Smog City Brewing Company The Nothing clone, All-Grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.087  FG = 1.022
IBU = 84  SRM = 50 ABV = 9.3%

Ingredients

6.5 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Rahr 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked barley
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) chocolate wheat malt (375 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) medium crystal malt (60 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Crisp crystal malt (120 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) pale chocolate malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) roasted barley
0.25 lb. (113 g) Carafa® III Special malt
0.25 lb. (113 g) dark brown sugar (90 min.)
22.5AAU Summit hops (90 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 18% alpha acid)
0.7 oz. (20g) Tcho Ecuador cocoa nibs (crushed)
0.7 oz. (20g) Tcho Ghana cocoa nibs (crushed)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
2/3 cup (133 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

Mill the grains, then mix with 5.7 gallons (21.6 L) of 165 °F (74 °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, and sparge. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort.

Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops and sugar according to the ingredient list and Irish moss if desired. After the boil, 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 66 °F (19 °C) for seven days, then free rise to 72 °F (22 °C) until the completion of primary fermentation. Add the crushed cocoa nibs to a neutral spirit such as vodka and let soak for 1 week or more. Once the beer completes fermentation, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), and add the cocoa nibs with spirits, resting for 10-14 days. Then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Partial Mash Option: Substitute the Maris Otter pale ale malt with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract, and scale the Rahr 2-row pale malt down to 3 lbs. (1.4 kg). Bring 11 quarts (10.4 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C). Place crushed 2-row malt, flaked oats and barley in a large grain bag. Submerge in water, stirring the grains to making sure there are no dry clumps. Steep grains for 45 minutes, trying to maintain the temperature at 152 °F (67 °C). Place the crushed crystal and dark roasted malts in a second grain bag, submerge in the mash. Wait an additional 15 minutes, then remove both bags and place in a colander over the kettle. Slowly wash the grains with 2 gallons hot water. Add liquid extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved. Top up to 7 gallons (26.5 L) and boil for 90 minutes, adding hops and sugar according to the ingredient list and Irish moss if desired. Now follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.

Tips for Success Head Brewmaster Jonathan Porter passed on that the first time they brewed The Nothing it took 11 hours to lauter! Now, they mash in all of the base malt first, then add the dark and specialty malts on top of the grain bed. If you’re concerned about a stuck lauter or sparge (what with all of the wheat, flaked barley, and oats), you can take this approach and/or add a pound of rice hulls to ease the process. Porter also noted that the flavor target here is similar to a really fine dark chocolate bar, with an aroma of rich dark cocoa powder. To achieve that, ingredients matter: be sure to source the best cocoa nibs you can find and be sure to avoid going overboard on the chocolate/black malts.