# Style Of The Week 25/10/06 - Robust Porter



## Stuster (25/10/06)

Now that the mash paddle has been decided for this year, I thought it'd be a good time to look at robust porter, style 12B on the BJCP style guidelines.

First up some links. 
Mash paddle announcement and discussion
Robust porter recipe discussion
The Jamil show on Robust Porter download
Brewing Techniques article on the history of porter
Ash's winning mash paddle porter

So the normal deal. Grains, hops, yeast? Ideas on how to do this style using kits and bits? Commercial examples you like. Let's share some info and learn to make better beer. :super: 



> 12B. Robust Porter
> 
> Aroma: Roasty aroma (often with a lightly burnt, black malt character) should be noticeable and may be moderately strong. Optionally may also show some additional malt character in support (grainy, bready, toffee-like, caramelly, chocolate, coffee, rich, and/or sweet). Hop aroma low to high (US or UK varieties). Some American versions may be dry-hopped. Fruity esters are moderate to none. Diacetyl low to none.
> 
> ...


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## warrenlw63 (25/10/06)

Yum. Possibly my faveourite style Stuster.  

This recipe came out totally delicious. Anybody game enough to try it will not be disappointed. I'll definitely be doing it again soon. :beerbang: 

Porter Recipe

One point I'd probably like to stress is try and use Baird's Pale Chocolate malt instead of regular choc. It has a nice smooth, choc/coffee character.  

Warren -


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## beer slayer (25/10/06)

Im with warren 

This is one of the best styles. I usually have some in stock all the time

If you havent made a porter you must give it a go (espicially the Robust) :beerbang: 

BS


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## Stuster (25/10/06)

Totally agree. A great style. I've only made it once before, but SWMBO insists I make it again in the near future.

Like the look of that recipe, Warren. That's a lot of brown and amber malt, but it obviously came out alright (or better :lol: ).


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## warrenlw63 (25/10/06)

Stuster said:


> Totally agree. A great style. I've only made it once before, but SWMBO insists I make it again in the near future.
> 
> Like the look of that recipe, Warren. That's a lot of brown and amber malt, but it obviously came out alright (or better :lol: ).



Probably pushing the Amber/Brown boundary. OTOH It's for a 40 litre batch. Gives the Porter the nice tarry/brazil nut notes that make it a very interesting beer. Couldn't see myself gulping this one down in summer however it's a totally brilliant, complex winter beer.

I think another good trick is to try and avoid the use of Roast Barley. Just seems to steer it too close to stout country.  

Geez come to think of it I'd kill for another 40 litres ATM. :lol: 

Warren -


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## Kai (25/10/06)

I've only brewed one porter, but it came out fairly well. Was quite malty with a nice moderate dark malt flavour. Next time I'll probably remove the munich and make it up with more trad ale.

OG 1.060
40 IBU

70% Trad Ale
20% Munich II
4% CaraAroma
4% TF Choc
2% Black Patent

66C mash

Hallertauer Magnum bittering
1.5g/L Fuggles plugs @ 15

Coopers Ale yeast


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## tdh (25/10/06)

My stock standard recipe - 

10% 120 EBC Crystal
05% Chocolate
2.5% Black Malt (never Roast Barley)

Balance JW Trad Ale or Maris Otter

1.055-1.060
35-40 IBU (Wye Target, USA Nrthrn Brewer)

I refrain from late hopping.

This recipe I then tweak for Smoked Porters or alter the crystal malt variety (e.g. halve the % and use CaraAroma).

tdh


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## Ash in Perth (25/10/06)

I think Pale choc is the way to go with these, with some carafa II for colour. gave me very strong chocolate flavours.


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## jimmy01 (25/10/06)

Thanks Warren

I love a good porter. So far I have only done an extrat porter with speciality grain with good results. However, now that I am into the AG I think I'll give your recipe a go. Looks a pearler - without being overly complex.

May I ask what mash temp/steps you used?

Cheers


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## warrenlw63 (25/10/06)

Jimmy.

Normally I'd just do a dump and stir single step @ around 65 degrees. I used Powells as the base malt for this one so I went a bit more complicated to get the efficiency a little better.  

It was;
40 degrees @ 20 mins
65 degrees @ 75 mins
70 degrees @ 10 mins

Warren -


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## jimmy01 (25/10/06)

Thanks Warren. I'll give it at try. Doing a Pale Ale this week so probably in 2 weeks or so.

