# Porter...



## strods (24/8/15)

Hi all. Im on the look out for any recommended porters that youve enjoyed, and also where to buy it


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## Coodgee (24/8/15)

The newstead brewing co porter is delicious.


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## Rocker1986 (24/8/15)

I'm not a huge fan of dark beers although I enjoy one on a cold winter's night. My favourite would probably be the Mornington Porter. Unsure if Dan's stocks it but it can be found at places like Archive or Brewski.


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## Ducatiboy stu (24/8/15)

There are no real Porters available generally

Which is a shame as it is an awsome style to brew....and drink :beerbang:

Porter is a style that will hook you into the dark side. It has such a wide scope to brew within


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## Blind Dog (24/8/15)

Sam Smiths Taddy Porter on tap is the dogs boll***s. Not too shabby in bottles when you can find it either - although last time I saw it, it was $40 for 4x500ml bottles which is pretty exxy

Don't mind Rocks Brewing Porter on tap, although they always seem to serve it way too cold. Not too exciting but enough going on to peak interest.

Had a fair few shockers as well though


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## bigmacthepunker (24/8/15)

For a off the shelf at Dans, I recommend the Wicked Elf Porter.


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## manticle (25/8/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> There are no real Porters available generally


Wha.. ?


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## strods (25/8/15)

Coodgee said:


> The newstead brewing co porter is delicious.


 The newstead and green beacon porters are probably the best I've found. Top drinks.....


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## strods (25/8/15)

Rocker1986 said:


> I'm not a huge fan of dark beers although I enjoy one on a cold winter's night. My favourite would probably be the Mornington Porter. Unsure if Dan's stocks it but it can be found at places like Archive or Brewski.


 I'll keep an eye out for them always like to try different ones


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## strods (25/8/15)

Blind Dog said:


> Sam Smiths Taddy Porter on tap is the dogs boll***s. Not too shabby in bottles when you can find it either - although last time I saw it, it was $40 for 4x500ml bottles which is pretty exxy
> 
> Don't mind Rocks Brewing Porter on tap, although they always seem to serve it way too cold. Not too exciting but enough going on to peak interest.
> 
> Had a fair few shockers as well though


yeah I've found when it's served too cold it loses a bit of flavour, I've always been told to drink it around celler temp for the best taste.


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## strods (25/8/15)

Thanks all, some good suggestions there, at the moment I'm drinking the feral smoked Porter which is a nice drop but like to mix it up a bit as don't want to drink the same stuff week in week out. Will be sure to try the ones you've all recommended , thanks


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## stewy (25/8/15)

strods said:


> Thanks all, some good suggestions there, at the moment I'm drinking the feral smoked Porter which is a nice drop but like to mix it up a bit as don't want to drink the same stuff week in week out. Will be sure to try the ones you've all recommended , thanks [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji482][emoji482][emoji482]


//

Bright Brewery Staircase porter
Newstead Brewing Porter
Holgate The Temptress (best Aussie brewed porter IMO)
Mornington porter
Sam Smith Taddy
Anchor Porter
Deschuttes Black Butte Porter
Heretic Shallow Grave ($$$$$$ but outstanding)
Sierra Nevada Porter

You need to try all of these. They are all great beers with the Temptress & Shallow Grave the standouts


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## dicko (25/8/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> There are no real Porters available generally





manticle said:


> Wha.. ?





stewy said:


> //
> 
> Bright Brewery Staircase porter
> Newstead Brewing Porter
> ...


Not a bad range of porters in that list.... :lol:


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## dicko (25/8/15)

strods said:


> Thanks all, some good suggestions there, at the moment I'm drinking the feral smoked Porter which is a nice drop but like to mix it up a bit as don't want to drink the same stuff week in week out. Will be sure to try the ones you've all recommended , thanks


yes I agree,
on the HB scene I find a porter a bit "too'" much with a 20 litre batch but thoroughly enjoy it with a bottle after a meal when it suits.
i have one on tap at the moment but I have really decided from now on i will brew a smaller batch and run it into bottles so that i may sit and enjoy it without it occupying a tap position at home.


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## wide eyed and legless (25/8/15)

Completely stuffed up my last porter, a brown plum porter, had it in the UK last year and loved it, should have been a robust porter with the plums and I should have used more plums, still sitting in secondary while I decide what to do with it, been there for a couple of months now.


