Smokey Brown Porter

[Wortlover]

Brewing a Porter this weekend, from a recipe that my LHBS recommended. I will be brewing with RO water, and for the life of me, can't figure out what I need to do to adjust my water for mash and brew. If I use the London Porter/dark ale profile, I find it near impossible to to adjust for the really high HCO. And the Mash chemistry and Water calc indicates a really low ph, 4.6, for the mash report. Can anyone recommend a water profile that is more friendly?

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Smoky Brown Porter
Author: VT Homebrew Supply

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Porter
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 10.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 12 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV (standard): 5.63%
IBU (tinseth): 27.96
SRM (morey): 26.67

FERMENTABLES:
1 lb - United Kingdom - Brown (4.1%)
6 lb - Weyermann Munich 2 (24.5%)
12 lb - Crisp Gleneagles Maris Otter (49%)
2 lb - Weyermann Oak-smoked Wheat (8.2%)
2 lb - Fawcett Pale Chocolate (8.2%)
1.5 lb - Crisp Crystal Dark 77L (6.1%)

HOPS:
3.5 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 27.96

YEAST:
Danstar - American West Coast Yeast BRY-97
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 72%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 62 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 64 F
Pitch Rate: 0.75 (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:

 

[GFHomebrew]

My unexpierenced 2c as in never done this is you could try mashing your dark grains late in the mash like 15 or so to go to try and keep that mash in a respectable 5.3-6 ph range ? What's others thoughts on this objective mash cap I think it's called?

 

[jmcnamara]

The few times I've done it, I liked what capping did. I made a black ipa a bit ago, that barely had any of the roastiness but plenty of color

You just have to remember to put in the darker malts before you start sparging.... ask me how I know

 

[Wortlover]

well, with the help of another water profile Calc, I was able to get my water sorted out. I went with a water profile that was somewhere between a brown and a full black. The brewing went great yesterday, Brewer's Friend program is great for step by step, and the log entries. I use a brew bag in my coleman 70 extreme cooler, and I love it. I ended up with 82% mash efficiency, with some healthy squeezes of the elevated bag at mash out. Pickling lime was my solution for the ph. Hoping all went well. I need to pick up a ph meter to really evaluate.