Out Of The Blue Porter

By Arthur Olcot

Recipe is part of Recipe Index

BJCP 2021 Style 9C Baltic Porter

I wanted to do a big beer with a lager yeast for a couple of upcoming competitions and as I do like a dark beer, a Baltic Porter fitted perfectly. This beer sat in the FV for about 6 weeks before packaging as I wanted it to take its time and ensure it fully cleaned up after all that work. It was lagered for around 3 months before its first competition and it definitely needed that time in the keg. It was a little hot when first packaged but mellowed and the flavours melded together beautifully. This is a big beer that needs a few months to come good so give it plenty of time and I suspect it’ll age very well. Name is a nod to one of my favourite trance songs from the late 90’s.

Awards

Irish National Homebrew Competition 2025

1st - Strong Lager

Lager than Life 2025 (Pillars Brewery, Walthamstow, London)

3rd - Strong

Milton Keynes HBC Spring Competition 2025

2nd

Measures

• OG: 1.085 / 20.5 °P
• FG: 1.023 / 5.8 °P
• IBU: 36
• EBC: 57.5
• Batch Volume: 21 L

Ingredients

Water

Using reverse osmosis water as a base, added salts to achieve approx

• Ca 76
• Na 36
• Cl 108
• SO4 84
• HCO 32

Malt

• 5.2 kg (64.5%) - Simpsons Maris Otter - 6.2 EBC
• 2 kg (24.8%) - Weyermann Munich I - 15 EBC
• 270 g (3.4%) - Dingemans Special B - 290 EBC
• 260 g (3.2%) - Crisp Light Crystal 150 - 170 EBC
• 150 g (1.9%) - Crisp Medium Crystal 240 - 265 EBC
• 100 g (1.2%) - Simpsons Chocolate Malt - 1185 EBC - Mash - 15 min
• 80 g (1%) - Weyermann Carafa Special II - 1150 EBC - Mash - 15 min

Hops

• 40 g (29 IBU) - Perle 7.9% - Boil - 60 min
• 30 g (7 IBU) - Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 5.4% - Boil - 15 min

Yeast

• White Labs WLP833 German Bock Lager (large starter)

Process

Mash

• Single infusion at 66 °C for 60 min, mash cap roast grains as indicated

Boil

• 90 minute boil
• Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.068 / 16.6 °P

Add:

• Irish Moss — Boil — 10 min
• Yeast Nutrients — Boil — 10 min

Ferment

• Primary - 11 °C
• After about 40 points, slowly raise to 14 °C over the next 7 days and hold

Serving

• Cold crash + Package to approx. 2.4 CO2-vol