Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.’s Maximum Mocha Porter clone

Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.’s Maximum Mocha Porter clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.066   FG = 1.017
IBU = 30   SRM = 32   ABV = 6.8%

Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) American 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) black patent malt
1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) lactose (30 min.)
5 AAU Target hops (90 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 10% alpha acids)
2.25 AAU Fuggle hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) roasted Colombian coffee beans
4 oz. (113 g) coffee-infused dark chocolate
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast (see Tips for Success for more)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
Mill the grains and mix with 3.5 gallons (13.3 L) of 164 °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. Sparge the grains with 4 gallons (15.3 L) and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes, adding chocolate at the start of the boil and hops and lactose according to the ingredient list (remove beer from heat when stirring in lactose).

After the boil, turn off heat and chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast.

Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days, then raise the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) for 72 hours. Add the coffee beans and age for 5–7 days or to taste. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours and then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.’s Maximum Mocha Porter clone

(5 gallons/19L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.064   FG = 1.016
IBU = 30   SRM = 32   ABV = 6.7%

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) extra pale liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) black patent malt
1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) lactose (30 min.)
5 AAU Target hops (90 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 10% alpha acids)
2.25 AAU Fuggle hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) roasted Colombian coffee beans
4 oz. (113 g) coffee-infused dark chocolate
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast (see Tips for Success for more)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
Bring 5.4 gallons (20.4 L) of water to approximately 162 °F (72 °C) and hold there. Steep milled specialty grains in grain bags for 15 minutes. Remove the grain bags and let drain fully. Add liquid malt extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved. Boil for 90 minutes, adding the chocolate at the beginning of the boil and hops and lactose according to the ingredient list (remove beer from heat when stirring in lactose).

After the boil, turn off heat and chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast.

Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days, then raise the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) for 72 hours. Add the coffee beans and age for 5–7 days or to taste. Crash the beer to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours and then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Tips for Success:
Co-Founder and Brewmaster (and multiple time Great American Beer Festival medal winner) Jeremy Myers offers two choices on yeast for this recipe. At Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, in Croydon, Pennsylvania, they prefer the British yeast, pairing its esters with the coffee, but for those who prefer a cleaner chocolate-coffee flavor the American ale approach also produces a great beer. Expect discrepancies in the final gravity though, as the attenuation range between these two strains is fairly significant.

The gang sourced their chocolate from a local chocolatier (Pierre’s of New Home, Pennsylvania) who infused Colombian coffee (single-sourced, just like that used in the beer) into their house dark chocolate. Your commitment doesn’t need to be as high, and you can sub in any high-quality dark chocolate, but feel free to get creative!