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Author Topic: Tips on drying out a Robust Porter stuck at 1.025?  (Read 7551 times)

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Tips on drying out a Robust Porter stuck at 1.025?
« Reply #30 on: September 17, 2014, 12:03:58 pm »
Before you dump it try Brett lambicus. It would need to sit for a few months but would take it way down and would add an interesting cherry pie note. Well, probably

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Tips on drying out a Robust Porter stuck at 1.025?
« Reply #31 on: September 17, 2014, 12:45:11 pm »
is it possible your thermo is off? (like 10 degrees?)
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Offline mchrispen

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Re: Tips on drying out a Robust Porter stuck at 1.025?
« Reply #32 on: September 17, 2014, 01:09:47 pm »
I should recalibrate or at least test the temps, but pulling samples for gravity - and checking the temps, I am fairly certain it is no more than 1 degree +/-. It's a Ranco controller and has served well for a couple of years. Will confirm against a good thermometer.


Denny, yeah that is a good point. I could reduce some of those and still have a good porter, but would expect to increase the dark malt for color and flavor (cut the brown and the caramel). Probably a good idea to brew the BCS robust porter and look at the result. I wish I had done a fast ferment test as well. Still confused by the last brew attenuating better with the same recipe. My notes show the last brew done at 154F and I thought the body was too stout-like. So I switched to 152F which yield lovely saisons, goldens and dubbels.


Jim - love the idea, just not sure I want to go that route, yet. I have a Belgian Strong Golden lined up for my 15 g barrel that I want to get all funky and sour.


Part of this is a brew done with a neighbor who is looking at getting into the hobby. I don't want to discourage him, but use this as a lesson and get to the bottom line. He is inheriting my old brewing gear this coming week :) God knows he needs to brew rather than landscape and make me look bad! I think throwing the roast coffee onboard will help him understand how to salvage this.
Matt Chrispen
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Blogging from the garage @ accidentalis.com
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Offline mchrispen

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Re: Tips on drying out a Robust Porter stuck at 1.025?
« Reply #33 on: October 01, 2014, 11:22:36 am »
Just to follow up:


The two kegs are carbing up nicely. I followed the advice of adding some cold steeped roasted coffee, a dark roast sourced locally and used about 1.5 ounces coarsely ground to a pint of water, 2 days steeping. After tasting a dose roughly equivalent, I went ahead and added the whole pint to the 10.5 gallon batch. The coffee highlights the roast flavor without making this a coffee porter... nice front roast without any ash or astringency. Maybe some vanilla in the finish.


Always surprised by how bright carbonation can make things. While I know this finished high - most of the sweetness is balanced out. Looking forward to drinking this over a few football weekends!


Thank you everyone for your suggestions and advice.
Matt Chrispen
Sometime Austin Zealot
Blogging from the garage @ accidentalis.com
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