What kind of porter would this be?

[stuartm]

I'm currently brewing this porter and was wondering what type it would be considered. Robust? Brown??

5 gallons

7# Alexander's Pale Malt Extract
1# Briess 2 Row Carmel (60L)
.75# Chocolate Malt
.25# Black Patent Malt

1.75 oz Perle Pellets, 7.1% 60 min
.5 oz. Willamette Pellets, 4.7% 15 min
1 oz Willamette Pellets, 4.7% 2 min

White Labs English Ale Yeast WLP002

Thanks,
Stuart

 

[enderwig]

Either a weak Robust Porter, or a dark and hoppy brown porter

 

[Bob]

I wouldn't call it a weak anything. What about that recipe isn't Robust?

Cheers,

Bob

 

[enderwig]

I wouldn't call it a weak anything. What about that recipe isn't Robust?

Cheers,

Bob

It's a little light on the gravity for the robust guidelines.

 

[Moonpile]

Actually I make an OG of 1.059, so it's right in Robust and 7 points above Brown.

I will say this. It's going to rock, and it's not too far off the first beer I ever brewed.

 

[bandt9299]

Surely not a robust porter!!!! looks like an american brown ale with all those hops. Too light and too hoppy for a robust porter.

 

[enderwig]

Actually I make an OG of 1.059, so it's right in Robust and 7 points above Brown.

I will say this. It's going to rock, and it's not too far off the first beer I ever brewed.

Beersmith gave me 1.047

 

[enderwig]

It just dawned on me, is Alexanders DME or LME. (duh)
Makes a bit of a difference

 

[Moonpile]

It just dawned on me, is Alexanders DME or LME. (duh)
Makes a bit of a difference

Heh, I had assumed liquid and got that number from BeerSmith.

However, I stand by my statement that it will rock. :rockin:

 

[Bearcat Brewmeister]

No doubt robust. Mine is AG, but very similar - double on the Black Patent and about 10 less IBUs. I also tend to use less aroma hops for this style, but to each their own.

 

[bandt9299]

Alexanders=LME=1.046 = not a robust porter

 

[Bob]

bandt9299,

I'm afraid you're out of whack. Check your calculations.

No matter how you slice it - LME theoretically provides a range of 1.034 to 1.039 per pound per gallon - your gravity is too low. Your calculations are off. Simple as that.

ProMash tells me Alexanders LME provides an OG of 1.037 per pound per gallon, thus 1.052 per 5 gallons. All told, ProMash tells me that the batch OG will be 1.061, with color right in the middle of the Robust Porter stylesheet (33.6 SRM out of a range of 22 - 42).

Hops might be a bit high, but not so much. It's still within range (54 out of a possible 60 IBU).

All told, this porter is right in the range of the BJCP style guidelines. Moreover, it's spot on for Terry Foster's strong porters in his book, Porter, in the Classic Styles Series. There's simply no argument with the numbers.

Again, check your calculations.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[bandt9299]

I still get 1.051 all day, but regardless that recipe looks nice, i'm sure it will be good no matter what the OG is. Looks like a good recipe.

 

[Bob]

I agree! The recipe sounds yummy. In fact, I think I might brew this one myself sometime over the winter.

Bob

 

[stuartm]

Thanks for all the comments and info.

My O.G. on this was 1.062, the recipe I had suggested 1.065. I'm currently at 1.021 after almost 4 weeks in the fermentor (it's been "stuck" for about 13 days). I'm thinking that this is probably as low as it's going to go. The attenuation for the White Labs yeast is 63% to 70% and I'm at about 66% right now. It tastes REALLY good - like a classic porter although it's a bit more bitter on the finish. I'm hoping that will mellow as it ages. I'm planning on leaving it in the keg for at least 3 weeks before I even try it.

Stuart

 

[brrman]

My porter - very similar to that one just finished up with a 1.020. So its probably done.

 

[Bearcat Brewmeister]

With 002 it is definitely not stuck - it's done at 1.021. With that recipe and that yeast, it is exactly what you would expect.

And what the heck kind of calculator gives 1.051 for this recipe? I can't even come up with that if I try.

 

[Bob]

ProMash gives 1.061. The Beer Recipator gives 1.057. TastyBrew gives 1.052. Granted, that's a pretty wide range, but they're all still within the Robust Porter range. I have ProMash dialed in to take into consideration my brewhouse's extraction of fermentables from specialty grains. I set TBR to extract 40% from the specialty grains, and TastyBrew I didn't modify at all.

Which method/calculator are you using?

Bob

 

[bandt9299]

Beersmith, gave that SG, wow what a wide range between all the programs.