102 replies to this topic

[neddles]

8% porter sounds like dessert beer. 4-6ozs to finish the night.

[Brauer]

i'm really bad about thinking in terms of percentages so I need to rough this out a little bit so I can see just how much of these specialty grains you are talking about. I know on a lot of beers (pale ale for example) it's often said that simple grain bills are better. how about with porters though? is it actually better to put in smaller amounts of a lot of different roasted grains vs 1 or 2 slightly larger amounts?

Off the top of my head, I think 6.5% is 8 oz for this beer.

Porter is one of those beers where I find I like the malts complex. I try to pick ones that have their own flavor compartment, to keep it from getting too muddled. It probably just reflects my particular desires from the style.

[Big Nake]

8% porter sounds like dessert beer. 4-6ozs to finish the night.

Probably right and nothing wrong with it but not my thing, really. If I were to make a porter, it would have some of my guidelines built into it... 5% probably, a finish that was not so overly sweet that it started to grind on you, maybe a smidge of extra sulfate to keep the finish in line, a decent dose of hops, etc. I could see myself making one but I might have to redesign it a little bit.

[positiveContact]

Probably right and nothing wrong with it but not my thing, really. If I were to make a porter, it would have some of my guidelines built into it... 5% probably, a finish that was not so overly sweet that it started to grind on you, maybe a smidge of extra sulfate to keep the finish in line, a decent dose of hops, etc. I could see myself making one but I might have to redesign it a little bit.

 

yeah - I'll probably shoot for about 6%.  it's where I like most of my beers. a little kick but not over the top.

[positiveContact]

Off the top of my head, I think 6.5% is 8 oz for this beer.

Porter is one of those beers where I find I like the malts complex. I try to pick ones that have their own flavor compartment, to keep it from getting too muddled. It probably just reflects my particular desires from the style.

 

so you made sure the roasted malts were in different SRM ranges essentially?  or is there more to it?

[Brauer]

so you made sure the roasted malts were in different SRM ranges essentially? or is there more to it?

I guess that is what I did, I just thought of it in terms of flavor, at the time. So I avoided Chocolate Malt, which I think of as overlapping with Black Patent in the dry, bitter range, and chose Pale Chocolate, which is nutty, instead.

I think you can make a great Robust Porter with those acrid malts, but this is a light, easy-drinking one that is very different than one of the big sweet Robust ones.

[positiveContact]

I guess that is what I did, I just thought of it in terms of flavor, at the time. So I avoided Chocolate Malt, which I think of as overlapping with Black Patent in the dry, bitter range, and chose Pale Chocolate, which is nutty, instead.

I think you can make a great Robust Porter with those acrid malts, but this is a light, easy-drinking one that is very different than one of the big sweet Robust ones.

 

I'm not really into robust porter.  I like full bodied but I don't really like sweetness.

[Brauer]

I'm not really into robust porter. I like full bodied but I don't really like sweetness.

I really like the ones from Mayflower and Wormtown, but I think of them more like I would a chocolate frappe.

[Brauer]

My usual porter is just a smoothed out version of Jamil's Black Butte. By smoothed out, I mean even amounts- half pound, not .42. I also ditch the cara-pils. I'll have to grab mine from home, here's Jamil's. httpss://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/black-butte-porter-clone-9

I think a lot of those recipes look really screwy because they were formulated with sane quantities at something like 75%, then someone reformulated them to 70% before the shows, for some reason, and kept too many decimal points.

[neddles]

I'm not really into robust porter. I like full bodied but I don't really like sweetness.

Im pretty sure what we described in the first three posts of this thread all qualifies as robust porter. What Brauer outlined appears much closer to an english brown porter.

[positiveContact]

Im pretty sure what we described in the first three posts of this thread all qualifies as robust porter. What Brauer outlined appears much closer to an english brown porter.

 

what's the difference?  you guys are using more roasted malt?  more crystal?

[neddles]

what's the difference? 

Without going all BJCP I think it is generally bigger ABV on the robust while brown porter is more sessionable. Also the presence/character of brown malt is pretty typical in english versions IIRC.

