"Award Winning" Coconut Porter

[biertourist]

I say "award winning" with quotes around it because it didn't actually win a brewery competition; it won the dessert competition in a food competition at work; lol! (Although maybe I should enter this one because it's the best beer I've ever brewed; I've been trying to avoid BJCP Competitions because they annoy the crap out of me,

There is NOTHING that I would change about this beer; it's the first beer I can say that about.

Stats
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.016

IBUs: 32.1
SRM: 27.13

ABV: 6.44%
Deliciousness: 1000 IDU (International Deliciousness Units)


Recipe
11 lbs - Marris Otter -77.5%
14 oz - Crystal 60 -6.2%
9 oz - Carafa III -4%
12 oz - Pale Chocolate - 5.3%
1 lb - Rolled Oats - 7% (toasted)

1.5 lb - unsulfured, unsweetened shredded coconut


Hops:
25.5 IBUs of bittering hop of your choice
1/2 oz of Citra with 10 min left to boil (-The tropical fruity notes of the late Citra addition add to the tropical flavor of coconut porter; I'm SOO glad I added this part


Process Stuff

Mash high; I limited myself to a 45 minute mash because I recirculation mash which increases the rate of conversion.

Toast the oats & the coconut in the oven; BE CAREFUL with the coconut it will go from 0 to burnt in no time flat; as soon as the coconut starts browning mix it up and put it back in and brown it again; I browned it 3 times consecutatively and ended up with about 50% of it browned.

Add the toasted coconut in a muslin bag into either the secondary or directly in the keg but BEWARE because 0.5 lbs will JUST BARELY fit into a corney keg lid and almost won't fit back out again through the lid.

Leave the coconut in until you like the flavor.  I found 4- 5 days and it was really fantastically coconut flavored.  The flavor the first 1 -2 days is not that great but don't worry it turns awesome after day 3.


I ended up accidentally forgetting to buy black malt for this one (I am of the school that says that you don't add roasted barley to porters; BJCP and I agree on this point) so I upped the Carafa III and its a pretty good way to go with this porter; the IBUs are right on and the Citra is a perfect accompanyment to the coconut.  7% oats is pretty high but then you get "velvet porter".


Adam
Adam

[DEMPSEY]

Aaww that link was really just to a bounty bar wiki,I thought or (taught as in joke Adam might remember) it was a recipe for a beer called bounty bar :.
I like the Deliciousness Units as a measurement method. Is it marked  1 to 1000 cause if so to have achieved the maximum number of units is some standing. Hat off to ye me Bhoy

[biertourist]

I like the Deliciousness Units as a measurement method. Is it marked  1 to 1000 cause if so to have achieved the maximum number of units is some standing. Hat off to ye me Bhoy

Exactly. That's why I didn't bother to enter a competition; International Deliciousness Units speak for themselves, I think!  ; )

BJCP competitions measure your ability to hit statistical targets in BJCP style guidelines; that's how they work; they're not a measure of beer deliciousness.  You brew anything out of the box and you're stuck in one of 2 or 3 styles reserved for non-styles ("Speciality") where completely different and near uncomparable beers are compared against one another.

There are other competitions that CLAIM to be based upon flavor and commercial viability but in reality there is a first round judging against the BJCP guidelines and the winners from that layer are then judged based upon flavor and commercial viability so if you don't brew the guidelines, your only option is the single "Speciality" category that's a catch-all.

I like to "keinheitsgebot" brew where I have at least one non-standard ingredient in a beer which essentially throws all my beers into the Speciality non-category.

Next I have peat smoked oatmeal stout planned, then a mango, citra and amarillo IPA, then a milk chocolate stout brewed with dulche de leche, then a strawberry blond brewed with fresh strawberries and belma hops, then a Pacific NW IPA with piney hops and aged on cedar wood, then a Citrusy IPA with a number of citrusy hops and citrus peel.  That's my next 6 beers; all very different and all in the same "Speciality" category in a BJCP competition...

Maybe a year from now I'll actually brew a beer that fits within the guidelines and I can enter it somewhere...


Adam

[biertourist]

I you brew good beer you should enter a BJCP comp. It will confirm in writing that it's not just something you think in your head!

No, no it won't (unless you're brewing "to style"); that's my point.  Sharing your beer with knowledgeable and experienced beer drinkers / makers WILL do that for you; BJCP comps won't.

-One of my co-workers owns the Black Raven brewery which is arguably the best brewery in Washington right now; they're collecting medals left and right but also "keinheitsgebot" brewing a ton; she tried the beer and provided loads of fantastic feedback on it; BJCP won't provide that feedback only feedback against the style guideline.

I entered ONE BJCP competition last year on my strong cascade late hopped bog oak-smoked oatmeal stout.  It was counted down because it was phenolic and phenols don't belong in oatmeal stouts (it's a bog oak-smoked stout; obviously phenols are SUPPOSED to be there; that's why you use wood-smoked malt!), it tasted more alcoholic than the guideline for oatmeal stout, further knocked down; it had a "prounounced" (and awesome!) hop flavor -extra points deducted because hops aren't allowed in stouts other than Imperial Stouts according to BJCP. 