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## dicko (25/8/15)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Completely stuffed up my last porter, a brown plum porter, had it in the UK last year and loved it, should have been a robust porter with the plums and I should have used more plums, still sitting in secondary while I decide what to do with it, been there for a couple of months now.


i have noted that brad Smith of Beersmith fame has had posted two topics on using fruit in beers recently. personally i haven't read them.

At my current level of brewing I am shy on putting fruit in a beer,m although I have added orange peel of late.


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## butisitart (25/8/15)

love brewing porters. usually when i've got a few odds and ends grains, then design one around that. brewed one this last weekend with 10 grains. but always go the goldings, fuggles or similar in the hop mix, and never aroma hop. that way you get the complexities off the different grains, and not the late hops. and this one will come out light at about 4.5 ABV, so i can enjoy it in the warmer months. yum yum


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## Ducatiboy stu (25/8/15)

Porter is still way under represented ..... -_-


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## dicko (25/8/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> There are no real Porters available generally





stewy said:


> //
> 
> Bright Brewery Staircase porter
> Newstead Brewing Porter
> ...





dicko said:


> Not a bad range of porters in that list.... :lol:





Ducatiboy stu said:


> Porter is still way under represented ..... -_-


You must be shopping in the wrong shop Stu... :lol:


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## Ducatiboy stu (25/8/15)

If I had my way, every bottle shop would only be allowed to stock Porters. B)

A miserable 9 porters.......not even a list


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## Benn (25/8/15)

Pretty narrow selection of beers around my way, James Squire porter is all I can really find. I love it.


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## strods (26/8/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Porter is still way under represented ..... -_-


Agreed


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## Benn (26/8/15)

I've been thinking about drinking a porter all morning, Fark I wish this day would hurry up and end!


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## strods (27/8/15)

Nice , did you end up having one ?


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## strods (27/8/15)

Can any one point me in the direction of any websites that sell a porter home brew kit.


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## manticle (27/8/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Porter is still way under represented ..... -_-


Definitely agree there should be more.


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## Benn (27/8/15)

strods said:


> Nice , did you end up having one ?


Couple of pints of Guinness at the RSL actually.

...I too would be interested in a kit version of a porter, all my dark beers taste like burnt shit. 

Actually that's a characteristic of most of my efforts.


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## manticle (27/8/15)

strods said:


> Can any one point me in the direction of any websites that sell a porter home brew kit.


Making your own is probably better - a good low hopped pale base, steep a small variety of roast grains, boil the liquor and add it to the kit with some quality malt extract and a teeny bit of dex.
Use a good fresh yeast.

If us style, add some cascade hops, if english maybe some styrian goldings or leave as is.

Kit wise, I think muntons and cascade but I've not used them. Coopers dark ale with some tricking up could be made to resemble one. Would need some love.


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## strods (27/8/15)

manticle said:


> Making your own is probably better - a good low hopped pale base, steep a small variety of roast grains, boil the liquor and add it to the kit with some quality malt extract and a teeny bit of dex.
> Use a good fresh yeast.
> 
> If us style, add some cascade hops, if english maybe some styrian goldings or leave as is.
> ...


Thanks for that, making my own would definitely interest me. A cascade kit would be nice, i like the stout from cascade its my best one. Keen to get away from using kits soon and start making my own. But we'll see how this kit im currently using goes..

Have you made a port before ?


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## dicko (27/8/15)

What manticle said....

Have a read of this topic,

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/48424-cascade-mahogany-chocolate-porter/


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## Rocker1986 (27/8/15)

I regularly (read: once a year ) brew a porter recipe which I came up with about 2 and a half years ago. It always turns out really nice. Unfortunately being an all grain recipe it's probably out of your reach at the moment, but in keeping with manticle's suggestion of steeping some roasted grains, it does contain medium crystal, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and black patent. Not saying ALL these have to be in it, but hopefully that helps give you an idea of what grains you can use in conjunction with the pale kit base to produce a nice tasting porter. The amounts I used in my recipe are as follows, just to give an idea:

350g Black Patent
200g Medium Crystal
100g Chocolate Malt
100g Roasted Barley


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## manticle (27/8/15)

strods said:


> Thanks for that, making my own would definitely interest me. A cascade kit would be nice, i like the stout from cascade its my best one. Keen to get away from using kits soon and start making my own. But we'll see how this kit im currently using goes..
> Have you made a port before ?


I made quite a few all grain ones. Find one you like the look of, sub the base malt with your kit and extract to achieve the same gravity and steep the same spec grain quantity.


