Fortified Fennel Porter

Published On: Monday, October 27, 2008

2 of 3 Fall Beer Recipes for Keg Conditioning in Your Kegerator

• Pumpkin Spice Ale
• Fortified Fennel Porter
• Mulled Spice Apple Beer

The fortified Ale is a unique way to produce a unique taste in beer. Fortified ales are ales that have an increased alcohol content through the addition of hard liquor. The ale is then force-carbonated in the keg. This is necessary for the carbonation process because the increased alcohol level kills off all but the hardiest of yeasts. Fortified ales are one way to add distinct herbal flavors to your beer, and here is an example of one way to do so. Upon a sturdy base recipe for porter, We have added the necessary ingredients, admixtures and directives to produce the Fortified Fennel Porter, a variation of an ale that we have previously produced called the Black Annis Drink.

Ingredients for 5 Gallon Batch:

• 4.5 G purified or spring water
• 7 ½ lb. Dark malt extract
• ½ lb. Caramel 120L malt
• ½ lb. Briess Organics chocolate malt
• ½ lb. American Pale 2 Row malt
• ½ oz. Cascade hops - bittering
• ½ oz. Fuggle hops - finishing
• 1 pack Nottingham Dry Ale Yeast
• ½ liter of vodka or rum (40% alcohol or 80 proof)
• 1 oz. dried fennel seed
• ½ oz. dried anise

Directions:

The first thing to do with this beer is to make the porter base. To 4.5 G purified or spring water add your malts and bittering hops. Bring this to a boil. Remove the malts and bittering hops now, and add your malt extract. After cooking for 55 minutes, add your finishing hops. Boil vigorously for five more minutes, cool the wort, and add to your primary fermentor along with yeast. While the ale ferments in the primary fermenter for the next two weeks, your fennel will extract in the alcohol.

To make the extract, place the fennel and anise seed into a jar along with ½ liter of alcohol. Shake vigorously for about 5 minutes. Then let it set. When your beer is ready to pour into the secondary fermenter, you will also strain the fennel tincture out from the seeds.

When the beer is ready to keg from the secondary fermenter, which should take 1 and a half to two more weeks, you will add the extract into the keg and force carbonate the beverage with CO2. Now leave this concoction for about another week and a half and you will have the fortified fennel porter.

For additional information on kegerators or draft beer topics please visit our kegerator article center.