No feedback on the flavor, mouthfeel or over-all balance of the beer.  Nothing on the execution of the beer or NAILING the what a smoked oatmeal imperial stout could be.  This thing was a solid 940 international deliciousness units out of 1000, but 28 out of 50 or something like that according to BJCP because oatmeal stout just isn't allowed to be that awesome. 

Execution without creativity -this is what is demanded in BJCP competitions; great execution with creativity won't even get evaluated; creativity subtracts points in the BJCP system.  -SUPER ironic considering the fact that BJCP keeps rewarding creativity from commercial brewers by recognizing new creative beers as "new styles", but home brewer creativity must be limited to the "Speciality" category. (Much like the upcoming Olympics in Russia allow protesting as long as it's done within the designated protesting area.)

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-protest-zone-at-2014-sochi-olympics-20131210,0,7900728.story#axzz2nCcFv7rl


Adam


Adam

[biertourist]

Last example: Roast Barley character is forbidden in the BJCP porter categories; it's reserved for Stouts.  -I wonder how many awesome porter recipes on this board and the Beoir board include roast barley...  -Es ist verboten!

BJCP == mandatory "beer (style) purity "guideline"" which is implemented as a restrictive beer purity law; its the rheinheitsgebot mentality adopted to the American need to throw everything into a categorized bucket.

Style guidelines are training wheels; training wheels shouldn't be required in competitions, IMO.
These training wheels are REQUIRED by BJCP because of lax requirements on becoming an entry-level judge; it's the JUDGES that are protected by the style guideline training wheels; not the entrants. (The organization is called "Beer JUDGE Certification Program"; even their name focuses first on judges and judging, NOT the beer itself or the brewers; it's the judges that are catered to and that the organization is for.)

A few style-free competitions judged by high level, experienced judges would go a long way towards improving the system.  Said competitions should include a creativity component and also judge against the vision for the beer that is laid out in the entry form and whether that vision was met, and whether the beer has balance / is something that SHOULD exist.  A competition that focuses on expanding what beer is by allowing brewers to envision what beer can be, making it happen, and ultimately making a new beer that's good. (I realize organizing and judging such a competition is a lot more work than your typical "identify flaws and judge against the stats" BJCP competition.)

-Actually, I question whether BJCP is even an organization that's capable of hosting such an event; this seems like something that would be better run by someone like the AHA, although I realize that BOTH are run by many of the same people...

</end rant>


Adam

[Will_D]

I think you are being a bit harsh on the BJCP method of judging beers.

A lot (maybe the majority) of brewers attempt to brew to styles that they:  like / their friends like / or they wish to taste.

The fairest way to subjectively judge a beer (or anything) is with a set of criteria and common standards to mark against. That is why the BJCP scheme is a graduated learning experience for judges. And takes a lot of time and effort.

Where would we be without ANSI, ISO, DIN organistions?

To judge radical brews what have the judges got as a reference standard? NOWT!

For a judge to say "Wow I like this" is hardly modern, repeatedly, scientific judge speak!

In my opinion radical beers will have to judged objectively by judges which is not a great way to do it

Unless of course you have a better way to judge radical beers??


I remeber when I worked in large a large Brit. IT company the amount of training that went into the new form of subjective staff appraisals (read pay rise assements) was HUGH!

In the bad old days if you licked A***e you got a rise - we evolved into subjective performance related pay rises. I assume your global mega corp is still using this approach?

[mr hoppy]

http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/michael-jackson-and-the-invention-of-beer-style/

[DEMPSEY]

Adam we miss you. Your posts fill me page with so much.Post more often 

[Padraic]

I entered ONE BJCP competition last year on my strong cascade late hopped bog oak-smoked oatmeal stout.  It was counted down because it was phenolic and phenols don't belong in oatmeal stouts (it's a bog oak-smoked stout; obviously phenols are SUPPOSED to be there; that's why you use wood-smoked malt!), it tasted more alcoholic than the guideline for oatmeal stout, further knocked down; it had a "prounounced" (and awesome!) hop flavor -extra points deducted because hops aren't allowed in stouts other than Imperial Stouts according to BJCP. 

You've kind of answered your own criticism. It didn't do well as an oatmeal stout because it's not an oatmeal stout! You should have entered it as a speciality, where I'm sure it would have done a lot better.

I had assumed he hadn't entered it as an oatmeal stout and that he had correctly put it in the specialty category. But in the specialty category if the words oatmeal stout are used to describe it, it will be judged as if it is supposed to be similar to an oatmeal stout.