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## welly2 (27/8/15)

Rocker1986 said:


> I regularly (read: once a year ) brew a porter recipe which I came up with about 2 and a half years ago. It always turns out really nice. Unfortunately being an all grain recipe it's probably out of your reach at the moment, but in keeping with manticle's suggestion of steeping some roasted grains, it does contain medium crystal, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and black patent. Not saying ALL these have to be in it, but hopefully that helps give you an idea of what grains you can use in conjunction with the pale kit base to produce a nice tasting porter. The amounts I used in my recipe are as follows, just to give an idea:
> 
> 350g Black Patent
> 200g Medium Crystal
> ...


I got told off on here for my porter recipe not including any brown malt! Apparently you lose your Porter Brewers Club membership card if you don't use brown malt.


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## Rocker1986 (27/8/15)

Oh well, I can live with that. :lol: This recipe does turn out really good as it is, although I do have some brown malt here so I might play around with some in the next batch and see how it goes.


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## stewy (27/8/15)

welly2 said:


> I got told off on here for my porter recipe not including any brown malt! Apparently you lose your Porter Brewers Club membership card if you don't use brown malt.


If you're brewing a Robust Porter you won't get told off
Traditionally, brown porters will contain brown malt in the grist. 

I brew a lovely Robust with med crystal, black patent, choc, Munich & marris otter


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## BradG (27/8/15)

Porters are great. Not as bitter roasty as a stout. 

Try this. I made this recently, and will definitely make it again, possibly without changing it (I've never made the same beer twice)

Robust porter (based on recipe on more beer website)

3.4kg (2x cans) light liquid malt extract (tip: black rock is 1.7kg per can, coopers is 1.5kg per can)
450g crystal 80(80ish. My local deal is in ebc, I used 115-145 ebc)
230g roast barley
230g carapils
115g choc malt

I cold steeped the gains overnight, then rinsed and boiled at about 6litres

25g Northern brewer + 10g leftover pride of Ringwood for 60 mins
25g cascade for 5 mins. ( I've never really tried to boil at any Specific gravity. Maybe next time)

Top to 21litres in FV, 

US-05 at 18C

Delicious

Typing this has made me thirsty. Time to crack a choc porter now!!!


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## Rocker1986 (27/8/15)

Sounds like what goes into my porter as well Stewy apart from the small roasted barley addition I make. I also use Munich and MO in it. I did base my recipe on the robust porter style though, yes.


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## BradG (27/8/15)

Rocker1986 said:


> 350g Black Patent
> 200g Medium Crystal
> 100g Chocolate Malt
> 100g Roasted Barley


That's a lot of black grain added. 
Isn't roast barley and black patent the same??


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## Rocker1986 (27/8/15)

No, black patent is malted barley, roasted barley is unmalted. It's not the first time I've heard that it's a lot of black grain but for some reason it just works in this beer. Never been disappointed by a glass of this one.


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## BradG (27/8/15)

I'll give it a go on top of the pale extract. My recipe actually wanted black patent, but lhbs did not have, and said roast barley is the same. The bum.


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## butisitart (27/8/15)

i threw my famous lic o'richie porter on the porter recipes a few weeks ago (well - famous with a couple of italian friends who managed to disgrace themselves on it). made in honour of the great taswegian. but yeah - a little licorice extract is a really nice add to the occasional porter. especially if the porter not too complex. goes well straight onto a dry irish stout too.


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## BradG (28/8/15)

How do I find the recipes. I'm using iPhone. Is it the same section as recipes forum?


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## butisitart (28/8/15)

should be, but then i don't have an iphone. recipes forum should show something like ipa, stout, etc etc, with reams of recipes in each section.


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## strods (29/8/15)

BradG said:


> Porters are great. Not as bitter roasty as a stout.
> 
> Try this. I made this recently, and will definitely make it again, possibly without changing it (I've never made the same beer twice)
> 
> ...


I'll gve this a try next weekend, going to go price these ingredients up today when i go buy my cleaning stuff. Ithink once ive learned the basics about making a porter i cant really see me brewing anything else to be honest.

Thanks for that. :beer:


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## dicko (29/8/15)

Hi strods,

Without knocking any suggestions above, if you want to brew a great Porter then give this one a try.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/148-robpo/

Barry was kind enough to share this recipe with us all and he only ever contributes recipes which are proven winners.

Mmmm porter!!!!


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## strods (29/8/15)

So let me get this right........ as a base for a porter i need a good pale base ??? pale as in a pale ale ????? then the malts, grains etc to that ? Forgive me for asking sooo many questions... im new to this....


