How to Brew a Baltic Porter: Baltic Sea Origins to Modern Malt Mastery

Baltic Porters came into existence as the response to hoppy Pale Ales that gained popularity and notoriety in Britain during the 18th century.

Brewers took their base recipe for a Porter and made some adjustments. The main objective was to make sure it is strong enough to hold up to the hop additions and allow it to age well.

What’s in a Name?

Have you ever wondered how a Porter received its name? Since this beer style was very popular with dock workers, who were busy loading and unloading ships, the term porter was used when referring to this particular beer style.

We hear a lot these days about breweries needing to get beer out very fast. No brewer wants to sit on beer and not make money off of it.

The same was true when it came to Baltic Porters. Since Porters were being held for up to six months, only the wealthy brewers were able to brew these beers.

Even the wealthiest of breweries still wanted to make money off of their beer. As Jeff Alworth in his book, The Beer Bible, the increase of beer exporting grew between the years 1750 and 1800.

Robust Porters ended up being shipped to Ireland, North America, South Africa and the East Indies before the Pale Ale.

Baltic Porters were also shipped to Northern Europe and ports along the Baltic Sea.

Considering that these beers were consumed where there is normal chill in the air, it is no surprise these beers took off. With the alcohol content ranging from 6.5% – 9.5% abv, these beers kept a drinker warm inside.

Innovations in the Beer World

By 1791, William Knox of Scotland, moved to Göteborg to become Sweden’s first porter brewery. In 1806, thanks in part to a British naval blockade of the French coast, the flow of beer supplies was halted from Britain to the Baltic region.

In true brewer fashion, if it’s not readily available, innovation takes over. With this blockade in place, many breweries began to show up.

In 1819, Nikoli Sinebrychoff, from Russian, started a brewery in Finland. Also in 1822, yet another porter brewery developed in St. Peterburg.

Experimentation

With these Baltic breweries now brewing these beers, regional ingredients were now being used. Continental malt and hops took over in place of British varieties.

Lager yeast took over for ale yeast. This provided the beer with a nice, clean profile, free of the fruity esters of their counterparts, the British porter; think German Schwarzbier.

Recipe Development for a Baltic Porter

Grains

Domestic 2-Row can certainly do the trick here as a base malt. However, if you want to add a little something extra to your beer, you may consider Munich or Vienna as a base grain.

By considering these two base malts, you will obtain a more bready backbone.

Whatever base malt you decide to use, it should consist of anywhere between 50 to 70 percent of your grain bill. Other base malts to consider is a little Pilsner malt. This could add a little cracker note that may complement the bready notes of Munich or Vienna.

A 50/50 split of Munich and Vienna is certainly not off the table here as well.

As for Specialty malts, you should consider the crystal malt choices that are out there. A medium crystal malt will carry some caramel sweetness (40 – 60°L). A darker crystal will have more flavors associated with plum or raisin, a little nutty and/or roastiness.

Also, color needs to come into play here when considering recipe development. Chocolate malt or roasted barley are often used to impart some color. A little goes a long way, so don’t be heavy handed with this addition.

Some other specialty malt to consider include: Biscuit, Victory, Special B, Wheat, Oats, Brown Malt, or Amber Malt.

Specialty grains should be only 10% of the grists here.

Hops

Restrained hop character is where we are at with Baltic Porters. Not much hop aroma is expected and a low flavor with a bitterness being medium or low is what is expected.

Traditionally, Baltic Porters were hopped with regional hops.

Since this may be difficult to obtain, a hop with herbal and spicy “noble” character may be used. Such hops as Lublin, Saaz, Hallertau, Spalt, Magnum, and Tettnang are all good choices.

Yeast

When brewing a Baltic Porter, you have two choices. You can either go ale or lager with your yeast selection. Below is a good list of yeast to get you started brewing your own Baltic Porter.

Ale yeast is included to pay homage to the way the beer was originally brewed in the Baltic region. The key is to ferment your ale yeast at 60 and 70°F(15-21°C).

• Wyeast: Scottish Ale (1728)
• White Labs: German/Kölsch Ale (WLP029);
• European Ale Yeast (WLP011)
• Dry: Fermentis SafAle K-97; Mangrove Jack’s New World Strong (M42); Lallemand Nottingham

Lager recommendations include:

• Wyeast: Bavarian Lager (2206);
• Octoberfest Lager Blend (2633)
• White Labs: German Lager (#WLP830);
• German Bock Lager (#WLP833)
• Joystick (A18) or Harvest (L17) from Imperial Yeast.
• Dry: Mangrove Jack’s Bavarian Lager (M76);
• Fermentis SafLager W-34/70;
• Lallemand Diamond Lager

Baltic Porter Homebrew Recipe:

Grains

• 10 lbs Light Munich
• 5 lbs Pilsner; German
• 8.0 oz Carafa II
• 8.0 oz Caramel 60
• 4.0 oz Pale Chocolate (225.0 SRM)

Hops

• 1.50 oz Perle Pellets [7.00 %] – Boil 60.0 min
• 1.00 oz Styrian Golding Pellets [3.80 %] – Steep/Whirlpool Hop

Yeast

• 1.0 pkg German Lager (White Labs#WLP830)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Baltic Porter?

Baltic Porters originated as a response to the hoppy Pale Ales that became popular in Britain during the 18th century.

These beers were adjusted from the base recipe of a Porter to ensure they were strong enough to withstand hop additions and age well.

The name “Porter” was derived from its popularity among dock workers who loaded and unloaded ships.

How did Baltic Porters adapt over time?

With the British naval blockade of the French coast in 1806, beer supplies from Britain to the Baltic region were halted. This led to innovations in brewing. Many new breweries emerged, and they began using regional ingredients.

Continental malt and hops replaced British varieties, and lager yeast took over from ale yeast, giving the beer a cleaner profile without the fruity esters of the British porter.

What are the key ingredients in a Baltic Porter recipe?

The base malt for a Baltic Porter can be Domestic 2-Row, Munich, or Vienna. The grain bill should consist of 50 to 70 percent of the chosen base malt. Specialty malts like crystal malt, chocolate malt, and roasted barley can be added for flavor and color.

Hops with herbal and spicy “noble” characteristics, such as Lublin, Saaz, and Hallertau, are preferred.

For yeast, brewers can choose between ale or lager strains, with the ale yeast being fermented at temperatures between 60 and 70°F.

How does the Baltic Porter yeast selection impact the beer?

When brewing a Baltic Porter, there are two primary yeast choices: ale or lager. Ale yeast is included as a nod to the original brewing methods in the Baltic region.

The key is to ferment the ale yeast at temperatures between 60 and 70°F. Lager yeast provides a different profile, and there are various recommendations available, including Wyeast’s Bavarian Lager and White Labs’ German Lager.

What distinguishes a Baltic Porter beer from other porters?

Baltic Porters are known for their deep malty complexity, with flavors of caramel, nutty, toffee, and molasses. They may also have soft coffee and chocolate notes.

These beers have a drying finish with a clean lager character, and their hop bitterness is typically low to medium.

They are designed to be robust, with an alcohol content ranging from 6.5% to 9.5%, making them perfect for colder climates.