Brü It Yourself | Thanks, Jimmy! Peanut Butter Cup Porter

Author: Alex Shanks-Abel

Back in 2014, when I first got into homebrewing, the White House released the recipes of two beers brewed several times by the on-site chefs for the President’s enjoyment. For my fourth batch ever, right around the time I learned about the importance of sanitization, I ordered the White House Honey Porter recipe kit. That beer ended up being a pretty big hit in my circle of friends, and it began a tradition of me brewing beers with a presidential theme around election season, which I serve from Thanksgiving to President’s Day.

For this President’s Day, I decided to commemorate the 100^th birthday of President Jimmy Carter who, in 1978, famously signed H.R. 1337 into law, the bill that legalized the home production of beer. I took inspiration for this batch from Jimmy’s history as a peanut farmer, my love of a particular type of candy, and my desire for something that would benefit from some age, though I had no plans to cellar this beer for a century.

Over the years, I’ve brewed several peanut butter beers to varying success, but one thing they all had in common is poor head retention, even when using the oft recommended PB2 powder. Recently, I discovered a peanut butter extract that I’ve found contributes a very authentic and enjoyable flavor to my DIY Soylent, so I formulated my Thanks, Jimmy! Peanut Butter Cup Porter recipe with this novel (to me) extract.

| Making Thanks, Jimmy! Peanut Butter Cup Porter |

In order to achieve the peanut butter cup flavor I was after, this recipe not only included roasted grains known to contribute chocolate flavor, but cacao nib tincture as well.

Thanks, Jimmy! Peanut Butter Cup Porter

After collecting the full volume of brewing water and adjusting it to my desired profile, I weighed out and milled the grains.

With the water appropriately heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to make sure it was at my target mash temperature.

During the mash rest, I weighed out the single kettle hop addition.

When the 30 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains and boiled the wort for 30 minutes before immediately transferring it to a fermentation keg.

After placing the fermenter full of hot wort in cool place to chill overnight, I took a refractometer reading showing it was at a respectable 1.079 OG.

I then used some remnant to make a starter of Imperial Yeast A09 Pub.

Once the wort was chilled the following day, I pitched the yeast starter and left it to ferment in my chamber controlled to 72°F/22°C. The following week, I prepared the cacao nib tincture by first toasting the nibs at 275°F/135°C for 10 minutes before adding them to a jar and covering them with vodka.

With signs of activity absent 2 weeks later, 3 since pitching the yeast, I took a hydrometer measurement indicating FG had been reached.

Following an overnight cold crash, I transferred the beer to a CO2 purged keg then separated the nibs from the tincture.

Next, I weighed out the peanut extract.

Finally, I gently added the cacao tincture and peanut butter extract to the beer before sealing the keg and placing it in my kegerator on gas. After a month of conditioning, beer was nicely carbonated, mostly clear, and ready to drink.

| IMPRESSIONS |

A bowl of peanuts and a pint of beer has been a bar staple for decades, so it only seems natural for these pairings to meet in the brewery. I’ve never shied away from making beers that are a little on the weird side, like ones that taste prominently of peanut butter. I’ve employed various strategies for infusing this flavor, from adding roasted peanuts to the mash to dosing the finished beer with powdered peanut butter, but the resultant beers have consistently had a weak peanut butter flavor and poor head retention. With my options running thin, I decided to try using peanut butter extract in hopes of making a beer that didn’t find its way down the drain.

I’m delighted to say that my effort was not in vain – this beer was fantastic! While the peanut butter was quite pungent, much more so than prior batches using other products, it didn’t have the chemical flavor I feared based on things I’d read online. The base beer provided a canvas that allowed the peanut butter to take center stage, and while the chocolate flavor was certainly present, it didn’t steal the show. Despite the high FG, this beer was not cloyingly sweet and surprisingly drinkable, though I look forward to seeing how it develops over time.

This recipe was tailored to my preferences, and I was thrilled with how it turned out, but that’s not to say it’s perfect for all. For those who prefer more attenuated beers, I would recommend reducing the mash temperature a bit, and if a stronger chocolate flavor is desired, consider adding more cacao nib tincture. Overall, while this beer was brewed in celebration of President Carter’s 100^th birthday, it also came to serve as a quiet tribute to his life, which was aimed at improving the lives of others… like us homebrewers who no longer have to keep our passion hidden. And for that, Thanks, Jimmy!

If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!

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