Brü It Yourself | Speaking Metaphorically Porter

Author: Steve Thanos

In looking back at the 25 years I’ve been drinking and brewing beer, it’s rather clear that I’ve tended to gravitate toward a few specific styles. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the wide variety that exists, I absolutely do, but my preferences are what they are. One such style that unfortunately appears to have taken quite the popularity hit over the years, at least judging by its general absence in the breweries I frequent, is Porter.

When I got into craft beer in the early 2000s, Porter was far more common than it is today, and I often found myself picking up commercial versions from the likes of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Anchor Brewing Company in the US, as well as British examples such as Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter. To this day, I regularly frequent Pollyanna Brewing Company to enjoy their delicious Eleanor, which they describe as “a full-bodied and layered, robust Porter.” I genuinely love Porter!

Wanting to pay homage to my earlier days as a craft beer drinker as well tip my hat to the pioneers of this classic dark ale, I began working on my own Porter recipe a few years ago and have since brewed it many times. Of course, I took some liberties in my ingredient selection, but still aimed to produce a beer that hit all the marks for this delicious style.

| Making Speaking Metaphorically Porter |

This is one of those recipes I had some fun with, ditching typical base malts for Vienna malt and opting for a hop variety I feel doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Speaking Metaphorically Porter

After collecting the full volume of filtered water and adjusting it to my desired profile, I lit the flame under the kettle then proceeded to weigh out and mill the grain.

When the water was adequately heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to make sure it was at my target mash temperature.

While the mash was resting, I prepared the kettle hop additions.

Once the 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains then boiled the wort for 60 minutes before rapidly chilling it with my JaDeD Brewing Hydra IC.

A hydrometer measurement showed the wort was at my target OG.

After transferring the chilled wort to a fermenter, I placed it in my chamber for a couple hours to finish chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C, at which point I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast A10 Darkness.

I left the beer alone for 2 weeks before taking a hydrometer measurement confirming FG had been reached.

At this point, I transferred the beer to a sanitized keg that was placed on gas in my keezer for a few weeks before it was ready to serve.

| IMPRESSIONS |

Whereas a couple decades ago, Porter was quite common to find on tap at most brew pubs, such is certainly not the case today, in fact many breweries I go to rarely if ever offer one. Thankfully, I’m able to make my own, and every time I do, I’m reminded of just how awesome this style is. My Speaking Metaphorically Porter is one I developed a few years ago to scratch my creative itch while satisfying my desire for this hard to find ale, and I’m pleased to say this batch turned out just as delicious as ever!

Often mistaken for a specialty malt, I decided to use Vienna malt in place of standard pale malt in this recipe, as my goal was to increase the rich malt flavor, plus it’s one of my all-time favorite malts. I then layered on equal amounts of C60, Chocolate malt, and Roasted Barley, which all led to a beer with a very nice balance of roast and sweetness. The Cashmere hops were by no means a feature, but the contributed the necessary bitterness along with hints of fruit and spice.

All in all, I was just as pleased with the way this batch of Speaking Metaphorically Porter turned out as prior batches. As I’m wont to do, I’ve experimented with this recipe a few times, and one thing I’ve founds works really well is including a touch of rye malt to smooth out the body and mouthfeel. Either way, this is one of those recipes I’ll continue to make for as long as I’m brewing, and I’m confident others would enjoy just as much as my friends and me!

If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!

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