jpr210
Well-Known Member
can someone tell me exactly what the difference is between these two styles?
stout vs porter
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As far as I know, "porter" is the dark beer style that was popular in the 18th century especially with dock workers in London. "Stout" is actually short for "stout porter" i.e., strong porter, which has a higher alcohol content.
What is the difference nowdays? I don't think there really is one, it just depends on who you ask. Some people like to add oats and bulk up their stouts or make them into extra stouts or strong stouts. In modern terms, stouts are sometimes higher in ABV than porters, even though it used to be the other way around.
The best stout-porter I've ever had was Black Pearl Porter, you can find the recipe on this forum. WOW... when the weather cools down again, you can bet I'm going to brew a sankey's worth!
What is the difference nowdays? I don't think there really is one, it just depends on who you ask. Some people like to add oats and bulk up their stouts or make them into extra stouts or strong stouts. In modern terms, stouts are sometimes higher in ABV than porters, even though it used to be the other way around.
The best stout-porter I've ever had was Black Pearl Porter, you can find the recipe on this forum. WOW... when the weather cools down again, you can bet I'm going to brew a sankey's worth!
DJG42
Active Member
here is an interesting article about the difference. what there is of one..
http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/so-what-is-the-difference-between-porter-and-stout/
http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/so-what-is-the-difference-between-porter-and-stout/
See http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php
I only brew them very occasionally, but when I brew a porter (I only brew Robust Porter), I use black patent, chocolate and crystal malts with no flaked barley. When I brew a stout (I only brew dry stouts), I never use black patent, chocolate, or crystal, but I do use roast and flaked barley. Of course, I use base malt in both cases as well.
Brewing Classic Styles has examples of both, and the recipes in that book are very close to what I use (which made me feel good when I saw them).
If you are doing extract brewing, I would not recommend using any flaked barley as it really needs to be mashed to get the best results.
-a.
I only brew them very occasionally, but when I brew a porter (I only brew Robust Porter), I use black patent, chocolate and crystal malts with no flaked barley. When I brew a stout (I only brew dry stouts), I never use black patent, chocolate, or crystal, but I do use roast and flaked barley. Of course, I use base malt in both cases as well.
Brewing Classic Styles has examples of both, and the recipes in that book are very close to what I use (which made me feel good when I saw them).
If you are doing extract brewing, I would not recommend using any flaked barley as it really needs to be mashed to get the best results.
-a.
Generally speaking, the stout will have roast character and the porter either none or very little. Then there's the dry stout that is dangerously close to a porter. I brew a brown porter frequently, usually 2-3 times a starting in the fall. It took the porter category in the HBT contest this year. It's posted under my recipes.
If you really want to look into it, read the BJCP styles posted by AJF above.
If you really want to look into it, read the BJCP styles posted by AJF above.
SailorTodd
Well-Known Member
Great article with a thorough breakdown of the development of stout and porter through the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. I always thought of stout being the darker of the two, as zachary80 points out as sort of a continuum, but that's really not an accurate distinction between the two. The style guide does clear it up for modern purposes, though.
