Dark Ale Chocolate Porter

[PeterH24]

Hey Guys....First time poster and first time home brewer and Im looking for some advice. I have a can of Coopers Dark Ale and fermentables including BE1 and BE2 a 500gm pack of Light Dry Malt and 2 x packs of Dextrose. Im looking to make a chocolate/coffee style Porter using these ingredients and am not sure what to use and how much of each I will need. I want to keep it as simple as possible due to me being new at this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[PhilboBaggins]

Hi Peter, welcome to the forums mate!

 

Usually when I make a chocolate porter, I steep some chocolate malt grain to give it that toasted flavour, but being your first time, I'd say forget about that until you've got a couple of simple brews under your belt. Just make up the dark ale and you'll love it.

 

1. Clean and sanitise all your equipment meticulously

2. Soak the dark ale can in hot water for 15min to soften the goo

3. Chuck the BE2 and 500g LDM in the fermenter

4. Leaving the spoon OUT, pour 2-4 litres of hot tap water onto the powders in the fermenter. Don't stir with LDM in the mix or it'll clump. Just pick it up and swirl until all the lumps are gone

5. Crack open the can of goo and tip it in the fermenter, rinse it with a bit of hot water to get the dregs out

6. NOW you can use the spoon to stir the crap out of it

7. Top up the FV to 18 or 19 L with cold tap water and check temp, you're aiming for about 24 for pitching

8. Add chilled water (prepped the night before) or warm water to top up to 23L and hit the right temp

9. Sprinkle the yeast on top and seal her up!

 

Once the yeast has been pitched at 24c you want to let it cool down on its own to 18-22c (22 is as high as you should let it go.)

 

EDIT: Most people will say 18-20, but temp control for new brewers can be a tricky thing, and I've never had a bad beer brewed at 22c, so don't panic if it gets a bit higher than 20

 

Maintain that temp for 6 days or so then start taking hydrometer readings. When it is the same over two days, that should mean it's done! Leave it for 5-7 days after that, and then bottle!

 

Have I waffled on too much?

 

Good luck mate, most rewarding hobby ever! [love] [love] [love] [love]