Porter Colour (EBC)

[chrisluki]

Hey guys

Just after your opinons on the sweet spot for colour of a Porter.

I am having a second crack at my Dark Knight Porter recipe, as it was very well received last time. Lessons from last time include, it was a little dark (60 - 65 EBC I estimate), slightly over-carbonated and i didn't hit my OG which resulted in a lower ABV.

All of this stuff is able to be fixed, but just wondering if maybe i should adjust my grains to hot closer to maybe 50 EBC?

Cheer

Chris

Batch Size: 20.00 l
Style: Robust Porter (12B)
Color: 60.8 EBC
Equipment: New Green Shed Brewing
Bitterness: 28.5 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.061 (14.8° P)
Mash Profile: Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out
Est FG: 1.018 SG (4.6° P)
ABV: 5.6%

Ingredients
4.00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (3.7 EBC)
1.00 kg Munich Malt (17.7 EBC)
120.0 g Black (Patent) Malt (1300.0 EBC)
120.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC)
120.0 g Chocolate Malt (689.5 EBC)
120.0 g Roasted Barley (1000.0 EBC)
14.2 g Cascade [6.4%] - Boil 60 min
14.2 g Northern Brewer [9.8%] - Boil 60 min
14.2 g Cascade [6.4%] - Boil 0 min
1 pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If you go on to Brewers Friend and put in your recipe it will help to see how close you are to style and you can make your adjustments from there.

 

[chrisluki]

Thanks mate.

Using Beersmith, but doesn't give guidelines on style...that i know of?

If you go on to Brewers Friend and put in your recipe it will help to see how close you are to style and you can make your adjustments from there.

 

[sponge]

Beersmith gives you the colour range for each style, and where your current colour sits comparatively.

Maybe it's not a standard option, but I definitely know is an option you can display on the main recipe page. Might be under the option area where you can pick and choose which measurements/guidelines/estimates are being shown.

EDIT: Although I don't have BS in front of me, I am positive it shows the colour on a scale down the bottom of the main recipe page, along with estimated OG, bitterness and ABV.

 

[Rocker1986]

EDIT: Although I don't have BS in front of me, I am positive it shows the colour on a scale down the bottom of the main recipe page, along with estimated OG, bitterness and ABV.

It does. If this picture I will attempt to post works...

The numbers in my recipe are a bit on each end, but it turns out a bloody wonderful beer.

The estimated ABV content doesn't take into account the priming sugar if naturally carbing in bottles either, so I usually add about 0.3% to it.

 

[chrisluki]

Great stuff guys!!!!

Thanks for your assistance, i will check it out tonight.

 

[stewy]

I would try dropping the roast barley & see what colour you get. I would be very surprised if Dark Knight has any roasted barley... Not many porters do.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Did you get the yeast amount from Beersmith?

 

[chrisluki]

Did you get the yeast amount from Beersmith?

i only ever lob in one package for my 20l brews...should i rethink?

 

[chrisluki]

I would try dropping the roast barley & see what colour you get. I would be very surprised if Dark Knight has any roasted barley... Not many porters do.

I checked a couple of other DK Porters on Beersmith and all had Roast Barley?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Chris I would be having a look at what the pitch rate is for that beer, I don't use Beersmith but on Brewers Friend you can work out the pitch rate it isn't the volume of the beer, it's the fermentables that the yeast has to take care of.

 

[stewy]

I checked a couple of other DK Porters on Beersmith and all had Roast Barley?

Other homebrew recipes often contain roast barley... Most craft porter ales do not.
Typically they are made up of marris otter or 2 row/Munich/crystal/chocolate/black patent

Make what tastes nice to your palette, I'm just offering a potential explanation for your darker colour

 

[chrisluki]

Other homebrew recipes often contain roast barley... Most craft porter ales do not.
Typically they are made up of marris otter or 2 row/Munich/crystal/chocolate/black patent

Make what tastes nice to your palette, I'm just offering a potential explanation for your darker colour

good advice, thanks!

 

[Rocker1986]

Yeah, that recipe I took that screen shot from does contain roasted barley but only a small amount. The rest of the specialty grains are dominated by black patent, chocolate malt and crystal, with black patent being the biggest addition. Base grains of Maris Otter and Munich. It's one of the few recipes I've created that I have brewed exactly the same every time since. Never disappoints, that one.