Cheers


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## bindi (25/10/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> Jimmy.
> 
> Normally I'd just do a dump and stir single step @ around 65 degrees. I used Powells as the base malt for this one so I went a bit more complicated to get the efficiency a little better.
> 
> ...


 
close to mine that I put on tap last night and drinking now :super: I never single step <_< habit I suppose no matter what the malt used.

It was:
52c 30 min
65c 75min
75c 15 min


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## wee stu (25/10/06)

Hopefully this is not seen as a thread hijacking post <_< 

I just want to provide advance confirmation that the Robust Porter style will return to ANAWBS next year (2007). It won't be the Mash Paddle any more, but it will be a style specific class in its own right.

If it is even half as good as a normal class, compared to this year's Mash Paddle comp, it will still be one of the best classes of the show. Keep brewing those dark beauties, and keep entering them into ANAWBS.

awrabest, stu


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/10/06)

I to am also a big Porter fan...especially if they have black malt in them and a bit of caraaroma...and NO roast barley


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## Stuster (2/4/07)

A repost here of my RP recipe. Just hoping for some feedback on the yeast to use. (and thoughts on the recipe too I guess, although I'm boiling it now.  )


38L batch
Expected OG 1064
Expected IBUs 49
Expected EBC 55

7.5kg JW Trad Ale
500g JW Dark Crystal
350g JW Chocolate malt
300g Bairds Pale Chocolate
300g JW Amber malt
300g Bairds Brown malt

10g CaCO3 in mash

40g Target (11%) @ 60
Willamette (4.9%) 60g @60, [email protected]

This one smelled great at mash in. Half will definitely be done with the Timothy Taylor yeast. The other half I was thinking of WLP009, the Coopers yeast. Has anybody used this yeast for a porter (or a stout)? I also will have 1007 to use. Any thoughts? :unsure:


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## warrenlw63 (2/4/07)

Hey Stuster, recipe looks fantastic. :beer: 

I'll go on a slightly controversial note here... I'm inclined to think that virtually any yeast should make a good porter. Within reason of course (no Weizen yeast :lol: ). Coopers yeast should be really good.

I actually made one once with Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils and fermented it like a lager. Was really nice.

Warren -


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## Stuster (2/4/07)

Thanks, warren. It makes sense that the yeast is not vitally important in the same way it is for some beers. Interesting that even the 2278 made a good porter.  

I'll give the Australian and the TT yeasts a go then and report on the difference (unless I can't find this thread or I forget. :lol: )


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## warrenlw63 (2/4/07)

Stuster said:


> Interesting that even the 2278 made a good porter.



Easy transformation. I just called it a Baltic Porter.  

Warren -


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## neonmeate (2/4/07)

looks tasty stuster

that coffee stout you had of mine last year was with coopers yeast - i made a few with the old coopers yeast last year for the first time since my extractbrewing-grottysharehouse days back in the late 90s. i think it's a good all round ale yeast as long as you keep the temp down , otherwise it's a good fruit salad ale yeast.

lemme know if you want some brett. anomalus to chuck in a portion of it.


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## Stuster (2/4/07)

neonmeate said:


> looks tasty stuster
> 
> that coffee stout you had of mine last year was with coopers yeast - i made a few with the old coopers yeast last year for the first time since my extractbrewing-grottysharehouse days back in the late 90s. i think it's a good all round ale yeast as long as you keep the temp down , otherwise it's a good fruit salad ale yeast.
> 
> lemme know if you want some brett. anomalus to chuck in a portion of it.



Well, then if that yummy stout was made with the coopers yeast, that's definitely the plan for this beer too. :super: 

Hmm, brett. anomalus. I see you found out that was the right brett to use for porter. Well, seeing as I have two cubes, what harm could there be in using it for half. Can I pay for it in infected beers as per usual?


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## Weizguy (2/4/07)

my 2 cents...

did I hear someone say B. anomalus? Did someone say beer swap?

Maybe we need to start a Beer Swap section, where a barter system would allow you to trade beer with a translocated brew buddy. 1, 6, 12 or 2 dozen.

back to the thread - Warren, I think that a cold-brewed dunkelchocweizen-porter brewed with W3068 would impress you as a porter with an unusually rounded and smooth finish (due to the Carafa I and the Munich combined with the mild esters of a 16C ferment with weissen yeast).
Robust? well maybe down the scale from Rrrrobust coffee, but drinkable like an "old" in the style of the Hunter.
It went like hotcakes at the wedding reception. I'm glad I put the keg on for the lunchtime rush.

