First Experimental Brew - Coconut Porter?!?

[JabbA]

Having got a few AG brews under my belt now I think it's time to have a bit of a play!

Whilst trapesing around the supermarket recently I came across a packet of this



and thought it might work in a brew. Chatting with the guys at the last Cambridge beer meet a Porter was suggested as a good vehicle for it.

Based on Gail Porter, which seems to go down very well, here's my coconuty take on it.

Size: 25.0 L

Mash (90 mins):
5000g MO malt
450g Chocolate malt
240g Black malt
50g Coconut cream block made up with 100ml water

Boil (90 mins):
34g Northdown - 90 mins
10g Goldings - 15 mins
1 tsp Irish moss - 15 mins
10g Goldings - after boil

Windsor yeast.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Jamie

[trucker5774]

I have no idea how this will turn out. I love to experiment with fruit and honey etc. There are so many trusted recipies out there for regular brews..........they all started at some point as experiments!

Go for it and report back. Good luck

[JabbA]

Cheers Trucker!

I'll get brewing on Friday before heading to the Lakes for a weeks holiday, hopefully they'll be no problems with the fermentation and we won't come back to a black, coconuty mess under the stairs!!!

Cheers,
Jamie

[Eadweard]

I do my experimental brews using only a portion of my wort - I up the grain bill so I can do five gallons as normal and a gallon boiled in a jam pan for the experimental batch. That way have haven't spent all day making five gallons of rubbish if it turns out to have been a bad idea!

[JabbA]

Eadweard, that seams like an top idea- how do you go about cooling the wort of the experimental batch?

I was thinking just placing the pan in the sink and letting the cold tap run around the outside of the pan till cooled enough. The last time I brewed I did a 10l batch and my IC took ages to cool the wort as half the copper was out of the wort...

Cheers,
Jamie

[Eadweard]

Yes, pan in sink is the method I used for the mini batch. I've also used this method for doing stronger brews based on the main batch (use the first runnings from the mash tun). I've steeped some other grains and used different hops in mini batches as well as doing wierd stuff too. I quite like being able to experiment and play it safe at the same time!

[jubby]

Looking forward to tasting that one Jamie. Based on my limited experience and knowledge, I would not advise mashing the coconut, just in case it disrupts the mashing process (starch conversion etc) It may be ok, but i would add it maybe half way through the boil. Also the windsor yeast may leave it a bit sweet as that looks like a fairly high grain bill. Maybe Nottingham? You may want a high finishing gravity of course, so if you do; ignore all that!

What ever you decide, good luck with it.

[JabbA]

Hi Jubby, it was indeed very good to meet you and the other chaps the other Friday, extremely informative it was, here's to the next one

I did think of spitting the coconut between the mash and the boil, half and half- how do you think this would affect the finished brew??

I was intending to finish with not too strong a brew (abv wise). I do have a sachet of Nottingham to hand- I thought the Windsor would provide a more traditional London Porter flavour though?

Cheers,
Jamie

[jubby]

I don't know what effect the coconut will have on the conversion of the starches into fermentables. It may have no effect, but unless somebody can confirm it will be ok, I would just add it to the boil.

You may be right about the windsor, it will leave it sweet with a lower ABV.

Enjoy your holiday and I will see you in the Kingston with a sample of your porter