Vanilla Porter All Grain Recipe

This is the first porter I have brewed. I am not a huge fan of the style, but it's winter and my peeps have been asking for a heartier brew for the season. This kit seemed to fill the bill, and I recommend it. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I used the Wyeast 1098 English Ale yeast, which worked quickly and efficiently. It produced a drier taste than I expected, but it's still good. I modified the kit a bit by adding 6 oz. of 80L Breiss Caramel malt and some cocoa nibs and whiskey-soaked toasted oak chips. It is a good-tasting beer, but it has only been in the bottle for four weeks and I think more aging will only improve the balance. The vanilla flavor is subtle - it shows up mainly in the nose. I would add one more bean to the recipe. I personally don't like too much of the roasted coffee flavor of black patent malt. If I were to make this again, I would customize my recipe and add a little less. I know I didn't make the kit as it was shipped, but I think the underlying brew turned out to be a clean, flavorful porter. It's not too heavy or bitter. I wouldn't call it the best batch I ever brewed, but my porter-loving friends are enjoying it and want more.

I've only brewed this recipe one time so far, but I'm preparing to order/brew again. This is a house favorite for many of my guests. I added 3 extra vanilla beans to the recipe and I kegged it with a touch of 100% vanilla extract. It's got a nice clean finish and a robust vanilla scent.

As title said - this recipe makes a good porter, but if you are looking for a vanilla porter ala Breckenridge, there really isn't much vanilla character in the finished product. Maybe need to add an extra vanilla bean (?) or some vanilla extract to secondary? Hard to say - we didn't rush secondary fermentation so time wasn't the issue.

This is by far my favorite of the all-grain recipes I have brewed. Rich taste, full body. Just like a good porter should be.