American Porter Green Mountain Porter (AG)

This recipe is an homage to the Catamount Porter, and the years I spent in Vermont. I'm reluctant to call it a clone, only because there is very little solid info left on this brew. I've pieced it together primarily from old Beeradvocate reviews, the few write-ups still remaining online, and my personal experience (both as someone who's had it, and as a homebrewer in general).

One ancient article, which more or less formed the backbone of this recipe, had info from the Catamount brewery itself (OG, FG, hop varieties used, and hints as to what the grain bill contained). Long story short, the Green Mountain Porter is a Catamount in spirit, if not also in taste.


All Grain

OG: 1.060
FG: 1.015
IBU: ~35
Color: 40+ SRM
Boil: 6.5 Gallons
Final: 5.25 Gallons (before trub/transfer loss)

~75% Mash Efficiency, adjust as required.

7 lb Maris Otter
4 oz Briess Light DME, 43 ppg (used to make the starter; adjust as required)

1 lb British Chocolate
12 oz Brown Malt
12 oz Crystal 40L
8 oz Crystal 120L
8 oz Golden Naked Oats
8 oz CaraPils

.75 oz Nugget (12%, whole/leaf) @ 60 min
1 oz Kent Goldings (4.8%, pellet) @ 5 min

*Additions*

1 Whirlfloc @ 10 min
1/2 tsp. Wyeast Nutrient @ 10 min

*Yeast*

1335 British Ale II. One could also use 1028 London Ale with similar results.

A stir plate is strongly recommended. Otherwise, two smack packs will probably suffice.

Notes:

Mash at approx. 150*F for 60 min.

As far as hops, you can substitute Yakima Goldings for Kent Goldings. Yakima Goldings would even be preferable if they could be found whole/leaf (as opposed to the pellet/plug form Kent Goldings typically assumes).

This looks interesting, please do post the tasting results! I am about to take off the training wheels and go AG and porter is my choice of brew. I've been kit brewing for years so know my way around pretty well so I don't think I'm going to scrape my knees up too bad..yea like falling off a bike for the first time!
I may go with your recipe once you post the results.

Brew day is tomorrow for this one, so by all accounts it's going to be a number of weeks before I can report in. I generally resist posting recipes until I'm well into them and know what to expect, but there was a request for a Catamount Porter clone a while back. I did a lot of research and kinda ran with it, eventually resulting in Green Mountain Porter.

From the article I read, Catamount's Porter was approximately OG 1.060 and FG 1.014, 30 IBU, and 5.8% ABV -- info taken directly from the brewery. Here's an excerpt:

The Catamount Porter is a dark, rich, brown porter with a thick & creamy tan head. It's brewed with no less than seven different types of malts along with Nugget and Yakima Goldings hops. We found it a hugely aromatic brew, slightly sweet, with a big roasted coffee nose which also hinted of chocolate and caramel. Look for a very creamy and smooth mouthfeel. The flavor profile is complex, bursting with notes of coffee, chocolate, sweet malts, caramel, and roasted malts. There is a slight hint of hops in the moderately dry finish. Overall, a complex, full-bodied porter that would pair nicely with a French Roquefort cheese.

Click to expand...

Using this and the few surviving reviews and tastings, I've developed the above recipe. As mentioned, it's going to be somewhat of a challenge to clone the Catamount, because it's no longer out there to compare side to side. My own memories of this brew are years old and fleeting at best, so I'm at somewhat of a loss in that regard.

Nevertheless, drawing from all the write-ups still available, I think it's a fairly easy task to come up with something in the same vein, if not something very close (hence, the Green Mountain Porter).

Decided to compile a list of the Catamount's attributes, so that I can compare it to the Green Mountain Porter at tasting time. The following is an amalgam of the most common descriptions attached to this brew in the surviving beer advocate reviews:

Appearance: Foamy tan head of about one finger. Generally described as a fairly "low" head, although not so much as to be off-putting. Despite this frequently being lumped into the brown porter style -- even by the bros themselves -- this was a decidedly black beer. I distinctly remember this from my own experiences, and pretty much all the BA write-ups describe it as such.

Aroma: Coffee and baker's chocolate are the dominating scents. Carmel is also noted in several reviews. Hints of dark fruit possible.

Taste: Goes along with the aroma. Complex, dominated by coffee/chocolate and roastiness. Carmel and dark fruit again in the flanks. Hops detectable. Generally described as well balanced.

Mouth Feel: Smooth is the general consensus. Some describe it as creamy.

Drinkability: Universally described as the benchmark of a sessionable porter.

So in addition to reviewing this beer as a beer in general, I'll also be holding it to the above standard.

Sample aged five weeks (4 weeks bottles/1 week fridge). Give this beer time before you judge it. At three weeks + 1 day in the fridge it was not ready (sharp). The high proportion of chocolate requires smoothing time. The longer you let it age at ambient/celler temps, the less fridge time is required.

Appearance: Exactly as I remember/as it's described. Foamy tan head of about one finger, then down to a half within about a minute. Black with some ruby highlights. Clear and bright (as far as a robust porter can be). (The second picture is slightly out of focus; the brew isn't hazy.)

