My porter looks like it will be lower SRM than expected

Denny's Evil Concoctions · Mar 17, 2008

Well the porter is close to done boiling now but my sight tube is not showing a dark color at all. I know a thin tube will make it look lighter but this looks as light as my IPA.

What the hell?

Code:

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: ST. Pattys Porter
Brewer: Denny Lajeunesse
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Baltic Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 40.00 L      
Boil Size: 47.44 L
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 25.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 31.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type        % or IBU      
4.50 kg       Pale ESB - Gambrinus (3.0 SRM)            Grain       40.00 %       
4.50 kg       Vienna - Gambrinus (5.5 SRM)              Grain       40.00 %       
0.50 kg       Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)                Grain       4.44 %        
0.50 kg       Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)                     Grain       4.44 %        
0.50 kg       Wheat Malt - Gambrinus (1.8 SRM)          Grain       4.44 %        
0.25 kg       Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)     Grain       2.22 %        
0.25 kg       Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM)     Grain       2.22 %        
0.25 kg       Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)                Grain       2.22 %        
60.00 gm      Bullion [7.50 %]  (60 min)                Hops        24.4 IBU      
30.00 gm      Bullion [7.50 %]  (20 min)                Hops        7.4 IBU       
1 Pkgs        SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04)      Yeast-Ale                 


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 11.25 kg
----------------------------
Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp     
75 min        Saccharification   Add 29.36 L of water at 72.4 C      66.0 C        
10 min        Mash Out           Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min          75.6 C

Dude · Mar 17, 2008

Can you take a pic?

If it does turn out light, you can put in sinimar, if it really bothers you.

Also, if you haven't sparged yet, you can add some carafa to the mash and it will darken it significantly.

Denny's Evil Concoctions · Mar 17, 2008

No, I'm 20 min from flame out. Just wondering why the SRM looks like it will be low. Accrording to beersmith it should be dark brown, almost black.

The crush looked good. Just has me perplexed. Hope it tastes portery.

Dude · Mar 17, 2008

You still have time to steep something dark for a few minutes.

foppa78 · Mar 17, 2008

I just brewed a similar porter recipe last weekend and it even had a little bit less chocolate malt and it turned out very dark like a porter should. Any chance your chocolate malt wasn't crushed?

Denny's Evil Concoctions · Mar 18, 2008

It's darker than I thought but not black by any means. Oh well, dark enough I suppose. I'm starting to distrust beersmiths SRM predictions, especially on darker beers.

WBC · Mar 18, 2008

Looks can be deceiving. A sight tube is not the best place to look at it. After cooling and transfer to the carboy you should see just how dark it is.

Denny's Evil Concoctions · Mar 18, 2008

Yeah, I know. I transfered some to a large sample tube and it stoll looks like a darkish brown.

carnevoodoo · Mar 18, 2008

Beersmith is really just an estimation and by no means is 100% accurate. For a 25 SRM beer, I'd expect it to be dark brown.

From their site:
Color Display Limitations

In recipe view and in the preview pane, BeerSmith attempts to generate the approximate color of the beer. Note, however, that the SRM/EBC color number is insufficient to determine the actual color. For example, a beer with an SRM color of 5 brewed with a high proportion of Munich malt will have a decidedly red tint to it, while a beer brewed with pale and crystal malts with a 5 SRM color will appear straw colored.

In addition, computer displays and printers all have their own color limitations that prevent an exact match in all cases.

The color displayed in BeerSmith is meant to approximate, as closely as possible, most beer formulations. To compare the colors of beer and recipe, put your beer in a tall glass against a white surface and hold it about arms length away. Given the limitations inherent in estimating color, you may be surprised how close the estimate is to the actual beer.

Denny's Evil Concoctions · Mar 18, 2008

I know that but to me beersmith is way off compared to other software.

zoebisch01 · Mar 18, 2008

Using my spreadsheet, that is roughly what I get. About 24 SRM. The problem with the equations is they kind of fall apart when you get into the dark regime.

My porter looks like it will be lower SRM than expected

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My porter looks like it will be lower SRM than expected

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