Time to do a christmas porter?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by JebediahScooter, Oct 26, 2012.

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Do I still have time to do my Christmas Breakfast Porter if I brew it next weekend, 11/3?

  1. Yes, it will be drinking fine by 12/25

    17 vote(s)
    81.0%

  2. No, it will suck by 12/25, find a new Christmas present idea

    1 vote(s)
    4.8%

  3. Yes, but encourage gift recipients to hold off on opening it

    3 vote(s)
    14.3%
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  1. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    I had a big beer going for christmas presents this year (Denny Conn's bvip), but it's kind of a mess right now (overcarbonated, over-oaked, vanilla totally faded, etc). I don't think I want to put that one out there with my name on it. So I brewed an oatmeal porter with chocolate & coffee last year, and it turned out spectacular. Wondering what folks thoughts are on whether or not I can have this ready by 12/25. I normally don't really keep track of actual weeks until a beer is ready...I brew, ferment for 2-3 weeks, bottle, and start testing at about 10 days out...test a bottle every week or so until the beer is good to go. I brew more pale ales than anything, so I've got the timing on that down...not very good at estimating darker/bigger beers, so I usually just go with the sample until it's ready method.

    5.5 Gallon batch
    1.057 : 1.015
    mash at 153

    10# pale malt (thinking about switching to or blending 50/50 with MO)
    1# biscuit
    1# flaked oats
    .5# black patent
    .5# chocolate
    .25# crystal 60
    Fuggles/EKG @ 60, 30, 0 to about 35 ibu
    4oz cocoa nibs during whirlpool
    4oz coffee (half whole bean, half course ground) during whirlpool
    Wyeast 1099 (planning on switching to 1968) , 1.09l starter on a stirplate

    Ferment 67-68, raise to 70-72 after two weeks for a few days. I could keg and force carb and then bottle off the keg, but I haven't really perfected that and haven't been pleased with my keg bottling results so far, so I'll probably just prime with sugar and bottle. So it'd be brewing 11/3, probably bottling 11/25 or so, and a month in bottles before Christmas. I could probably have it bottled by 11/18 to give it a bit more time there. Anyhoo, thoughts or ideas are appreciated.
     
    #1 JebediahScooter, Oct 26, 2012
  2. america2021

    america2021 Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2009 New York

    i'm planning to brew an oatmeal stout of similar gravity on 11/10 to be consumed on new years. if it offers any peace of mind i am not concerned at all of the timeline. personally i think 3 weeks in primary and a month in bottles will be fine for this beer.
     
    #2 america2021, Oct 26, 2012
  3. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    Cool, thanks, yes...peace of mind. I also just thought of toying with the recipe and making it a bit smaller, more like a 1.053 OG, 4.8-5% abv porter.
     
    #3 JebediahScooter, Oct 26, 2012
  4. benetoh

    benetoh Zealot (536) Feb 2, 2008 New Jersey

    That depends on a few things. First and foremost, what are you putting in it that makes it "breakfast?" Things like coffee may be best realtively fresh, but depending on how/if you get chocolate flavor, its peak varies IMO. I have found that if you use cocoa powder, it peaks after a few months. Chocholate bars on the other hand are better a little sooner.
     
    #4 benetoh, Oct 26, 2012
  5. MLucky

    MLucky Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2010 California

    I think you'll be fine. My sense of it is that it's really only the baltic porters and porters with a lot of brown malt that need significant aging. This one should be good to go in no time, IMO. You could overpitch a little just to be sure.
     
    #5 MLucky, Oct 26, 2012
  6. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    Breakfast porter because of the oats, coffee, chocolate.

    When I brewed it last year with adding cocoa nibs at flameout, the chocolate was pronounced and delicious early on. I'm more concerned with the malt base having enough time to meld with only a month of carbing/conditioning.
     
    #6 JebediahScooter, Oct 26, 2012
  7. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    This is the sort thing that I was wondering about...thanks.
     
    #7 JebediahScooter, Oct 26, 2012
  8. america2021

    america2021 Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2009 New York

    or store the bottles in a warm closet for the month...
     
    #8 america2021, Oct 26, 2012
  9. Heatwave33

    Heatwave33 Initiate (0) Sep 13, 2011 Florida

    Sounds delicious! Send one my way! Or 4 :wink:
     
    #9 Heatwave33, Oct 26, 2012
  10. benetoh

    benetoh Zealot (536) Feb 2, 2008 New Jersey

    I think you should be fine. Even if your "malt base" isn't quite where you want it, there will be enough good stuff going on by then to please most people.

    Good Luck, and happy brewing
     
    #10 benetoh, Oct 26, 2012
  11. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    Thanks, folks. The people have spoken, with 77% thinking that such a beer will be ready to drink by Christmas. I am going to go with the plan of bumping down OG to the low-50's, using Maris Otter, and switching to 1968.
     
    #11 JebediahScooter, Oct 27, 2012
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