Bourbon Molasses Porter

BOURBON MOLASSES PORTER 

This isn't the first porter to be featured in this pages. In fact it's the third. Our standard Porter and our Holiday Ale each have entries that you can take a look at for more information on Porters. What makes this version of our Porter different is the addition of both molasses and bourbon. 

The first thing that makes this beer different than the other Porters that we have made is the bourbon. Now, we've aged our Belgian Stout with bourbon soaked oak chips, but this is the only beer that we make that has bourbon as a direct ingredient. When we designed this beer, we wanted the bourbon flavor to be an accent on the overall profile of the beer, not dominate it or add any further alcohol content. To do this we came up with a new solution.

Instead of simply pouring a bottle of bourbon into our beer at any point, we decided to make it an addition to the secondary fermentation. Before doing this addition, we had to find a way to eliminate any alcohol from the bourbon, so we could get the flavor and aromatics without compromising our Porter. To do this, we poured a bottle of cheap stuff (we used Old Grandad 100, you can use whatever you want) into a saucepan and heated it up. Once the bourbon started to vapor on the stovetop, we brought it outside and set it on fire. This burns off the alcohol in the whiskey and allows the flavors and aromas to remain. Once all the alcohol was burned off, or at least enough to reduce the bourbon by quite a bit, we let it come down in temperature and added it to our secondary fermenter (usually a glass carboy, thus waiting until is cools). 

Molasses added during the boil not only adds a ton of dark colors, but also an earthy sweetness that can't be found in other sugars. Molasses additions does the same kind of work that a dark Candi Sugar addition does in Belgian beers, but instead of adding a sharpness and alcoholic bite, molasses will contribute a smoothness with the the added gravity points. Molasses additions are not recommended for lighter beers, as the darkness of the product will counter any light qualities and colors of certain styles of beer. In a porter, like this one, the sugary syrup adds balance to the bourbon and angular malts that go into a Porter. 

OUR RECIPE

10.5 lbs 2-row Pale Ale Malt  

1 lb Black Malt

½ lb Chocolate Malt

2 oz Fuggle Hops

1 oz East Kent Goldings Hops

British Ale Yeast

1 L Bourbon
12 fl oz Blackstrap Molasses

Grains Used

2-Row Pale Ale Malt: A basic base malt, this won’t impart too much color and very little flavor. It is a pretty clean, crisp malt that works well with specialty grains and pretty much any style of beer. American varieties are generally less starchy and lighter than English breeds.

Black Malt: Adds dark black coloring, as well as charcoal aroma, strong bitter coffee flavor. Used with caution, can add angular roasty characteristics to beer.

Chocolate Malt: Adds deep garnet red colors, roasted nut flavors and aromas. Named for its color, not any flavor or aromatic properties.

Hops Used

Fuggle: A versatile and traditional English hop variety, Fuggle was introduced in the 19^th century and has been a staple of British beers ever since. Usually an aromatic hop, it can be used at any point in the brewing process. In this case, its low Alpha Acid levels make it a perfect bittering hop for low IBU Porter beers.

East Kent Goldings: An English hop variety from the 18^th century, this traditionally aromatic British hop is widely used across all styles of homebrewed beer. Slightly sweet, earthy, and floral, East Kent Goldings are generally considered to be the quintessential English hops.

Yeast Used

SafAle S-04: A basic English dry yeast strain that works well across all styles but really thrives in malty and dark ales. Top fermenting and reliable, S-04 dry yeast can handle most low to medium ABV beers, it ferments quickly and creates a tight sediment base, increasing the clarity of lighter English ales while still retaining the hearty characteristics of pub beer.

Adjuncts Used

Bourbon: An addition that is usually combined with oak to get a barrel aged quality, bourbon can add sweet oaken and vanilla flavors to a dark beer. Use in lighter beers can be tricky because the flavor profile of the beer may not suit the boldness of the whiskey. 

Blackstrap Molasses: Sharp and dark, molasses of any stripe should be used sparingly. Boil additions to darker beers add sweetness and earthiness and combines well with other flavors. Molasses can be used to carbonate as well, but its volatility in this usage can result in bottle bombs so some research on volumes per gallon should be done before priming.