Stout vs Porter ??

[suffolkbeer]

Can someone help me with a clear definition of stout vs Porter?

From what I’ve read stouts contain mainly roasted (unmalted) barley tonguve them their colour and porters contain dark (malted) barley for theirs.

Seems fairy clear, but in many recipes I’ve seen (mikkeler included) these definitions do not hold true.

Any other method of defining one from the other or does one come up with a recipe and just call it whatever one feels like lol?

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I think the problem is nomenclature, rather than the actual beer itself.
Briefly scanning t'interweb, there seems to be quite a difference of opinion.
I recommend this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1629145114/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[peebee]

Stout (strong) beers and ales also described porters. Soon "stout porter" just became "stout". When the OGs of porter (and stout) fell so far in the first half of the 20th century porter fell out of favour and people drank stout (or mild, which also developed from porter in many cases).

All the prattle about ingredients is just modern day bo****ks.

You can find all you need to know here: http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/

 

[terrym]

As far as I'm concerned stouts and porters cover the same ground, with many variations on the same theme. Is there a definitive stout, no. Ditto porter. Just like there isn't a definitive 'bitter'.
And 30 years ago you would have been lucky if you could get hold of something called porter in the UK. It's only since the advent of 'craft brewing' and the desire of brewers to do different things to attract a new generation of beer drinkers that 'porter' has had a renaissance, at least as far as the name is concerned. I suspect it's because a porter is considered to be more sexy and modern (surprisingly) rather than a good old fashioned stout.

 

[Dutto]

I agree with @terrym above that the two brews "cover the same ground" and the main difference for me is that a Porter (even a Robust Porter) is "thinner" and has a lot less mouthfeel than a full-on Stout.

Maybe for "sexy and modern" we should be reading "brewed to satisfy modern palates"?

 

[simon12]

Pretty much what everyone already said but there is no stout that couldn't be called a porter and vice versa.

 

[peebee]

... has a lot less mouthfeel than a full-on Stout. ...

I got given some Guinness "Foreign Extra" stout at Christmas. Should be a "full-on Stout" at 7.5% ABV. But I've had it before and had a clue what was coming up...

It was sh**. You wouldn't know you weren't drinking ordinary Guinness. Best description is it is ordinary Guinness but with a good slug of industrial alcohol which hits you unexpectedly a few minutes later.

I also read in the book "Belgium Ale" by Pierre Rajotte recently: "Once you have tasted Guinness stout brewed for the Belgium market you will really know the meaning of the slogan: 'Guinness is good for you'.". I think this was a mis-print? Perhaps it should have said "... brewed by a Belgium brewer …" as I had some of that in Spain (brewed under licence - don't think you can get it in UK) and that is superb and really is something that could call itself "stout porter" even back in the ("good" …. na) old days.

https://www.guinness.com/en/our-beers/guinness-special-export/

 

[AdeDunn]

I can't be bothered with all of the faffing, so unless I am brewing a ready made recipe that states that it's stout, I just call it porter. Avoids any argument that way. Until that is, you hand it to somebody and they go "Ooh, that's a nice drop of stout that!"....

 

[telenomus]

The Durden Park Circle's OBBHTMT book has a great porter recipe. I've made it a number of times and been very happy with the result. A very nice beer.
It is recipe #9, on pg 60.
London Porter (1850) Whitbread's Porter Brewery.
For 1 gallon (OG 60)
2.25 lb pale malt
7 oz brown malt
2.25 oz black malt
1 oz Fuggles or Goldings
Mature 4-5 months.
(Can't say I've ever waited that long to start drinking it though)

 

[MrRook]

The Durden Park Circle's OBBHTMT book has a great porter recipe. I've made it a number of times and been very happy with the result. A very nice beer.
It is recipe #9, on pg 60.
London Porter (1850) Whitbread's Porter Brewery.
For 1 gallon (OG 60)
2.25 lb pale malt
7 oz brown malt
2.25 oz black malt
1 oz Fuggles or Goldings
Mature 4-5 months.
(Can't say I've ever waited that long to start drinking it though)

I didn't make this exact recipe but something similar that came out pretty good.
I wrote about it as an online extra for the Mar/Apr 2018 issue of Zymurgy.

 

[MrRook]

I think it's a lot personal preference. I generally use roast barley in stout and not in porter.