Dear Replicator,
My homebrewing partner recently brought me back a few bottles of local beers from Portland, Oregon that we can’t get in Colorado. One of the most interesting beers was a porter from an oddly named brewery, Captured by Porches. It was their Punctured by Corpses Undead Porter. I’m a fan of a good porter and this was unlike any I have had before. I would like to find out how to duplicate that profile. 

David O’Hearn
Denver, Colorado

Captured By Porches Owner and Brew Master Dylan Goldsmith gave me a full tour of the brewery in St. Helens, Oregon. He began homebrewing in Portland in 2000. After overworking two electric stoves with 10-gallon (23-L) batches he was kicked out of the kitchen so he moved his hobby to the large front porch. Thirsty neighbors would stop by to help and to sample his beer and stay longer than expected. Soon they called the phenomena, “being captured by his porch” and the name of the brewery was born.

His first foray into commercial brewing was at a fledgling theatre/brewpub in southeast Portland where he continued to perfect his recipes on a one-half barrel system. Public response was good enough that in 2008 he decided to open a production brewery of his own. 

Today he has progressed from 150 barrels that first year to a projected 1,000 barrels for 2012. All of the beers are based on his original homebrew recipes. Many of the beers are hand bottled in unique, returnable 750-mL swing top bottles. Speaking of unique, he also owns three converted school busses which act as mobile pubs.

The Punctured by Corpses is an interesting porter. The unusually heavy body/mouthfeel is the result of using a high percentage of unmalted grains — wheat, oats and rye. This medium dark beer displays ruby highlights and a dense white head that follows to the bottom of the glass. The nose accents hints of coffee and caramel. Chocolate dominates the flavor with just enough hops to prevent the finish from being too sweet.

Now David, you can taste the “Undead” anytime because you can “Brew Your Own.” For more about Captured by Porches and their other fine beers visit the website www.capturedbyporches.com

Captured by Porches Brewing Company: Punctured by Corpses Undead Porter clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.064   FG = 1.015
IBU = 29   SRM = 26 ABV = 6.3%

This porter has an unusually heavy body/mouthfeel from the use of a high percentage of unmalted grains, and a nose that accents hints of coffee and caramel. Chocolate dominates the flavor with just enough hops to prevent the finish from being too sweet.

Ingredients

7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (30 °L)
7 oz. (0.19 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) chocolate malt
1 lb. 6 oz. (0.62 kg) flaked wheat
1 lb. 1 oz. (0.48 kg) flaked rye
1 lb. 1 oz. (0.48 kg) flaked oats
9 AAU Saaz hop pellets (first wort hop) (2.25 oz./64 g at 4% alpha acids)
5 AAU Saaz hop pellets (0 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 4% alpha acids)
½ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
½ tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
White Labs WLP 001 (American Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast
3/4 cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

Mix the crushed and flaked grains with 4.5 gallons (17 L) of 176 °F (80 °C) water to stabilize at 156 °F (69 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge slowly with 175 °F (79 °C) water. Collect approximately 6 gallons (23 L) of wort runoff to boil for 60 minutes. Add hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as per the schedule. Cool the wort to 75 °F (24 °C). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 68 °F (20 °C). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. Allow the beer to condition for 1 week and then bottle or keg.

Partial mash option

Reduce the 2-row pale malt in the all-grain recipe to 1 lb. (0.45 kg), the flaked wheat to 10 oz. (0.28 kg), the flaked rye to 5 oz. (0.14 kg), and the flaked oats to 5 oz. (0.14 kg). Steep the crushed and flaked grains in 5.5 gallons (21 L) of water at 156 °F (69 °C) for 45 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (1.8 L) of hot water. Add the liquid and dried malt extracts and boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.