[HoosierBrew]

I like my porters with the robust flavor of some black/black patent malt.  Without it, I just don't think "porter."

Same here. I think black patent for porter, roasted barley for stout, chocolate for both. Just me.

[PORTERHAUS]

I would also agree. But I guess it depends on the style of Porter. A brown Porter with toasty, coffee, chocolately character hits the spot once in a while. Brown Malt and Pale Chocolate really fill that gap between other roasted grains.

[homoeccentricus]

OK, gave in, added some black malt. 5% brown, 5% chocolate, 1.3% black. Pale chocolate I can't find around here. Thanks for the feedback!

[unclebrazzie]

Where the hell did you find proper brown malt anyway?

[homoeccentricus]

Where the hell did you find proper brown malt anyway?

I know, I know, it's virtually illegal here in Belgium, so hush! I smuggled it in from the UK, but they also have in the Netherlands: http://www.vanderkooyjubbega.nl/bierbrouwen/mout/mouterij-thomas-fawcett-sons/brown-malt-1-kg-thomas-fawcett-200-ebc.html

[unclebrazzie]

Right.
Thing is: is it actually brown malt, or is it simply another take/spin on the aroma/amber/victory malts?

I've not yet found any real brown malt in stores which could boast to more than just the name.
"Proper" brown malt is/was puffed or "blown", meaning it probably resembled Kelloggs Smacks to a degree.

Also: TF Brown malt can be scored https://homebrewshop.be/nl/roostmouten/478-brown-malt-150-ebc-thomas-fawcett-1-kg.html as well, but again, I'm not sure how authentic it is.

[homoeccentricus]

Sounds like the True Scotsman fallacy

[unclebrazzie]

It would, if only I had ever seen some real bown malt being sold anywhere, instead of something labelled Brown Malt which turns out to be Amber/Victory/Aroma upon the tiniest bit of scrutiny.

[homoeccentricus]

The beer was tested and tasted at the local brew club and was deemed quaff-worthy indeed. Two comments:

Body was a bit thin (which is not surprising @5.5ABV).  Any way to improve it in a next iteration in a Reinheitsgebot complying way?

There was a slight nose of unripe banana. I guess that's because the beer is still green. I'm a new kegger so my question is whether the beer will improve over time in the keg...

[Wort-H.O.G.]

mash higher temp...didn't see what you went with. flaked barley, carapils, carahell, something to get some body back another option.

[homoeccentricus]

In the end it was 70% blend MO/pale, 10% crystal 60, 5% brown, 5% chocolate, 1.5% black, 25 IBU Northern Brewer, 60 min mash @67C.

Maybe there's also a simplicity is beauty aspect: why mess around with trick ingredients?

[reverseapachemaster]

Lowering the carbonation is another option to make the beer feel fuller.

[weiht]

Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 72.0 %
Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 8 %
Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 7 % (UK Maltster!!)
Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 7 %
Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 3 % (This gives a nice mocha, but go with Black Malt if you want more bite)
Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 %
Bittering with Nugget/Northern Brewer/Perle/Columbus/Fuggle
Finish with Willamette
Mash @ 68c
Ferment with neutral mid/high attenuation yeast. US05, Wy1728, Denny Fav, Pacman

I like the above recipe for a 6.2-6.5% abv, 35-42ibu.

Use UK chocolate malt and you will get a rich lush chocolaty flavour.

[mpietropaoli]

So is this a Robust Porter or a Brown porter?  Looks like a robust but curious if he delineated.

Brown fills the gap between strong mild and maybe a less-hoppy english brown ale.  We brewed the recipe on the AHA site called 'Brown Bag Porter', which won gold and was originally brewed by two guys I knew when I lived in Baltimore.  It uses brown malt and its awesome.  Very Tootsie Roll. 

Even if it is a robust porter, I can personally vouch for Brown Malt.  Its awesome in beers like this. 

[unclebrazzie]

The affable HE let me sample his quaffable porter and yes, it really was.
Solid porter, easy without being bland, complex enough but not difficult.

He also handed me some brown malt with the instructions to brew something with it. I believe his exact words were "Anything you like. Go balls-out with this one".
Not.

Here's my attempt to brew something that can stand side-by-side with his own porter, and which, for once, doesn't involved weird-ass ingredients.