A Journey Through the Past: London Brews Porter Again

Ron (@patto1ro), are these London brewed Porters being brewed with diastatic brown malt? If so, what percentage of the grist is comprised of diastatic brown malt?

Cheers!

 

Absolutely LOVE these historical pieces! Learn a great deal from them. Interesting to learn that Fuller's London Porter was a 1990s invention. Would have certainly thought that it was around longer than that.

 

Seems like yesterday...

It might also be worth pointing out then that Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter was only called a porter overseas; in England it was marketed as Nourishing Strong Stout.

 

None, of course, Diastatic brown malt isn't available commercially.

 

There are a few errors in that article.

 

Fullers sort of brewed their Porter right through to the 1950's. There was a beer called P in the brewhouse - as their Porter always had been - except it wasn't sold as a draught Porter but a bottled beer called Nourishing Stout.

 

Ron, I figured I would check in with you on this matter.

I seem to recall that in the past you made mention that 'somebody' was going to recreate diastatic brown malt. Am I remembering this topic correctly? If so, what is the status of diastatic brown malt becoming available?

Cheers!

 

I know a few people who have experimented making small amounts. Nothing on a commercial scale as far as I know.

 

Back in the days (20+ years now) when I was working in the UK, I used to ask for a porter in the local pubs, but was often told that it was either not available or was served Guinness. Sometimes a bottle was offered, but never on tap. Time to get back over.

 

I went to London about ten years ago and was on a quest for porter. Stopped and inquired at many pubs and was sometimes (playfully) ridiculed. I was met with responses like "that's what the old men drink. We don't serve that here" or "nobody ever asks for Porter. Men drink cider".
Looks like I was just a few years shy of my goal as well unfortunately.

 

None. Diastatic brown malt is not available as a product to buy from malting companies. The brown malt being used in these beers comes from a number of suppliers but it is non-diastatic. Its also a minority product, its quite possible that the majority of all brown malt sold in the UK/London at least goes into the beers mentioned in the article. The more traditional/regional brewers dont use it, unless they have launched a 'craft' range of beers.

 

Just a small point. Historically at least Porters are not Ales. These were two distinct brewing traditions and industries. Most pubs in England have brewery signs offering "Ales and Stouts" or "Ales and Porters" for this reason.

 

Porter/stout isn't rare in British pubs but it's not exactly omnipresent. It's easier to find in fucking South Korea for crying out loud. Why the hell is this the case? A decent stout on cask is a godly experience.

I said it last year and I'll say it again, let's have a Stout in September month.

Sorry about the evangelical tone. Lunchtime drinking does this to you.

 

Curious question on thr english/American porter difference....can someone from the UK or EU tell me what they feel about the "american" porter? Im curious of what the consensus is by people who dont live in the US. Is it similar to the thought of the AIPA as the "american thing to do" by upping ABV and intensify the ingredients? Or is there another cultural or regional reason why they differ ?

The fact that something by the same name differs the way they do is incredibly interesting.

 

Nottingham CAMRA organise an annual Stout and Porter Trail in whuch a few dozen pubs offer a selection of them.

 

Excellent article that I read while drinking a Porter - keep up the good work!!