Date: December 2007
“The Bellhop” (Raspberry Porter)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyA middle-of-the-road porter, with raspberries. The flavor and aroma of porter dominate this brew, but both are rounded out with raspberry notes. A fruit beer that even a guy can enjoy, but one that also says, “Hey Ladies!”
Fourth Quarter Porter
Digital and Plus Members OnlyA more highly-attenuated, less caramel-sweet version of a brown porter. A firm, but not overpowering, roast character takes center stage on this balanced, drinkable ale. A brown porter with the session beer sensibilities of a dark mild or dry stout. Invite a few buddies over — even the ones who “don’t like dark beers” — and this keg of porter will kick by the fourth quarter.
Paranthropus Porter
Digital and Plus Members OnlyA robust porter with a nice balance between the sharp bite of black patent malt and hop bitterness. Chocolate notes mingle with English hops in the nose. This won first place in the dark beer category of the Austin ZEALOTS 2004 Homebrew Inquisition. Do not skip making the yeast starter as the beer will not attenuate properly without it.
Build a Recirculating Wort Chiller
Digital and Plus Members OnlyGiven that there are so many places in the world where fresh, potable water is a scarcity, I think the least we can do as enthusiasts of a water-intensive hobby is minimize water usage while brewing. One obvious place to start looking for water usage inefficiencies is the wort chilling process. This project, which turns
Erie Brewing Co.’s Drake’s Crude clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyErie Brewing Co. no longer brews Drake’s Crude, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Find the recipe to re-create this beer here.
Christmas in a Bottle
Digital and Plus Members Only
Rogue Shakespeare Stout clone
FREERogue’s Shakespeare Stout is a classic example of the style. Rogue describes it as, “Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish.”
Wychwood Brewing Company: Hobgoblin Dark Ale clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThis ruby-colored English ale delivers a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavor, balanced with rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity, mischievous character.
Alaskan Brewing Co.’s Smoked Porter clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyDark, robust, and smoky when young, this porter develops notes of sherry, Madeira, and raisin as it ages. It has a chewy malt character and is chocolaty with a smoky, oily finish.
Sinebrychoff Porter clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyFrom simple ingredients comes massive complexity. Robust toasty notes meet and blend with dark fruits and chocolate. The vinous, port-like character from this brute wraps everything up in a dark happy bow.
Parascalops Porter (Mole Porter)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyParascalops? Mole? What the hell!? Mole (pronounced MOH-lay) poblano is a sauce made with cocoa, nuts, chili peppers and other spices.
Teddy Porter (Coffee Porter)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyNo, not Taddy Porter, Teddy Porter — as in Teddy Roosevelt. In 1907, Teddy Roosevelt reputedly first uttered the words “good to the last drop,” which became Maxwell House’s slogan. Modern historians dispute this, however, claiming that the line was really written by an ad executive. One thing beyond dispute is that you’ll be sad to see the last drop of this beer go.