Seth :beerbang:


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## Fourstar (2/5/08)

Well this weekend im putting down my robust porter w/cocoa. Got a 250g container of van houten coco in Thailand when i was there in Feb. Never seen it on the shelves ere. The best cocoa ive ever had in a hot chocolate. Might add an interesting depth into the porter's flavour! Only time will tell!


REAL Chocolate Porter by Fourstar

23L Batch.

4.5 kg JWM Traditional Ale Malt 
1 kg JWM Light Munich 
0.5 kg JWM Crystal 140 
0.2 kg Weyermann Carafa Special II 
0.2 kg JWM Chocolate Malt 
0.15 kg Hoepfner Black Malt 


50 g Goldings, East Kent (Pellets, 5.0 AA%, 60 mins) 
20 g Fuggles (Pellets, 4.5 AA%, 20 mins) 
10 g Fuggles (Pellets, 4.5 AA%, 0 mins) 
10 g Goldings, East Kent (Pellets, 5.0 AA%, 0 mins) 

50 g Unsweetened cocoa (5mins)

US-05 - American Ale 


Cheers,
Fourstar


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## mje1980 (16/4/11)

Hope to brew this soon, as we're moving out in a few weeks, so want to get this brewed and bottled before then. At least cubed. 

82.5% TF MO
5.3% Aromatic
5.3% Spec b
4.4% Pale choc
1.8% Black
.9% Roast barley. 

Galena 60 mins

1469, or 1968

1.053

38 IBU


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## Spiesy (1/6/13)

About to brew a Robust Porter (almost a Brown Porter) today... what are people's thoughts on my recipe?

26l batch. BIAB. NC. 69% efficiency.
1049OG. 56.7EBC. 4.8% ABV. 24.2IBU (not adjusted for NC).

4.7kg Simpsons Maris Otter
600g Wey CaraMunich II
400g Simpsons Medium Crystal
250g JW Wheat
200g Simpsons Dark Chocolate
150g Simpsons Black Malt 

35g EK Goldings @ 60mins (5.5%)
20g UK Fuggle @ 15mins (4.5%)
10g EK Goldings @ flame out (5.5%)

Yeast nutrient.
BrewBrite.

60min mash @ 66-degrees.
90 min boil.

Ferment with 1084, Irish Ale for 2-weeks at 18-degrees.


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## manticle (1/6/13)

Too much crystal and no need for the wheat. Not convinced you need the caramunich either.


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## Spiesy (1/6/13)

I should point out that I am in the unfortunate position of having my grain all cracked and mixed... it's the last time I will have to do this, hoping to have my mill up and running this weekend.

Is that amount of Crystal going to mess things up a great deal?

Is the hopping schedule okay? I just don't want to end up with too much hop character - or the wrong sort.


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## Rowy (1/6/13)

I agree with Manticle. Except I'd push the caramunich up to 1kg. Mind you he is a very experienced brewer. (I'm not being sarcastic either). Any advice he has ever given me has been spot on.

Oops beat me to it Spiesy


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## Rowy (1/6/13)

Spiesy said:


> I should point out that I am in the unfortunate position of having my grain all cracked and mixed... it's the last time I will have to do this, hoping to have my mill up and running this weekend.
> 
> Is that amount of Crystal going to mess things up a great deal?
> 
> Is the hopping schedule okay? I just don't want to end up with too much hop character - or the wrong sort.


I wouldn't bother with the flameout personally. Just add it to the 15min. I actually have brewed some Porters that have done OK so it is a rare occasion I can actually give advice.


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## manticle (1/6/13)

Hop type and schedule is fine although the flameout addition is probably unnecessary. RP is not really a hop driven style and the hops will happily take a back seat to malt and a hint of roast. Bittering only would be fine too although I like a small flavour addition too.

If it's already cracked then grist-wise you'll have to run with it. The choc and black will help cut through the caramel sweetness.


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## Spiesy (1/6/13)

thanks guys


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## cremmerson (1/6/13)

Any suggestions for a kits and bits version?

Perhaps a stout base, wheat lme, possibly some caraaroma? And the above hopping schedule?


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## manticle (1/6/13)

Stout base will make a stout.

Get a pale base, add roasted spec malts and a bit of UK crystal, light flavour hopping only (tin will be pre-bittered).


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