[ferg]

I did coconut recently, toasted it on a couple of dry frying pans though rather than the oven, could keep an eye on it and stir it up so it got more evenly toasted that way. thanks for this recipe (and have some spare citra ) was planning to do another one over christmas and will give this a lash.

[biertourist]

I always say about the BJCP anyway that while not perfect it's the only show in town, and rather than give out about its flaws, it's better to join up and try influence change.

This is why my feedback focused upon a solution and a rather simple one at that.  I'm not recommending the abolishment of styles or judging to styles, I'm recommending the expansion of the BJCP system to better facilitate creative, style-bending beers.  "Extreme" beers are NOT what I'm talking about, dry hopped oatmeal stout and porter that contains roasted barley are most certainly not extreme beers neither would be a wheat malt-based lager; I'm proposing judging with the style guidelines in mind but also a brewer's vision / target for a particular beer and competitions specifically focused on what are currently simply called "Speciality" beers.

The Speciality beer category is broken; you can't judge completely different beers fairly against one another; they should be judged against what they're declared to be while taking the style guidelines into account. The current system penalizes creativity by putting all new creations into a single category; beer as a whole increases in mind share and market share and succeeds as new styles emerge; the BJCP should be SUPPORTING creativity in beer and not stifling it, but we really shouldn't expect them to be the ones to do it as they're a Judge-focused organization, not a brewer or consumer-focused organization.

If "joining up and influencing change" from within existing power structures were the only way, wouldn't Ireland still have the queen on it's money?   
Plenty of good things can come from change from without.

The reformation started as an attempt at change within, became change from without that influenced positive change within (Counter-reformation / Catholic reformation); that change within probably wouldn't have happened without the pressure from without.


Adam

[Shanna]

I always say about the BJCP anyway that while not perfect it's the only show in town, and rather than give out about its flaws, it's better to join up and try influence change.

This is why my feedback focused upon a solution and a rather simple one at that.  I'm not recommending the abolishment of styles or judging to styles, I'm recommending the expansion of the BJCP system to better facilitate creative, style-bending beers.  "Extreme" beers are NOT what I'm talking about, dry hopped oatmeal stout and porter that contains roasted barley are most certainly not extreme beers neither would be a wheat malt-based lager; I'm proposing judging with the style guidelines in mind but also a brewer's vision / target for a particular beer and competitions specifically focused on what are currently simply called "Speciality" beers.

The Speciality beer category is broken; you can't judge completely different beers fairly against one another; they should be judged against what they're declared to be while taking the style guidelines into account. The current system penalizes creativity by putting all new creations into a single category; beer as a whole increases in mind share and market share and succeeds as new styles emerge; the BJCP should be SUPPORTING creativity in beer and not stifling it, but we really shouldn't expect them to be the ones to do it as they're a Judge-focused organization, not a brewer or consumer-focused organization.

If "joining up and influencing change" from within existing power structures were the only way, wouldn't Ireland still have the queen on it's money?   
Plenty of good things can come from change from without.

The reformation started as an attempt at change within, became change from without that influenced positive change within (Counter-reformation / Catholic reformation); that change within probably wouldn't have happened without the pressure from without.


Adam

Hmh strong whiff of cordite off that last post I think the word that dare not raise its ugly head here is revolution !!! Both the examples really came about after many years of failed policies (resisting urge to be specific here as religion and politics are dangerous subjects at the best of times). Ironic that most people in Ireland would be told don't talk about either of these subjects in a pub and here we are mixing them in with beer I don't care either way about BJCP process but it makes for enlightened reading to hear others opinions on the matter.

Shanna

Ps: Last point lest I get told off for going off topic. Biertourist your viper tower is a savage device

[biertourist]

Biertourist your viper tower is a savage device

I have no hope of understanding the meaning of this sentence; I've tried and failed.  Can someone translate it for this poor Yankee?


Adam

[biertourist]

The BJCP on the other hand had nothing to do with politics or religion!

The point was that change from without is often the ONLY option and is very often quite effective at acting as a catalyst for change from within; politics and religion in this case provided examples to backup the assertion.

BJCP style guideline discussions are certainly political in nature; a foreign body defining the rules of beer against the view of tradition and the local population from which the beer style(s) originated in the case of many of the Belgian "styles" for example.

The judging guidelines adherents throw beer into the BJCP defined styles canon and view the world of beer through this "hermeneutical lens"; they engage on beer witch hunts seeking beer flaws; diacetyl, DMS, and lactic infection hides behind every beer with judges rewarded with "street creds" for being able to identify beers with these vile flaws.

The parallels to politics and religion and pretty apparent, IMHO.


Adam

[Shanna]

Biertourist your viper tower is a savage device

I have no hope of understanding the meaning of this sentence; I've tried and failed.  Can someone translate it for this poor Yankee?


Adam

Hi Biertourist

I guess you don't remember selling me your viper tower, taps, keg etc. I only recently got around to using it
Savage device means it is a great piece of equipment Sorry if I caused confusion.

Shanna