Craig's Portside Porter (Michigan Brewing Co.)

Bought this set of ingrediants while on vacation in Michigan. This is my second batch I've brewed. First time using grains. I normally don't like darker beers, but this brew is excellent!

Brewer:	Matt		Email:	jagstang76@yahoo.com
Beer:	Craig's Portside Porter (Michigan Brewing Co.)		Style:	Robust Porter
Type:	Extract w/grain		Size:	5.5 gallons
Color:	111 HCU (~38 SRM)		Bitterness:	28 IBU
OG:	1.054		FG:	1.021
Alcohol:	4.3% v/v (3.4% w/w)
Water:	Used Brita filtered water.
Grain:	1 lb. American black patent
Steep:	Steeped black patent (crushed when I bought them) in a grain bag for 30 minutes @ 150 F. Rinsed with cool filtered water.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.099	3 gallons
	7.75 lb. Amber malt extract
	Bittered with Northern Brewer hop pellets at the beginning of boil, and tossed in the Tettnanger hop pellets with 2 minutes remaining in the boil.
Hops:	1.5 oz. Northern Brewer (8.5% AA, 60 min.) 1 oz. Tettnanger (aroma)
Yeast:	Whitbread Ale dry yeast
Log:	Pitched the yeast the morning after the boil when temperature was around 80 F. Fermented for 12 days. Activity was a little eratic, one day it was popping every 45 secs, the next every 25 secs. Bottled on the evening of 9-4-03.
Carbonation:	3/4 cup of priming sugar
Tasting:	I can say I am able to enjoy a dark robust beer! This brew has a slightly sweet aroma, yet it has a rich depth of taste and good ale mouth. Head retention isn't good, but that's the only thing I would like to change about it. This porter probably doesn't have the greatest mouth full or intricacy of flavor, but I find it a very enjoyable dark ale.

Recipe posted 09/23/03.