Porter Recipe Feedback...

[TMCC]

I haven't had much experience brewing dark beers, and was wanting a bit of feedback on the grain bill of a porter recipe I've put together...

So here's what I was thinking:

- 4.000kg Pale Ale malt (78%)
- 0.500kg Crystal ~50L (9.8%)
- 0.350kg Carafa 2 (6.8%)
- 0.175kg Amber malt (3.4%)
- 0.100kg Chocolate Malt (2%)


Thinking of using US-05 with Northern Brewer and EKG in the boil to get a bitterness of around 30-35 IBU.


So before I put this on, anyone got any feedback or recomendations? Little bit too much crystal maybe?

Any tips would be great.


Cheers.

 

[manticle]

Too much crystal for my palate. Some is good but I look for good choc and roast flavours that are just shy of the richness of stout. A bit of toast is good. Try a blend of light and dark malts, maybe a touch of biscuit.

A lot of people also swear by brown malt - can't personally vouch but might be worth pursuing.

 

[Reman]

I like the mix of pale/brown/chocolate @ 84/10/6, will give you that nice chocolate/coffee flavour without going into the toast/ash side of things. You could add some crystal to get it more chunky if you like.

I would just make sure you adjust water properly to hit the right pH.

 

[warra48]

I'd remove the Carafa altogether.
Use 400 to 500 gr Brown Malt.
Up the Chocolate to about 350 gr.
Reduce the Crystal malt as manticle suggested.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Simpsons brown malt. +1 to warra48's advice.

 

[dr K]

I do not usually make a comment on "recipes", but I do like porter and offer my take.
A damn fine porter can be made with just MO, a bit of crystal say max 5% and enough choc to get your desired colour, pale is better, you use more but get less roast.
EKG or Fuggles
One of the few ale styles I would not use US05. My choice would be WLP002, or WLP005.
You will make an even better porter with a significant amount of (British) brown malt. Last time I was at Fullers, ok 18 months ago, they were using from memory which may be screwed ,like 20 or 30% brown....
K

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Porter was my AIM when I first started AG....near 15yrs ago

Took me a long time to get right...and even then I ****** it up...I can drag out myold original recipe if required

Porter is one of those beers that you cant do unless you know what it is

It is not a Stout
Not a Brown
Not a Dark

Generally dark grains, but not sweet Xtals

Defs needs olde hops like Fugs & EKG

 

[sp0rk]

dr K is spot on with the KISS approach
My porter base is
80.54% Maris Otter Malt
10.5% Munich I
5.4% Chocolate
3.55% Black Roasted Barley

 

[Rocker1986]

I'm not an expert on this style (or any other style for that matter :lol but this is the malt bill i've used in a porter recipe for the last few years. It's probably not conventional, and it turns out black as the ace of spades (hence naming it such), but **** it's delicious. The following was for a 21 litre batch but the percentages are listed as well. Hopped with EKG and Fuggles to about 45-50 IBUs, fermented with English ale yeast - I've used S-04 in the past and Wyeast 1469 on the most recent batch which is in the FV now. FG samples tasted typically yummy, very smooth with coffee and chocolate undertones and just enough roastiness in the background. This batch finished at 1.014, not watery but not chewy either, just right. Can't wait to tap it in a few months time. :icon_drool2:

5.000 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (5.6 EBC) Grain 5 88.2 %
0.310 kg Black Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1300.2 EBC) Grain 6 5.5 %
0.180 kg Crystal Malt - Medium (Thomas Fawcett) (150.0 EBC) Grain 7 3.2 %
0.090 kg Chocolate Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1100.0 EBC) Grain 8 1.6 %
0.090 kg Roasted Barley (Thomas Fawcett) (1350.0 EBC) Grain 9 1.6 %
Mash for 90 minutes at 65C, mash out 78C 10 mins.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

dr K is spot on with the KISS approach
My porter base is
80.54% Maris Otter Malt
10.5% Munich I
5.4% Chocolate
3.55% Black Roasted Barley

mine is usually:
50:50 pale:munich2
10% simpsons brown malt
enough carafa special 2 to get to 45 EBC.
bitter to 40 IBU with whatever, ferment with WY1469

 

[Dan Pratt]

The most simple porter I have made only used 3 malts, It was the 1850 Porter and very tasty:

82% Maris Otter
13% Brown Malt
5% Black Patent

I think that the use of Black Patent is a defining malt for this style of the porter and + 1 for brown malt.

 

[TMCC]

Thanks for the reply's all, sounds like the concensus is brown malt is a good bet. Will have to have a look around and see if I can find some.

In terms of the darker roasted grains, what does everyone think of chocolate malt compared to black patent? As I understand, black (patent) malt is just more intensely roasted chocolate malt? How do you find they come across in the finished beer?

 

[manticle]

Depends on amounts and other malts in the grist but very roughly for me - choc = coffee and toasted cacao been, roast barley is coffee and black malt is bitter ash.

All can work in a porter but I'd use a very judicious hand if going black patent. It makes its presence known.

 

[Darc]

While you guys are here critiquing porter recipes. I just whipped this up for the future plans of doing a choc cherry porter, let me know what you think

Cherry Ripe
Fruit Beer

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 60.0
Total Grain (kg): 20.908
Total Hops (g): 101.05
Original Gravity (OG): 1.076 (°P): 18.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.019 (°P): 4.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 7.47 %
Colour (SRM): 36.4 (EBC): 71.7
Bitterness (IBU): 27.6 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
14.211 kg Munich II (67.97%)
3.474 kg Pilsner (16.61%)
1.434 kg Melanoidin (6.86%)
1.074 kg Crystal 90 238 EBC (5.14%)
0.717 kg Dark Chocolate (3.43%)

Hop Bill
----------------
56.8 g Northern Brewer Pellet (8% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)
44.2 g Northern Brewer Pellet (8% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------
12 kg Cherries @ 0 Days (Secondary)
1200 g Cocoa Powder @ 0 Days (Secondary)

Single step Infusion at 67°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 20°C with Wyeast 1968 - London ESB Ale

 

[malt junkie]

While you guys are here critiquing porter recipes. I just whipped this up for the future plans of doing a choc cherry porter, let me know what you think

Cherry Ripe
Fruit Beer

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 60.0
Total Grain (kg): 20.908
Total Hops (g): 101.05
Original Gravity (OG): 1.076 (°P): 18.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.019 (°P): 4.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 7.47 %
Colour (SRM): 36.4 (EBC): 71.7
Bitterness (IBU): 27.6 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
14.211 kg Munich II (67.97%)
3.474 kg Pilsner (16.61%)
1.434 kg Melanoidin (6.86%)
1.074 kg Crystal 90 238 EBC (5.14%)
0.717 kg Dark Chocolate (3.43%)

Hop Bill
----------------
56.8 g Northern Brewer Pellet (8% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)
44.2 g Northern Brewer Pellet (8% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------
12 kg Cherries @ 0 Days (Secondary)
1200 g Cocoa Powder @ 0 Days (Secondary)

Single step Infusion at 67°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 20°C with Wyeast 1968 - London ESB Ale

Might just be me but 27 ibu seems a little light on considering the cocoa and cherries.

 

[Dan Pratt]

^ ^ i agree.

also, is the munich and Pilsner % mixed up?