4 of 5

Aroma: I'm getting the baker's chocolate/coffee/roastiness. Hops notes blend in very well, forming an awsome synergy.

4.5 of 5

Taste: Really, really good. Got the coffee/chocolate/roastiness in aplomb, but not to the point of being off-putting. Getting some hops, a hint of dark fruit. Among the best brews I've ever done, and matches up well with the description of Catamount. Reminiscent of Sierra Nevada Stout on a basic level, if you're looking for a current commercial analogue.

5 of 5

Mouth Feel: Perfect. Not too heavy, not too light. A hint of bite from the roasted grain, and some hop bitterness.

5 of 5

Drinkability: I was setting out to brew a super-sessionable porter, and hit the mark 100%.

5 of 5

So, so good, and so drinkable.

23.5 out of 25 = 94%

Just wanted to follow up. I'm getting down to the last of my GMP stash, and this beer just keeps getting better. What was fantastic at five weeks is verging on award winning at 3 months (it was just as good at around 2ish months). This stuff just reaches a sweet spot and sticks there. Very full and creamy, reminds me a lot of Young's Double Chocolate. This will definitely be added to my permanent rotation.

Just wanted to follow up. This is probably the best recipe I've come up with. It really needs to age a few weeks to come into itself, but after that it's fantastic.

Pelikan, congratulations on finding nirvana. What would you say is the key ingredient in your recipe? I brewed a similar porter but without the golden naked oats. I'm interested on your take about adding them. Thanks!

In this particular recipe, the chocolate is probably the most important (in particular, the amount of it). That said, I think Golden Naked Oats adds a unique twist...a certain nutty sweetness in the background.

With recipes, I think all ingredients are equally important for the synergy they create.

This sounds great! I decided to try it out this winter. I build the recipe on BMW and shared it in case anyone else wants to order it easily:

http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/5c673512/

Just brewed this beer and bottled it two nights ago - now its just the waiting game!

Not sure if you will be on here in time Pelikan, but I was curious what temperature did you condition the bottles at? I'm always having to brew at 76-78 Degrees (though I just set up a room with a portable AC which should be able to keep a lower constant temperature). and wanted to know what you had done. Thanks!

-Kurtamous

Hey,

I always get the auto-email things when people respond. Bottles were conditioned, if I recall, at about room temp for the first three weeks, then cellared (~58-65). So maybe 70-72 for the first few weeks, and a bit lower from there on out.

This one take a while to come into its prime; put them down for a bit before sampling if you can resist

Hey thanks!

I'll work on getting the temperature down and try to forget about it for awhile - it smelled great coming out of the secondary so it should be solid! Thanks for the recipe!

-Kurtamous

Just sampled this recipe after 4 weeks in the primary, tasted a little sweet so I did a gravity reading, 1.020. I followed the recipe exactly so mashed at 150, I used two thermometers so I'm pretty sure that was dead on.

Think I should just go ahead with it or should I try and knock a couple points off?

Maybe try racking to a secondary and let it sit a few weeks. What were your temps during primary?

I gave it a little swirl, hopefully that'll rouse the yeast.

My apartment has been in the low 70s and I've had a swamp cooler setup with a computer fan blowing air over it. For the first week I was rotating in a single 20oz water bottle from the freezer then after that I just let it sit, figuring most of the fermentation was done.

Ahh, Tried my batch at five weeks + 1 day (1 week in fridge). Excellent! I was worried that there might not be enough dextrose to carbonate the bottles (I added it a bit late), but no no, all is well! The gravity to was a bit lower than was hoped (1.055 - 1.018 at final), perhaps the mash was too low (153*) or boiled off too much wort (my notes look fine though); a bit less alcohol, but no matter!

Smells, tastes, and feels very much like your description Pelikan. I am impressed! I'll keep the rest of them untouched (as possible =D) until 2 months (two weeks from now) to check the progression, but it already is an excellent porter. Chocolatey aromas and toasted malt flavors contrasted with the caramel sweetness makes this a grand ole drink for the winter months.



Thanks for the recipe!

Hello, I was looking to try this, but I was wondering about how much yeast to pitch, I thought starters were not recommended for dry yeast?

You say a stir plate is recommended or just use 2 smack packs? Do you mean a starter is recommended or use 2 smack packs?

Sorry, extremely new to brewing so I just want to pitch the right amount.

Thanks in advance

Also, what temp did you ferment at? Kind of a wide range stated for the yeast....

My batch of this is 3/4 gone, it is delicious! Mine ended up slightly sweeter than I like at 1.020 but it wasn't much of a detriment, the caramel and roast worked well with the bit of sweetness. It's firmly roasty, in my mind it embodies what a robust stout should be.

