Red Dawn Raspberry Robust Porter

ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) Brewhouse efficiency: 72% OG: 1.069 FG: 1.016 IBUS: 28 ABV: 7.2%

MALT/GRAIN BILL

9.5 lb (4.3 kg) Maris Otter 2 lb (907 g) Munich malt 1 lb (454 g) Chocolate rye 1 lb (454 g) British Crystal 45 8 oz (227 g) Carafa II HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE 1 oz (28 g) East Kent Goldings [5% AA] at 60 minutes 1 oz (28 g) East Kent Goldings [5% AA] at 15 minutes 3 lb (1.4 kg) pureed raspberries at end of primary

fermentation (see below) 2 tsp pectic enzyme at end of primary fermentation

(see below) YEAST Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III)

DIRECTIONS Mill the grains and mix with 4.4 gallons (16.6 l) of 163°F (73°C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge the grains with 2.9 gallons (11 l) and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 l) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, following the hops schedule.

After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 63°F (17°C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch the yeast.

Ferment at 63°F (17°C) for 48 hours, then increase the temperature by about 1°F (0.5°C) per day until you reach 70°F (21°C) and hold there until two days after the completion of fermentation. Add the pureed raspberries to the primary fermentor (or add to a secondary fermentor and rack beer onto it), dissolve the pectic enzyme into ½ cup (118 ml) of cool water and add to beer/fruit. You may notice a short secondary fermentation from the sugars in the fruit. Wait 7–10 days. At that point, crash the beer to 35°F (2°C), then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to about 2 volumes.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

There are three recipe adjustments here to account for additional tartness/astringency (which can create a greater impression of bitterness) from the raspberries we’re adding. First, the IBUS are reduced slightly from the original version. Second, the hops additions and types are simplified so that the hops aren’t competing directly with the fruit flavor (instead of a blend of British and Czech hops, it’s just EKG, and the flame-out addition is removed). Third, the grist has been “corrected” to account for the sugar content of raspberries (fairly low—it’s roughly the equivalent of 0.15 lb/68 g of cane sugar) and is somewhat de-bittered, with a pound (454 g) of chocolate rye replacing a pound of pale chocolate and a half-pound (227 g) of Carafa II instead of the half-pound of Black Patent (being a de-husked malt, it has a mellower flavor). These adjustments should help avoid a beer that is too hot, tight, acidic, and/or bitter!

In terms of adding fruit, I’m a fan of the “straight into the primary fermentor” option. Racking off of the sediment will likely do little to help your beer but could hurt it by exposing it to oxygen and contaminants, so I don’t recommend it. Sanitize your funnel, puree your raspberries, and dump them right on in after primary fermentation ends! At the same time, add your pectic enzyme; 2 teaspoons is less than recommended for wine, but wine has a much greater weight of fruit than we’re using here. In truth, even that amount is probably overkill. But within a week or so, you should have a re-cleared beer, especially after cold-crashing! Enjoy the bright raspberry notes, especially in tandem with the richer, smoother grain bill you’re using here. The contrast is wonderful!