Post
by Barley Water » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:10 pm
I think with Robust Porters it's probably best to choose a strain that is a decent attenuator since the O.G. is relatively high otherwise the beer will end up too sweet. I am currently drinking my version of a Robust (it's essentially a clone of Edmund Fitzgerald which I of course screwed around with) and I want to say I used WLP13 if I remember correctly. When I make Brown Porter on the other hand I like WLP02 but then that beer is not quite as big. I think the reason the great Jamil uses the Chico strain is because Robust Porter is essentially an American interpretation of a classic British Brown Porter (you know, we made it bigger and hopped it up) and many American brews don't have the yeast character that the British beer does. Once the IBU's get up there and the beer starts tasting like a cross between a pine tree and a grapefruit I don't know that most drinkers taste the more subtle yeast contribution anyway.

Drinking:Saison (in bottles), Belgian Dubbel (in bottles), Oud Bruin (in bottles), Olde Ale (in bottles),
Abbey Triple (in bottles), Munich Helles, Best Bitter (TT Landlord clone), English IPA
Conditioning: Traditional bock bier, CAP
Fermenting: Munich Dunkel
Next up: Bitter (London Pride like), ESB
So many beers to make, so little time (and cold storage space)