Porter Recipe Revisions?

[MBetz]

I recently brewed up a batch of a Robust Porter. I just got my first taste after a 10 day primary 2 week secondary and 1 week in the bottle. Carbonation seemed to be comming along nicely and the flavor wasn't bad.

However, it was lacking in body, a touch watery if you ask me. There was no head to speak of (yet) it wasnt the nice black color I was shooting for either. It was a bit on the amber side. Finally, i'd like a bit more of the roasty flavors to stand out.

What changes wold you reccomend, or is there a better recipe all together?

AMT NAME ORIGIN
0.88 lbs Medium Crystal (55-70L) Great Britain
0.75 lbs Flaked Barley America
0.5 lbs Aromatic Malt Belgium
0.5 lbs Chocolate Malt Great Britain
0.5 lbs Special B Malt Belgium
0.25 lbs Black Patent Malt Great Britain

AMT TYPE
6 lbs Amber Liquid

AMT NAME BOIL TIME
2.75 oz Willamette (4.0 AAU) 30 min
0.25 oz Centennial (10.0 AAU) 10 min

Wyeast 1056 American Ale

 

[Saccharomyces]

I don't see anything wrong with that recipe at all. Maybe it just needs more time to condition. Most green beers seem to lack body and head retention in my experience.

 

[hopsalot]

try some black barley next time to get a darker color, but not too much. I think I used about 4 oz on a 5 gal batch with some other dark grains and I got the black color you are looking for

 

[944play]

0.75 lbs Flaked Barley America

You should add some base malt to convert the flaked barley. The only grain in your bill with any diastatic power is the Aromatic, and that can barely convert itself.

Your beer IS most likely green, but a less attenuative yeast strain will yield more body.

 

[MBetz]

Is they Crystal not a base malt? Are you talking about a 2 row pale or something?

 

[944play]

All of those grains are considered specialty grains, even though Aromatic can self-convert.

Flaked grains need to be mashed or they just give you starch (=haze).

 

[DD2000GT]

I just got done with a Porter from Midwest, their ingredients were: 6 lbs. Dark liquid malt extract, 8 oz. Carapils, 8 oz. Black malt specialty grains, 2 oz. of hops, yeast, priming sugar and a grain bag. The color and body came out perfect. I did add some honey at flamout though to "convert" it to a honey porter and about 1/2 oz of bittering hops to balance out the honey - I can't stand just following a recipe and not tweaking it. But - the color was very good - dark but a touch of light would shine through if you held it up for a look.