Brown Porter Recipe Critique...

[RickFinsta]

Here’s my Brown Porter recipe I’m gonna try next, I think:

8lb. Maris Otter (80%)
1lb. Caramel/Crystal 20L (10%)
0.5lb. Chocolate Malt (5%)
0.5lb. Honey Malt (5%)

1-1.5 oz. US Perle first wort hopped to bitter, and 1 oz. Willamette for aroma. As always, 1728 for the yeast.

I’m considering using Victory or Amber malt (maybe even special roast) instead of the Honey Malt, but I want to keep some garnet hue to it around the edges, and keep it balanced with the roast/chocolate flavors so it’s nice and drinkable (not overly roasty; I’ve already got a single stout porter that tastes like delicious cold espresso, don’t need another). Should come in around 5.2% ABV, 24* SRM, and 28-29 IBU.

What thinks the hive mind?

 

[bierhaus15]

I would drop the honey malt. The MO already has a good amount of sweet-breadyness and the honey malt in that amount is just going to make it cloyingly sweet. As for the amber, that would be fine, but you may want to consider subbing it for brown malt. After all, brown malt is pretty much made for these type of beers. Lastly, if your using a good quality MO to begin with, you really don't need to be adding victory/special roast unless you want an exaggerated biscuit character.

 

[KraphtBier]

Looks more like a brown ale to me. I like the idea of subbing out the honey malt as it has a similar flavor (imo) to crystal 20 which you already have in the recipe. Personally I'd use some brown malt instead of victory, though amber malt would work if you already have some on hand.

 

[KraphtBier]

too slow on the keyboard! bierhaus beat me to it

 

[RickFinsta]

I can up the IBUs to balance the extra sweetness, and I'll mash low to dry it out a bit?

 

[Patirck]

I would not mash low - this style needs more body. I agree with everyone else - brown malt is the way to go. It is now my goto malt for brown ales. I also use it in ambers and porters. If you want to go for something a little different, try a little (like .5 pounds) oat malt.

 

[RickFinsta]

Alright I'll mash at 155-156*F and bump up the first wort addition a bit on this batch (already have the grist mixed up) and I'll try some brown malt on the next batch. It's for science, I tell you!

I've got an Amber/Red Ale I make with M.O., Munich, Special Roast, and Honey Malt, and it is a very well balanced and easy drinking beer, so I thought I might try the honey malt in this as well.

 

[Rivercat96]

Just brewed a very similar beer and tapped the keg this weekend after four weeks in the primary and another in the corni. I agree that subing some brown malt for the honey would make a better balanced beer. Here's my recipe:

8 lbs. 2 Row
1 lb. Crystal 60
.5 lb. Chocolate (350)
.25 lb. Brown

1 oz. Northern Brewer (Boil)
1 oz. Cascade (Flame out)

I was shooting for an English style brown porter with a little west coast hop flavor. The beer ended up more of a nice brown ale. Very drinkable beer even for light beer fans and it has a nice dark maroon color to it. Good luck on the brew!

 

[RickFinsta]

Well, the wort tastes really good, but I bumped up to 45 IBU or so because my hops were higher alpha content than anticipated and I just left the addition quantities the same. Hit my OG dead nuts at 1.057, and she's bubbling away, so we'll see in a few weeks. I plan on doing a 1-2-KEG for this one to see if I can get another short lead time house beer in the rotation. I might end up moving to the brown malt if this isn't balanced. Thanks for the replies!

 

[RickFinsta]

Tasting notes:

The aroma has a grassy floral smell, with biscuit/chocolate and just a hint of roast. I think the hop aroma sticking around is from the post-flameout addition (I cooled to 180*F and then let it sit for 20 minutes; honestly, I just got busy, forgot to add at 5 minutes, and didn't want to extend the boil.) It was musty smelling in primary, but it finished well.

Flavor is dominated by chocolate, toast and biscuit flavors with a hint of malty sweetness, and it finishes dry and has a lingering bitter roasty character. It honestly is a little low in body for the gravity for style and my taste, but overall this is a good lawnmower beer for me.

Next time I'll try debittered chocolate malt, and throw some brown malt in there instead of the honey to see what happens.