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## strods (29/8/15)

dicko said:


> Hi strods,
> 
> Without knocking any suggestions above, if you want to brew a great Porter then give this one a try.
> 
> ...


had a read of that recipe, sounds really good,

What brew have you got on the go at the moment ?


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## butisitart (29/8/15)

strods said:


> So let me get this right........ as a base for a porter i need a good pale base ??? pale as in a pale ale ????? then the malts, grains etc to that ? Forgive me for asking sooo many questions... im new to this....


good idea. i read or got told at some point to always start with a pale base. the crystals, chocs etc will darken it perfectly. this is cos (or so i was told or read somewhere) the pale is more of a blank canvas for taste and colour.

i thought i'd give it a go when i were kitting and steeping, and yep. it works a treat, and it cuts down on what you need to keep in the store room.


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## strods (30/8/15)

Interesting, i would of never thought a pale base to start a porter.

Going a little off subject here guys..... ive got a brew on the go at the moment.... started last monday and now its coming to the end in the fermenter (i think tuesday maybe wednesday itll be ready for bottling) the krausen has gone off the top of the brew... is this normal ?


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## Spiesy (30/8/15)

Founders Porter. 

The end.


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## manticle (30/8/15)

strods said:


> Interesting, i would of never thought a pale base to start a porter.
> Going a little off subject here guys..... ive got a brew on the go at the moment.... started last monday and now its coming to the end in the fermenter (i think tuesday maybe wednesday itll be ready for bottling) the krausen has gone off the top of the brew... is this normal ?


Basically using the same approach as making an all grain porter.

A dark base kit will be made from mostly pale malt with small amounts of dark malt and/or colour added. If you do the same but with your own spec grains you'll get a more complex, flavourful result. If you start with a dark base then try and add in dark grains, it may just be a bit too much.


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/8/15)

You really only want upto 15% ish of total dark grains, including xtals

So you need to start with a pale base and work up.

There are many styles of Porter, so your millage will vary depending on the style you want to go with


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## BradG (30/8/15)

dicko said:


> Hi strods,
> 
> Without knocking any suggestions above, if you want to brew a great Porter then give this one a try.
> 
> ...


To admin, There's a problem with the above link when using iphone6 . Takes me to a suggestion thread to be able to add photos. Works fine on desktop. Apologies if this is not the place to bring it up. Thanks, brad
(Edit: is that a quote or reference[emoji12])


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## butisitart (30/8/15)

strods said:


> So let me get this right........ as a base for a porter i need a good pale base ??? pale as in a pale ale ????? then the malts, grains etc to that ? Forgive me for asking sooo many questions... im new to this....


sorry - i didn't entirely explain - same rule for all darker beers, porter, stout, bock, whatever. go the pale base and add the darks.
is a lot easier to paint on a white canvas than a brown canvas


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## Gigantorus (31/8/15)

Some I've tried this past winter have been (with my score out of 5 after them):

- Murrays Dark Knight Porter 3/5
- Sierra Nevada Porter 3/5
- James Squire Spade Porter 3/5
- Żywiec Polish Porter 5/5 Loved this one.
- Founders Dark Penance (not sure if this is actually a porter - but loved it) 4/5

Cheers,
Pete


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## dicko (1/9/15)

strods said:


> had a read of that recipe, sounds really good,
> 
> What brew have you got on the go at the moment ?


I have done it a few times and it is always a winner.
I have just finished a porter that I had done but it was not as good a s Barrys recipe as I had to substitute some ingredients and it lost its shine.

At the moment I have a Doppelbock, an APA galaxy/citra and a 150 lashes clone fermenting.
On tap is a Munich Helles and my Midnite Lite which is similar to a Rogers.

Mmmm beer


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## dicko (1/9/15)

BradG said:


> To admin, There's a problem with the above link when using iphone6 . Takes me to a suggestion thread to be able to add photos. Works fine on desktop. Apologies if this is not the place to bring it up. Thanks, brad
> (Edit: is that a quote or reference[emoji12])


Hi Brad,
It is a direct link to the recipe.

I have reported your comment for comment by admin. I will let you know if I can.

I personally find this site very user unfriendly when on ipad and unusable on I phone but I am a dinosaur with modern technology.


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## strods (1/9/15)

dicko said:


> I have done it a few times and it is always a winner.
> I have just finished a porter that I had done but it was not as good a s Barrys recipe as I had to substitute some ingredients and it lost its shine.
> 
> At the moment I have a Doppelbock, an APA galaxy/citra and a 150 lashes clone fermenting.
> ...


