Dark Eternal Night Imperial Porter

This recipe represents my first attempt to clone Old Viscosity by Port Brewing. If you haven't had this beer, search far and wide. It is outstanding! On this first attempt I fell a little short of the OG reported by Port Brewing. I got to 1.085, and they report their OG to be 1.092. Note that I used a yeast starter prepared the night before and also prepared a faux oak bourbon barrel for secondary fermentation.

Brewer:	Tony H. and Dave M.		Email:	ahalloin@yahoo.com
Beer:	Dark Eternal Night Imperial Porter		Style:	Robust Porter
Type:	Extract w/grain		Size:	5.25 gallons
Color:	74 HCU (~29 SRM)		Bitterness:	31 IBU
OG:	1.085		FG:	1.014
Alcohol:	9.1% v/v (7.2% w/w)
Water:	Deer Park Spring Water
Grain:	8 oz. American crystal 90L 8 oz. British crystal 50-60L 8 oz. Belgian chocolate 4 oz. Carafa III
Steep:	Steep grains in 2.5 gallons of water being heated to 160F. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 30 minutes. Sparge grain bag with 1/2 gallon of water heated to 150F. Squeeze grain bag with tongs.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.148	3 gallons
	10.5 lb. Light malt extract 1 lb. Wheat extract
	Bring the malt tea to a boil, off the heat and add the Wheat Malt Extract, Pale Malt Extract and all the bittering hops. Heat to a boil again. With 15 min. left add 1 tsp. Irish Moss. With 10 min. left add 1/2 tsp. Wyeast yeast nutrient. Immediately chill wort to under 80F.
Hops:	2 oz. Nugget (11.5% AA, 60 min.)
Yeast:	Wyeast 1028 London Ale used from a starter made the night before brewing. For starter: 1/3 cup pale extra Light DME, 2 cups water, 2 hop pellets (leftover Super Styrian 7% alpha, but anything would do). Boil contents for 10 min. Chill mini-wort to under 80F. Pour wort into VERY clean and sanitized 22 oz. bottle. Add yeast. Use #2 stopper with airlock.
Log:	Fermenting at 73-75F. Will move the beer to secondary fermenter 24-48 hours after fermentation has ceased. Will add faux oak bourbon barrel to secondary fermenter (2 oz. oak wood chips, one vanilla bean utilizing both the seeds and the chopped up shell but separated, and bourbon to cover soaked since brewing day in a glass jar). The beer will probably be left in the secondary fermenter for 4-6 months.
Carbonation:	Will use Priming sugar when bottling.

Recipe posted 09/06/08.