[positiveContact]

Without going all BJCP I think it is generally bigger ABV on the robust while brown porter is more sessionable. Also the presence/character of brown malt is pretty typical in english versions IIRC.

 

I suspect there is some overlap on the OG but generally that's probably true.

[Brauer]

These comparisons from the BJCP seem reasonably appropriate:
(Brown Porter)"Differs from a robust porter in that it usually has softer, sweeter and more caramelly flavors, lower gravities, and usually less alcohol. More substance and roast than a brown ale. Higher in gravity than a dark mild. Some versions are fermented with lager yeast. Balance tends toward malt more than hops. Usually has an “English” character."

(I'm not sure I agree with the 'sweeter, carmelly' comment. I find most Robust Porters sweer/sweeter,just with more added bitterness and roast to balance the sweetness. I can see the truth behind the idea of a strong Dark Mild.)

(Robust Porter)"Comments: Although a rather broad style open to brewer interpretation, it may be distinguished from Stout as lacking a strong roasted barley character. It differs from a brown porter in that a black patent or roasted grain character is usually present, and it can be stronger in alcohol. Roast intensity and malt flavors can also vary significantly. May or may not have a strong hop character, and may or may not have significant fermentation by-products; thus may seem to have an “American” or “English” character."

(I guess I was going for that lack of a specific Black Patent character, by spreading the color around between different roast malts.)

[Poptop]

I honestly think Denny's base recipe simply can't be beat.

[HVB]

I honestly think Denny's base recipe simply can't be beat.

Just to make sure, you are talking the BVIP base correct?

[denny]

Just to make sure, you are talking the BVIP base correct?

 

I assume, but that a pretty big porter.  Here's the one I make more often...

 

#449 Nick Danger Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal):         5.50    Wort Size (Gal):    5.50
Total Grain (Lbs):       13.88
Anticipated OG:          1.061    Plato:             15.01
Anticipated SRM:          32.0
Anticipated IBU:          49.2
Brewhouse Efficiency:       73 %
Wort Boil Time:             60    Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate:       1.50    Gallons Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size:    7.00    Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity:      1.048    SG          11.93  Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

   %     Amount     Name                          Origin        Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 72.1    10.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)              America        1.036      2
 10.8     1.50 lbs. Munich Malt (Durst)           Germany        1.037     10
  7.2     1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L                   America        1.034     60
  5.4     0.75 lbs. Chocolate Malt                America        1.029    350
  3.6     0.50 lbs. Special B Malt                Belgian        1.030    120
  0.9     0.13 lbs. Black Patent Malt             America        1.028    525

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

   Amount     Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  0.60 oz.    Tettnanger                        Pellet   5.20   3.9  First WH
  0.90 oz.    Magnum-Domestic                   Pellet  12.00  38.3  60 min.
  1.00 oz.    Cascade (homegrown)               Whole    6.00   7.0  10 min.


Extras

  Amount      Name                           Type      Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1.00 Unit(s)Whirlfloc                      Fining    15 Min.(boil)
  0.46 Tsp    Yeast Nutrient                 Other     10 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1056 Amercan Ale/Chico


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Name:

Total Grain Lbs:   13.88
Total Water Qts:   22.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal:    5.50 - Before Additional Infusions

Tun Thermal Mass:   0.13
Grain Temp:        65.00 F


                     Step   Rest   Start   Stop  Heat     Infuse   Infuse  Infuse
Step Name            Time   Time   Temp    Temp  Type     Temp     Amount  Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sacc                   0     60    154     154   Infuse   169       22.00   1.59


Total Water Qts:           22.00 - After Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal:            5.50 - After Additional Infusions
Total Mash Volume Gal:      6.61 - After Additional Infusions

[positiveContact]

denny not using 1450 in his commonly brewed porter?  MADNESS!

[neddles]

denny not using 1450 in his commonly brewed porter? MADNESS!

A one time event Ill betcha.

[Poptop]

I saw the Nick Danger in my newest and soon to be dog eared beer recipe book.  Looks good.

Just to make sure, you are talking the BVIP base correct?

I make the base recipe w/o the Bourbon or Vanilla about twice a year.