Big Brew 2011

In honor of Rocket Rod Romanak, who passed away February 4, 2011.  Rocket Rod was a homebrewer in Kailua Kona, HI who was the Homebrewer of the Year in 2004 with this Robust Porter recipe.  Rocket Rod owned and operated Rocket Suds Homebrewing Equipment & Supplies, and was an Air Force veteran. Rocket Rod attended over 25 AHA National Homebrewers Conferences in his lifetime, almost as many as Charlie Papazian.  He will be missed at this year’s conference in San Diego, CA.

5.3 gallons (20 L) yield with a 3.5-gallon (13.2 L) boil for 60 minutes

O.G.: 1.068

F.G.: 1.014

IBU: 73

Fermentables

8.5 lb (3.9 kg) Light Liquid Malt Extract, or 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) Light Dry Malt Extract

1.4 lb (635 g) Special B Malt (120 SRM)

0.75 lb (340 g) Light Roasted Barley (300 SRM)

0.3 lb (136 g) Black Patent Malt (525 SRM)

0.3 lb (136 g) Chocolate Malt (350 SRM)

Hops and Adjuncts

1.13 oz (32 g) Nugget, 13% Alpha Acid whole hops, for 60 minutes

1.13 oz (32 g) Chinook, 13% Alpha Acid whole hops, for 30 minutes

1.13 oz (32 g) Chinook, 13% Alpha Acid whole hops, for 0 minutes (steep after flame out)

Hop Substitutions: If Nugget hops are unavailable, substitute with Columbus, Warrior, or Galena for 36 IBU.  If Chinook hops are unavailable, substitute with BC Goldings or Simcoe for 29 IBU and 7 IBU.

¾ tsp (3 gm) Irish moss, added at 20 minutes

Yeast

3 packages of either Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast or White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast; or make an appropriate size yeast starter.

Directions for Extract Recipe

Start with 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of filtered water. Place the 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) of specialty grains in a grain bag and steep the grains at 154 °F (68 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove the grains, strain the liquid from them, and sparge with 0.5 gallon (1.9 L) hot water. Stir in malt extract and add water if necessary for a total boil volume of 3.5 gallons (13.2 L), and bring to a boil. At the beginning of the boil, add the Nugget bittering hops. Boil for 30 minutes then add the second hop addition. Boil for an additional 15 minutes before adding the re-hydrated Irish moss.  Add the last hops after the heat is turned off. After the 60-minute boil, chill to 62-66 °F (17-19 °C), transfer to a fermenter and top-up to 5.25 gallons with pre-boiled and cooled water. Pitch the yeast and aerate well.  Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C) for seven days and then transfer to a secondary fermenter for three weeks.  Rack to keg, or add bottling sugar and bottle and allow to carbonate at 66-68 °F (19-20 °C) for two weeks minimum.

Carbonation

Force carbonate at approximately 2 to 2.5 volumes of CO₂. 

—OR—

Bottle condition using 2 to 3.2 oz by weight (57 to 91 g) corn sugar