Thoughts for a Porter

[RichardG]

Hi chaps. I'm thinking of getting a porter or similar done. As I'm still fairly new at recipe forumation I'm always on the lookout for any useful input. So, my thoughts so far are:-

Total grain bill 5700g to give 105og at 75% efficiency on a 25Ltr batch;

Pale malt 70% = 3990
Crystal malt 10% = 570
Brown malt 10% = 570
Choc or black 5% = 285
Torrified wheat 5% = 285

For hoping I'm thinking fuggles with 50g or so bittering, with another 20g at 15mins (amounts depending on AA figure). Yeast is also up for grabs, but probably Brelabs TV3.

I admit there's no great science behind the malt percentages. I'm also unsure at this stage whether to use chocolate or black malt (or even both!), htough I'm tending towards choclate because I'm more likely to use that in standard bitters/old ales (maybe?), and I'm also thinking that there may not be much point in a late hop addition. I've include torrified for the usual head retention, because that's what I have. I could change that (eg, flaked barley) if people think it's really worth it. Either way, any thoughts would be gratefully received.

[Deebee]

you could use oats for head and even some carafa III..
might make it more stouty tough.

Personally i might go for a dry yeast as the subtle flavours in some liquid yeasts would be lost.

[RichardG]

Agreed, oats are an option, which would also save my torrified. I can get rolled oats from co-op I think. You're also probably right about the yeast. I've got some SO4 in stock, so may go with that instead.

[Deebee]

Agreed, oats are an option, which would also save my torrified. I can get rolled oats from co-op I think. You're also probably right about the yeast. I've got some SO4 in stock, so may go with that instead.

SO4 will leave a little residual sweetness, for a drier and slightly more alcoholic porter you can use nottingham.

Its slightly more attenutive. I have found however that on dark beers the yeast needs a lot of rousing, but then again this could just be me:)

[lupulin]

What you have posted there is pretty much my standard Porter recipe minus the wheat. I think that's at least a good start. I prefer chocolate malt to black malt in my porters and fuggle are great for bittering.

[coatesg]

Recipe looks good. Brown malt really makes a porter and if you use chocolate, you're much along the lines of Fullers London Porter. The wheat is a personal thing regarding head retention (I would drop it myself, but it's up to you). I would maybe go for about 35-40IBU with the bittering hops, and the flavour hops are kinda up to you, though you may not pick them out amongst the malt.

TV3 should be fine also as would most british yeasts. In dry yeasts I'd plump for S04 probably myself (Notts a bit dry, windsor tasty but takes forever to clear )

[RichardG]

Many thanks for all in the input guys, it's all most useful. So, thoughts based on the responses to date. Yeast, I'll go for SO4 as it's what I have (I know I could get Nottingham, but my last sachet gave me a scare, and I'd prefer that it not be too dry). As for hopping, I tend to agree that late hops are probably a bit superflous and I'm tempted to drop it; not sure, think I'll see how I feel at the time. Definately chocolate malt rather than black. As for the torrified I'm actually thinking of replacing that with either rolled oats (which I believe I can use straight from the packet?) or flaked barley, which seems to be another option for dark beers to aid head retention etc. Equally, I may just drop it altogether.

[Barley Water]

Well I'll jump in here, I consider Fuller's London Porter one of the best beers on the planet and I hope they serve it in the after life as well or I will be sorely disappointed. Having said that, I would recommend using WLP02 as the yeast which is of course the Fuller's strain. The reason for this is because that strain will give you a hint of diacetyl if you have been making your periodic offerings to the brewing gods and have otherwise been a good boy all year. In my humble opinion, that taste, married with the roasted flavors from the chocolate and brown malts along with the sweet backbone from the crystal produces a taste treat which is absolutely sublime. Sort of like a rich coffee taste with a caramel/butterscotch flavor in the background, you just can't beat it. Ok, now I am getting myself all worked up just thinking about it, time to get to work for a change. I had one of those beer moments with a pint of London Porter a few years ago and I can still remember the taste like it was yesterday.

[RichardG]

BW, how about Wyeast 1968 London ESB? I ask because, according to MrMalty, it's effectively the same thing as WLP002; and whilst I can get the wyeast smack packs from my LHBS I can't get White Labs, so would need to mail order with all the attendent P&P costs.

[Manx Guy]

Recipe looks good...

I made the Ringwood XXXX Porter from GW's book, as it was recomended to me by a well known poster on here as 'dry' porter which i my preference ( I used Nottingham yeast). Its also an attractive looking brew, almost star bright (but its hard to tell...) dark ruby/brown beer...

I also like the more complex porters but whether I could drink 20+ litres is another matter...
My local recently had in Batemans Salem Porter which was nice and bitter sweet with a bit of a licourice thing going on...

I might be tempted to add soem oats to a porter in future...

Good luck with your brew, look forward to hearing how it all goes


Guy

[Barley Water]

Oh yeah, go ahead and use the Wyeast version. I can source either here and since I always make a starter, I find the tubes just a little more convient (but that is just personal preference). Interestingly, when doing wheat biers, I like the White Labs version even though the strains are supposed to be the same, could be I am just a little superstitious. Of course at other times, I use Wyeast so I would have to say both producers make a nice product. I haven't used dried yeast in some time although I understand it is now much better than in days past (I have been doing this hobby for so long that sometimes I don't keep up with some of the new stuff, I guess I am just getting old).

[boingy]

Looks pretty good. If it was me I'd round the quantities up or down to hit more convenient amounts in terms of purchasing and stock keeping, so probably 4kg, 500g, 500g, 250g, 250g. And I'd use a dry yeast, just because I always do!

[coatesg]

1968 will work very well - make a starter and you're away . Don't be surprised if it finishes a bit higher than a normal beer - there's a fair whack of crystal and brown which won't ferment out, plus 1968 is not very attenuative.

[RichardG]

Okay, after much deliberation the final recipe:-

25Ltrs - 75% efficiency - OG 1055

Pale malt 3550
Crystal 500
Brown 500
Chocolate 250
Flaked barley 250

Hopping will be fuggles for full boil to 35IBUs (which based on those I have which are 5% AA gives 59g). I'm going to leave out the late hops as I can't see that there going to be noticeable, and I'll save them for my bitters & pale ales. Yeast will be Wyeast 1968 ESB. Allowing for 70% attenuation should give me around 5% ABV. Let me express my thanks for all those who have contributed their thoughts and advice. It's all most gratefully received.

[dave-o]

I can't see how 5050g of malt (much of it less fermentable) is going to get you to 1055 OG at 75% eff.

Are those numbers right? Beersmith makes it 1050 at 75%