I’m teaching a few friends to brew this weekend, so I’d like to do a kit from my LHBS (with a few curveballs for my sake).
I want to take their basic robust porter kit, but “belgianize” it with about 0.5 lb Special B and Wyeast’s Abbey Ale yeast.
A few questions:
Does this sound like a tasty brew?
Should I go with fermentation temp around 65F or 72F? I like a clove character in a porter that I could get from 65F, but I’m thinking the high temps might give me a banana-chocolate combo, which combined with the raisiny Special B could be good!
I had the same question receintly when I wanted to brew an English IPA with a Sothern German Lager yeast. I chose the yeast because it doesn’t attenuate as high, leaving the required English maltyness. My mentor initally said he wouldn’t do it because a traditional English ale yeast would be more accurate for the style. After I indicated that I was going ahead anyway, he said “That was why we homebrew, to make a beer the way that suits us, the brewer”.
The beer was great and won a blue ribbon in the IPA flight at a major competition (over 500 entries).
I say “Go for it!”. If it’s good make sure you enter it in a Pro Am style competition.