Help with formulating a baltic porter recipe

[bjornkri]

I'm not too sure about the proportions of the grains, but here's what I've come up with so far:

Base:
Pale Ale (63.3%)
Vienna (13.9%)
Brown Malt (8.2%)

Crystal:
CaraHell 25EBC (4.4%)
CaraAroma 150EBC (3.2%)

Dark:
Pale Chocolate Malt (7%)

Aiming for 1.079.

I seem to remember some rough guidelines on the Beersmith podcast some time ago that for a porter you can aim for ~80% base malts, ~5-10% crystal and ~5-10% dark malts or something to that effect. But before diving in I want to be sure that I'm not overdoing it on any of these fronts, comments would be much appreciated.

(I also used Denny Conn's Vanilla Bourbon porter recipe as a base, but didn't have the same malts available so I veered off that recipe quite a bit. Not sure yet if I'll add vanilla and bourbon to this one, I guess I'll see how it develops.)

 

[giraffe]

A baltic porter isnt really a big robust porter made with a lager yeast. I mean, you can do that, but thats not traditional, they are their own thing. Zywiec porter, Baltika 6, Okocim Porter, and Aldaris Porteris, are commonly available and are all good examples.

Generally you want a mix of pils and munich malts, a touch of dark crystal (such as caraAroma), and debittered black malts such as carafa. And ferment with the lager yeast you prefer. You can throw other things in, but with restraint, it is a smooth, warming, beer- it shouldnt be overly harsh.

 

[Weezy]

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Yeah, go with mostly Munich (50-60%), some pils (20-30%). I wouldn't go more than 8% crystal, especially on one that big. And I definitely like brown porter in mine. Drop the chocolate and use carafa dehusked for color adjustment. No roast malts.

Its my fav style, and my fav personal recipe. and you're making me want to go brew it soon.

 

[bjornkri]

Thanks for your comments. Hmmm, think I'm getting my styles mixed up. I wanted to make a strong porter but without being hoppy or roasted, which I associate with robust porter. Was intending to hop it with goldings and fuggles and ferment with an English ale yeast at a low-ish temperature. Thought this would mean I should call it Baltic.

I don't have any debittered malt, only a bit of patent malt and I thought I was showing admirable restraint keeping it out of my grain bill I do have some Munich that I could substitute for the Vienna and even bump it up so it's a larger proportion of the grist. Not many more adjustments I can do. Reduce the carahell and chocolate so my overall crystal while increasing the overall colour, perhaps?

Or just leave it as it is and call it a beer


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Weezy]

Hey, get to brewing then. Nobody said it had to be to style. Have some fun. I'd rec cutting the brown and chocolate to about 5% each tho. They can take over.