Pelican Brewing Co.’s Midnight Malt Clone
All-Grain Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.014
IBU = 30 SRM = 43 ABV = 6%
Pelican’s Midnight Malt takes the structure of a classic, balanced porter and turns the complexity knob up just slightly with the rich character of dark chocolate. Brewed with Meridian Cacao Company nibs sourced directly from cacao farmers in Tanzania, this clone recipe can be adapted by using a range of cocoa nib varieties, based on the brewer’s preference. Malts like Midnight Wheat offer an overall smoother mouthfeel and more refined roast character, with a grain bill designed to strike a balance between sweet, bitter, and roasty. Adapted from an earlier porter recipe (a draft-only exclusive, at the time), the base recipe of Midnight Malt makes for an ideal springboard into more adventurous adaptations, or simply a reliably easy-drinking porter ideal for all cold weather months.
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
14 oz. (400 g) flaked barley
9 oz. (255 g) Briess Blackprinz® malt (or Carafa® Special III) malt
9 oz. (255 g) Briess Midnight Wheat malt
9 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 12% alpha acids)
6–8 oz. (170–225 g) Tanzanian cocoa nibs
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Mangrove Jack’s M44 (US West Coast) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before brew day, begin soaking the cocoa nibs in vodka, using just enough to cover the nibs. Cover and store at room temperature.
Mash grains at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Begin lautering by bringing the mash up to a mash-out temperature of 168 °F (70 °F) and hold for 10 minutes. Begin recirculating, vorlaufing until the wort runs clear then direct runoff to the boil kettle.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the beginning of the boil. Chill wort and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until primary fermentation is complete. Transfer to secondary and add cocoa nibs along with the vodka. Allow for 3–5 days of contact time in order to extract the full flavor profile. After this, transfer beer to keg or bottle.
Extract With Grains Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.014
IBU = 30 SRM = 43 ABV = 6%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) Carafoam® malt
9 oz. (255 g) Briess Blackprinz® malt (or Carafa® Special III) malt
9 oz. (255 g) Briess Midnight Wheat malt
9 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 12% alpha acids)
6–8 oz. (170–225 g) Tanzanian cocoa nibs
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Mangrove Jack’s M44 (US West Coast) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before brew day, begin soaking the cocoa nibs in vodka, using just enough to cover the nibs. Cover and store at room temperature.
Warm 5 gallons (19 L) of water in your brew kettle up to 160 °F (61 °C). Place all the crushed grains in a muslin bag and steep in the kettle for 20 minutes. Remove the grains and let them drip back into the kettle. Add the dried malt extracts and stir until all the extract is dissolved.
Bring wort to a boil and boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the beginning of the boil.
After boil is complete, adjust volume with cold water to achieve desired fermentation volume. Chill wort and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until primary fermentation is complete. Transfer to secondary and add cocoa nibs along with the vodka. Allow for 3–5 days of contact time in order to extract the full flavor profile. After this, transfer beer to keg or bottle.
