My first recipe!

[TommyBoy0329]

Never brewed a day in my life and as I wait for all my equipment to arrive, I am playing with recipes in anticipation...please critique the hell out of this recipe...

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Midnight Ride Porter

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Porter
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (ending kettle volume)
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 70% (ending kettle)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 6.54%
IBU (tinseth): 30.78
SRM (morey): 50

FERMENTABLES:
11 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (73.3%)
3 lb - American - Chocolate (20%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 120L (6.7%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 40 min, IBU: 9.58
0.5 oz - Columbus, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 45 min, IBU: 21.47

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temperature, Temp: 160 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 6 gal
2) Sparge, Temp: 160 F, Time: 30 min, Amount: 3 gal
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.25 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
4 oz - Chocolate, Time: 10080 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
1 oz - Espresso, Time: 10080 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 81%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 54 - 77 F
Fermentation Temp: 65 F
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: London (Porter, dark ales)
Ca2: 100
Mg2: 5
Na: 35
Cl: 60
SO4: 50
HCO3: 265
Water Notes:

NOTES:

Not quite sure how the Mash calculator works, but I have a 10 gallon false bottom Igloo cooler mash tun on the way...planned to Mash for 60 minutes at approx 160 degrees, then Sparge for approx 30 minutes with new 160 degree water...

I have a 7.5 Gallon Kettle on the way...boil for 60 minutes at approx 180 degrees...adding the hops at 40 minutes and 45 minutes respectively before moving to the primary fermenter...

Plan is then to ferment in primary for a week, then rack to a secondary and add in the chocolate nibs and an oz of freshly brewed espresso and let sit for 3-4 weeks before bottling...

Bottles will then sit for 2-3 weeks carbonating...

 

[jeffpn]

I think your mash temp is high. I like 153° or so. Also, I'd discourage you from planning your primary fermentation time. It's done when it's done.

 

[TommyBoy0329]

Ok cool, I will adjust accordingly...learning as I go...and yea times are all approximate...in my very limited experience "brewing" with my little Pico machine, I just wait til the airlock stops bubbling or no more gas is released from the valve...

I thought the primary fermentation period is usually short, then you move to the secondary to add in flavors or whatever and let it finish out for however long it takes...am I getting it wrong or backwards?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Pretty much tommy but use your hydrometer to determine when the brew is done. Them picobrew machines ain't cheap eh? What they have pre packaged recipes for that .

 

[TommyBoy0329]

Pretty much tommy but use your hydrometer to determine when the brew is done. Them picobrew machines ain't cheap eh? What they have pre packaged recipes for that .

I funded it as a KickStarter project for $500 and totally forgot about it with real life happening around me until a big brown box showed up to work one day...up until that point I had only bought beer at the store, never thought about making it myself...after I made the included American IPA pack, I was impressed and it got me thinking about making more...couple packs later and the fun started to wear off as I realized all I was doing was paying money to brew some companies beer...but the fun of brewing and urge to make more was there still, firmly embedded in my brain...now after months of scowering the internet and buying books...I just bought a complete set up, everything I need to start and I am impatiently waiting for my HUGE shipment of goodies to arrive here in Japan...

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yea I hear brewing your own is sorta frowned up one over their mate. I'm probably in the same time zone as you anyway being east coast Australia and all? Yea look at what the pros brew and adapt them recipes to suit your taste.