luton
Profile known for:

Calcium(Ca): 142.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 34.4 ppm
Sodium(Na): 57.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 8.5 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 17.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 173.0 ppm

pH: 7.10
25g PH 5.2 added to mash


p.s. I will post pics of a brewday at some point - I promise!

[eyeoftheduck]

Your high final gravity may be caused by the amount of amber malt that you used. Generally, amber malt is not diastatic, so will not convert it's starch into sugars during the mash. So the end result would be a wort with a low proportion of fermentable sugars, hence a high FG. You can get diastatic amber malt, which will convert itself. However, the Durden Park recipe specifies pale amber malt, which is diastatic. I have used Munich malt, or a mixture of Munich and the usual amber to replace the pale amber of the recipe. If you used the diastatic amber, then I am not sure why your fermentation has stuck so high.

Regarding the excessive black malt flavour, perhaps the 3 month maturation time will help mellow it out. I have not found it overwhelming in those proportions. Also, it may be that the high proportion of amber used is accentuating the black malt presence.

[oblivious]

That's not the same amber malt that we have to day, its pale amber and people sub in Munich instead of it or you could also have used diastatic amber malt.

[paulcav]

Thanks for the replies so far. The amber I used was from Barleybottom.