Check my first Porter recipe

[llamabox]

So I got all those specialty grains and I wanted to try something with them so check this recipe and let me know what you guys think.

This will be an extract with mini-mash.
Estimated OG: 1.057 SG
Estimated Color: 26.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.0 IBUs

Ingredients:
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3 lbs 4.8 oz Amber Liquid Extract
2 lbs Amber Dry Extract
1 lbs Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
7.2 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)
1.0 oz Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min

Still debating vanilla or coconut.

[beggarstown brewer]

My $0.02 would be to always use the lightest extracts you can get, and attain color/malt flavor through your specialty grain bill, which looks tasty as hell. You have a lot going on there, a good bill, plus the twists of brown sugar and a touch of smoke. I wouldn't bother with vanilla or coconut on this batch, because you might get muddy. Depending on how it comes out maybe toss those in for more complexity in future batches.

I've never used Willamette on its own so no comment on that. The only times I've used that hop are blended with Centennial, which gives a nice complex finish to hoppy american ales. Not sure if that would work in a porter though.

You left out what kind of yeast you plan to use, but american or british should be fine, just remember to make a starter or buy more than one package if you're working with liquid yeast.

-beggar