A family friend of mine said it's the best porter he's ever had, and he loves porters so much he named his dog Porter. Thanks for the recipe! It'd definitely going to be a mainstay for my pipeline

Jcoz - the yeast recommended is a liquid yeast. And yeah either make a starter or use two smack packs (i did a starter). I fermented mine at about 66-68. From what I hear about this yeast, 64-66 ferments pretty cleanly and 66-70 gives you a bit of fruitiness. IMO, this beer can handle a decent range, just keep it below 70 (that's often my goal seeing as how I don't have great temp control)... I'm sure Pelikan has more strict control and can give you a more exact answer.

bovineblitz said:

My batch of this is 3/4 gone, it is delicious! Mine ended up slightly sweeter than I like at 1.020 but it wasn't much of a detriment, the caramel and roast worked well with the bit of sweetness. It's firmly roasty, in my mind it embodies what a robust stout should be.

A family friend of mine said it's the best porter he's ever had, and he loves porters so much he named his dog Porter. Thanks for the recipe! It'd definitely going to be a mainstay for my pipeline

Jcoz - the yeast recommended is a liquid yeast. And yeah either make a starter or use two smack packs (i did a starter). I fermented mine at about 66-68. From what I hear about this yeast, 64-66 ferments pretty cleanly and 66-70 gives you a bit of fruitiness. IMO, this beer can handle a decent range, just keep it below 70 (that's often my goal seeing as how I don't have great temp control)... I'm sure Pelikan has more strict control and can give you a more exact answer.

Click to expand...

Thanks....you can see how much of a newbie I am, I didn't realize that Wyeast or smackpacks were liquid yeasts.

From the pic it looks like a dry pack, lol.

This may sound stupid but your recipe calls for 1 lb of British Chocolate. Can you tell me where I can get it or what can I substitute it with? It looks like a great beer and I would like to do it justice. Also I’m trying to brew it this weekend so I would have to find it locally.

Caramonta said:

This may sound stupid but your recipe calls for 1 lb of British Chocolate. Can you tell me where I can get it or what can I substitute it with? It looks like a great beer and I would like to do it justice. Also I’m trying to brew it this weekend so I would have to find it locally.

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I used Crisp chocolate malt as they're a UK maltster.
http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Crisp-Chocolate-Malt-(by-the-ounce).html

It's possible Pelikan was referring to Simpson's which is a little less roasted
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/british-chocolate-simpson-s.html

Either way, I love how the version I did turned out.

Thanks! I said it may sound stupid. I’m not all there today and I was thinking real chocolate because he didn’t put “malt” behind the description. I will be getting it at my local shop so will have to go with what they have in stock but thanks for the help.

I have a batch of this in the primary, and have high hopes for it despite getting bad advice for the LHBS and buying regular flaked oats instead of the Golden Naked Oats. Here's my question for those who have already brewed it...

How would this stand up to a little coffee added in the secondary? I'm considering splitting the batch and adding some strong brew or ground beans to 1 or 2 gallons.

wrench said:

I have a batch of this in the primary, and have high hopes for it despite getting bad advice for the LHBS and buying regular flaked oats instead of the Golden Naked Oats. Here's my question for those who have already brewed it...

How would this stand up to a little coffee added in the secondary? I'm considering splitting the batch and adding some strong brew or ground beans to 1 or 2 gallons.

Click to expand...

I'd imagine it'd work well with coffee. It's really one of the more 'robust' robust porters I've ever had. I'd go with a lighter, nuttier coffee rather than a dark roast, the roasted malts will take care of that part of the flavor for you.

I can't believe you called it "Green Mountain Porter", I wanted to use that name!

Deleted for boneheaded-ness

Just brewed this up today. Scaled it to a 3gal BIAB; OG came in a tad low at 1.057 but otherwise brew day went well. Smelled and tasted fantastic going into the fermenter, so I'm very excited for this one! I'll make sure to update with some more details and tasting notes when it's ready. I'm thinking about reserving a gallon to secondary with some fresh vanilla bean as well.

1 year, 3 months later, I have finally about to brew this porter. I bought everything today and will be brewing tomorrow. I'll post back with some results!

So far so good, bubbling at 66

So, I went to my LHBS today and picked up the ingredients for this tantalizing brew, what does everyone think???

Catamount Porter

Method: All Grain

Style: Robust Porter

Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons
Boil Size: 7.44 gallons
Efficiency: 72%
Original Gravity:
1.060
Final Gravity:
1.015
ABV (standard):
5.82%
IBU (tinseth):
29.52
SRM (morey):
40
Fermentables
Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
8 lb Maris Otter Pale 38 3.75 64%
1 lb Chocolate 34 425 8%
1 lb Brown 32 65 8%
1 lb Crystal 60L 34 60 8%
0.5 lb Extra Dark Crystal 160L 33 160 4%
0.5 lb CaraHell 34 11 4%
0.5 lb Cara Malt 35 17.5 4%

Hops:

Amount Variety Time AA Type Use
0.5 oz Nugget 60 min 14 Pellet Boil
1 oz Styrian Goldings 5 min 5.5 Pellet Boil

Yeast:

Wyeast - British Ale 1335

Not exactly what I was looking for in terms of ingredients but I am optimistic...Thanks!!!

P