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Styles · American Porter

Beer style · BJCP 2021 20A

American Porter

American Porter and Stout

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.050–1.070
Final gravity
1.012–1.018
Bitterness
25–50 IBU
Color
22–40 SRM (43–79 EBC)
Alcohol
4.8–6.5 % ABV

What it is

A stronger, darker and more hop-forward reading of the porter, with chocolate and coffee malt flavors pushed harder than in the English version. Bitterness can be substantial and American hop character is entirely fair game.

Flavor

What a American Porter should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Room for citrus, floral, resin/pine or earthy/woody.

Malt

Grainy, chocolate and coffee/roast, with room for caramel, sweet/honey, toasty or dark fruit.

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 61 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.