Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter: Extract + Grains
This crazy concoction was inspired by Midnight Sun’s T.R.E.A.T., an amazing craft brew that is not available within 2,000 miles of Pennsylvania. We are celebrating our first ever Halloween Big Brew by brewing this somewhat more potent version.
Statistics
Original Gravity 1.094
Final Gravity 1.019
Alcohol Content 9.4%
Ingredients
6.6 lb. Muntons Light LME
2 lb. Muntons Amber DME
1 lb. Briess 6-Row Malt
½ lb. Briess Carabrown Malt 55° L
½ lb. Thomas Fawcett Chocolate Malt 400° L
½ lb. Thomas Fawcett Pale Chocolate Malt 220° L
¼ lb. Muntons Black Patent Malt 500° L
1 oz. Northern Brewer Hop Pellets 10.6%AA (Bittering, 60 minutes)
1 oz. Willamette Hop Pellets (Flavoring, last 5 minutes)
4 lb. Pumpkin*
5 oz. Cacao Nibs*
2 Cinnamon Sticks*
3 Whole Nutmeg*
3 Whole Allspice*
Wyeast # 1335 British Ale II*
1 Large Nylon Mesh Bag
3 Muslin Bags
* These items should not be purchased separately. High quality whole spices, organic cacao nibs and canned pumpkin will be available from Keystone Homebrew Supply as part the Common Ingredients Pack. Yeast will be added to the barrels by Keystone Homebrew Supply.
Procedure
We assume that you are familiar with basic homebrewing techniques, so these procedures are abbreviated.
1. Add 2 gallons of cold water to your brew kettle and heat to approximately 165°F. Turn the heat to low. Add the cracked grains to the nylon bag and lower the open bag into the water. Add the pumpkin carefully and tie the bag off.
2. Perform a “mini-mash” with the grains and pumpkin by monitoring and adjusting the heat to maintain a steady temperature of about 155°F. After 45 minutes, remove the grain bags. Add approximately 3.5 gallons of water (for a full wort boil) and bring the wort to a boil. NOTE: If you are not boiling the full volume of water, ask us about adjusting your bittering hops, and be prepared to top up with water after the boil.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and add all of the liquid and dried malt extract. Keep the heat off and stir until the malt extract is completely dissolved. Adjust your pre-boil volume by adding more water, if necessary.
4. Replace the pot on the burner and bring it back to a boil. Place the Bittering Hops into a muslin bag (no more than 1 oz per bag), add them to the pot, and set your timer to boil for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the pot to avoid boil-overs.
5. After 45 minutes of boiling, add ½ teaspoon of Irish moss, or 1 Whirlfloc tablet, to help clarify your beer (optional).
6. After 55 minutes of boiling, add the Flavoring Hops (in a muslin bag) and boil for 5 more minutes.
7. After 60 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat and add the spices (in a muslin bag) to steep in the hot wort.
8. After 10 minutes of steeping, chill your beer to 80°F or lower and remove the hop and spice bags from the kettle.
9. Prepare to have your wort transferred into a bourbon barrel, but do not perform the transfer yourself. Instead, let a Keystone Homebrew employee know that you are ready.
10. Be prepared to drop off your sanitized and volume-calibrated fermenters at our Montgomeryville store between Wednesday, November 17 and Sunday, November21. Your beer will be ready for pick-up on Saturday, November 27. Please plan to retrieve your beer within 5 days.
11. This beer may benefit from extended bulk aging in your glass carboy. Using a hydrometer, confirm completion of fermentation prior to bottling. When ready to bottle, siphon beer into your sanitized bottling bucket, leaving sediment behind. Boil priming sugar in 1–2 cups of water for a few minutes, gently stir into the beer, and bottle as usual.