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recipe

Great Lakes Brewing Company: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter clone

A rich, robust, complex ale that was brewed as a tribute to the legendary freighter’s fallen crew.

Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Edmund Fitzgerald Porter clone recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.015
IBUs = 37 SRM = 34 ABV = 5.8 %

Ingredients

11 lbs. (5 kg) 2-row pale malt
12 oz. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
8 oz. (0.22 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
8 oz. (0.22 kg) roasted barley (450 °L)
6.75 AAU Northern Brewer pellet hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 9% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Fuggle pellet hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
2.9 AAU Cascade pellet hops (0 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5.75% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP 013 (London Ale) or Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

Mix the crushed grains with 3.75 gallons (14 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water to stabilize at 155 °F (68 °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 the hops as indicated. After the boil, 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. Transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing. Condition for one week and then bottle or keg. Allow the beer to carbonate and age for two weeks.

Extract with grains option: Substitute the 2-row pale malt in the all-grain recipe with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Coopers light, unhopped, malt extract and 1.1 lbs. (0.49 kg) light dried malt extract. Steep the crushed grains in 1.5 gallons (5.6 L) of water at 155 °F (68 °C) for 30 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 bring to a boil. While boiling, add the hops, yeast nutrient as per the schedule. Now add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in a sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water up to 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.

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