Got a few on the go then, im starting a porter next with one of these recipes thats been posted on here, then once i get learning the ingridents and the processes etc.. I'll have a gok at making my very own porter. Found this forum very helpfull and some great advice.

Just took the first hydrometer test on my stout last night, got a reading of 1.020. the stout though wasnt black , it was sort of a brown colour, im confused... I'll take another reading tonight. But read somewhere about leaving it for another few days even if the readings are the same.....


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## Rocker1986 (1/9/15)

It won't look quite as dark in the hydrometer test tube/jar as it will in a beer glass, because it's a smaller diameter you're looking through. My pilsners lately have looked more like lemon cordial in the hydrometer sample but once they're kegged/bottled and in the glass they look as they should. B)

Yes, it is beneficial to leave it sit for a few days to a week after you reach FG. It lets the yeast clean up any off flavours it may have produced during the fermentation.


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## butisitart (1/9/15)

stout is supposed to be brown, but it looks black in a glass. success is a snow white head. actually, all your darks will look brown in a hydrometer.
i'm sipping a bock and it looks black in the glass if there's no background light, and dark chocolate brown against light, but i can see my fingers through it (more or less) when i hold it in front of the computer screen.
imho, my personal advice with a porter is to get your ibu's on the 60min boil, and don't add aroma hopping at the end. a good porter goes on the complexity of your grain mix, rather than getting run over by a floral overload at the end of hopping.


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## Ducatiboy stu (1/9/15)

butisitart said:


> stout is supposed to be brown, but it looks black in a glass.


Its actually very deep red


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## sp0rk (2/9/15)

I've had quite a few good compliments about my Choc Porter and Baltic Porter
I think Skelly22 placed 2nd with my Choc Porter in the Grafton Show the year before last and the Baltic Porter got me a 2nd in the Dark Beer All Grain category at the Grafton Show this year

I've got a Tap King bottle full of the Baltic Porter left that aged on red wine soaked oak staves for a month and has been aging in bottle for a year now, might crack this one on the weekend for father's day with the father and brother in laws

*Sp0rk's Choc Porter (Robust Porter)*

Original Gravity (OG): 1.064 (°P): 15.7
Final Gravity (FG): 1.016 (°P): 4.1
Alcohol (ABV): 6.29 %
Colour (SRM): 34.0 (EBC): 67.0
Bitterness (IBU): 31.1 (Average - No Chill Adjusted)

80.54% Maris Otter Malt
10.5% Munich I
5.4% Chocolate
3.55% Black Roasted Barley

2 g/L East Kent Golding (5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L East Kent Golding (5.4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 18°C with Wyeast 1728 - Scottish Ale

Notes: 100 grams of Cacao nibs 10 minutes before the end of boil


I thought I had the recipe for the Baltic Porter here at work but apparently not, will have to grab it when I get home this afternoon


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## strods (2/9/15)

That sounds brilliant id love to try that. Thanks for sharing that recipe. Im not sure which brew to put on next, debating if to buy a coopers stout kit or have a go at making one from scratch. Undicided.


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## sp0rk (2/9/15)

Pretty sure this was the final recipe I used, but the dark grains seem really low :/
Will check my recipe sheets when I head home on the weekend

*Pearler Polish Porter* (Baltic Porter)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.071 (°P): 17.3
Final Gravity (FG): 1.014 (°P): 3.6
Alcohol (ABV): 7.40 %
Colour (SRM): 27.1 (EBC): 53.4
Bitterness (IBU): 32.1 (Average - No Chill Adjusted)

74.63% Pale Ale Malt
14.93% Candi Sugar, Amber
7.46% Munich I
1.49% Black Malt
1.49% Chocolate

1.6 g/L Perle (7.1% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
1.1 g/L Hallertau Tradition (3.5% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)
1.1 g/L Hallertau Tradition (3.5% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)


Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 15°C with Wyeast 2112 - California Lager


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## Tr0yza (19/9/15)

Wasn't a dark beer drinker but went on a brewery tour and fell in love with the porters. The beechworth brewery porter was my favourite and the sweet water brewery porter was really nice aswell


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## Ducatiboy stu (19/9/15)

i can vouch for Sp0rks porter. His choc porter was fantastic.


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## Coodgee (3/6/17)

Having a couple of Newstead Brewing porters tonight due to a gap in production here. I'm getting a real soy sauce flavour tonight which is interesting.


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