Porter moves from brown to black

Porter grists. A subject abnormally dear to my heart. More an illness than an interest.

The period around the Napoleonic Wars was a key moment in the development of Porter. Specifically, the development of black malt. The new wonder colouring material that arrived in 1817. Its effect on Porter grists was pretty dramatic. As the table below demonstrates.

Before we go any further, a word of explanation. For the percentages in the table, I've assumed a quarter of pale or amber malt weighs 336 poiunds and that a quarter of brown or black malt weighs 244. I'm pretty certain that they were using volume quarters in this period and not standardised 336 pound quarters. I could be wrong, but that's the assumption I've made.

And these are what the beer names mean:


TT = standard Porter
EI = Export India (Porter)
BSt = Brown Stout
FSt = Family Stout (I think)

Here's the table:

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Barclay Perkins beers 1812 - 1821
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	barrels	lbs hops	qtrs malt	Pitch temp	pale malt	brown malt	black malt	amber malt
29th Apr	1812	BSt	Stout	1076.2	1027.0	6.51	64.56%	9.57	4.01	836	3350	350	61º	60.31%	39.69%	0.00%	16.96%
16th Mar	1812	EI	Porter	1055.7	1016.0	5.25	71.26%	13.85	4.00	1159.75	4640	335	61º	59.40%	40.60%	0.00%	0.00%
23rd Mar	1812	EI	Porter	1054.3	1016.0	5.07	70.53%	13.13	3.82	1150.75	4400	335	61º	60.10%	39.90%	0.00%	0.00%
18th Mar	1812	FSt	Stout	1052.1	1016.0	4.77	69.28%	12.03	3.17	1214.5	3850	320	64.5º	59.45%	40.55%	0.00%	0.00%
21st Mar	1812	FSt	Stout	1051.5	1015.5	4.77	69.92%	11.88	3.14	1209.75	3800	320	64º	60.95%	39.05%	0.00%	0.00%
1st Apr	1812	FSt	Stout	1052.6	1015.5	4.91	70.55%	11.88	3.13	1214.5	3800	320	64º	57.93%	42.07%	0.00%	0.00%
20th Mar	1812	TT	Porter	1052.6	1016.0	4.85	69.60%	9.78	2.50	1249.75	3130	320	66º	68.24%	31.76%	0.00%	0.00%
25th Mar	1812	TT	Porter	1053.5	1015.8	4.99	70.54%	9.38	2.48	1209.75	3000	320	63º	72.44%	27.56%	0.00%	0.00%
26th Jun	1812	TT	Porter	1051.2	1015.5	4.73	69.75%	7.19	1.95	1049	2050	285	63º	67.06%	32.94%	0.00%	0.00%
6th Feb	1813	BSt	Stout	1075.3	1027.0	6.40	64.16%	11.14	4.89	797.75	3900	350	61º	60.31%	39.69%	0.00%	16.96%
27th Mar	1813	BSt	Stout	1075.3	1027.0	6.40	64.16%	9.57	4.22	793	3350	350	61º	56.30%	43.70%	0.00%	19.41%
5th Feb	1813	EI	Porter	1054.6	1016.0	5.10	70.68%	13.13	3.99	1101.5	4400	335	63.5º	58.66%	41.34%	0.00%	0.00%
30th Mar	1813	FSt	Stout	1054.3	1016.0	5.07	70.53%	11.09	3.08	1154.25	3550	320	63.5º	60.95%	39.05%	0.00%	0.00%
4th May	1813	TT	Porter	1052.6	1015.5	4.91	70.55%	8.75	2.39	1173.25	2800	320	73º	65.36%	34.64%	0.00%	0.00%
3rd Jan	1821	BSt	Stout	1075.6	1027.0	6.43	64.30%	9.74	4.15	891	3700	380	63º	75.37%	23.81%	0.82%	9.37%
10th Jan	1821	BSt	Stout	1078.9	1027.0	6.87	65.80%	10.66	4.83	838.25	4050	380	63º	76.63%	22.58%	0.79%	9.33%
17th Jan	1821	BSt	Stout	1078.1	1027.0	6.76	65.44%	10.76	5.00	818	4090	380	63º	71.54%	27.57%	0.89%	9.49%
21st Mar	1821	EI	Porter	1059.3	1015.8	5.76	73.43%	14.32	4.28	1239.25	5300	370	64º	77.34%	21.30%	1.36%	0.00%
23rd Feb	1821	FSt	Stout	1057.6	1015.5	5.57	73.10%	12.57	3.63	1280.25	4650	370	63º	78.09%	21.25%	0.66%	0.00%
29th Jan	1821	S Ale	Small Ale	1051.8	1015.0	4.87	71.04%	14.88	3.75	674.75	2530	170	62.5º	100.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
1st Jan	1821	TT	Porter	1060.1	1016.0	5.84	73.38%	8.96	2.46	872.25	2150	240	65.5º	88.15%	11.06%	0.79%	0.00%
15th Jan	1821	TT	Porter	1060.1	1016.0	5.84	73.38%	9.29	2.57	1265.75	3250	350	64º	86.08%	13.10%	0.82%	0.00%
22nd Jan	1821	TT	Porter	1059.8	1016.0	5.80	73.26%	9.14	2.49	1285	3200	350	66º	85.04%	14.25%	0.71%	0.00%
25th May	1821	TT	Porter	1060.4	1015.5	5.94	74.33%	8.38	2.46	1261	3100	370	64.5º	84.47%	14.54%	0.99%	0.00%
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan archives.

In 1812 and 1813, Barclay Perkins Stouts and Export India Porter grists contained about 40% brown malt. The Stouts also had 15-20% amber malt. Their bog-standard Porter (TT) contained about 30% brown malt. As this was a few year's before Wheeler's invention of the stuff, there's obviously no black malt in the grist.

In 1821, things are very different. The brown malt content of the Stouts had almost halved to 20-25%. As had the amber malt content, down to 9%. The reduction was even more for the Porter: it contained just 11 to 15% brown malt. Both Porter and Stouts around 1% black malt.

A great example of how a technological innovation can transform the way a beer is brewed. And its character.