Big Ideas for Small-Scale Craft Brewing: Don’t Miss a Full-Day of 10 Live Online Seminars at the 2026 NanoCon. Register now and Save 25%!

recipe

Dark Horse Brewing’s Thirsty Trout Porter clone

Dark Horse Brewing’s Thirsty Trout Porter clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.069  FG = 1.016 IBU = 24  SRM = 33  ABV = 7%

Ingredients

10 lbs. (4.54 kg) 2-row pale malt
2.3 lbs. (1.04 kg) Bonlander Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (40 ºL)
1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
0.70 lb. (0.32 kg) chocolate malt
0.07 lb. (30 g) black malt
3.9 AAU Columbus hop (90 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g of 15.6% alpha acids)
3 AAU Cascade hop (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 6% alpha acids)
0.83 oz. (24 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
1 pkg. Nottingham Ale Yeast
0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Start by milling your grain, hydrate with 3.2 gallons (12.2 L) water at around 163 °F (73 °F) to hit a mash temperature of 152 ºF (67 ºC). Let the mash rest for 15 to 30 minutes. (Take an iodine test if the thought of a shorter mash causes you concern.) Recirculate wort over grain for about 5 minutes until the wort clears. Run wort into kettle and sparge with 168–172 ºF (76–78 ºC) water until you reach volume on kettle. Bring wort to boil and commence hop schedule: First hop addition at start of boil (90 min), second hop addition at 30 minutes left in boil and the third hop addition at end of boil. (Whirlpool, if possible, for 5 minutes). Rest for 5 minutes, then knock out into fermentation vessel. Cool to 68–70 ºF (~21 ºC) and pitch yeast. Ferment at approximately 68 ºF (20 ºC) until brew reaches 3.8–4.2 ºPlato (~ SG 1.015–1.017). Rack off yeast and condition for 5 days. Add priming sugar or wort. Rack into bottles and let age at 40 ºF (~4 ºC) or cooler for two weeks. Pop a top and enjoy!

Dark Horse Brewing’s Thirsty Trout Porter Clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.069  FG = 1.016 IBU = 24   SRM = 33  ABV = 7%

Ingredients

6.6 lbs. (2.11 kg) Briess Light liquid malt extract (half as late addition)
2.3 lbs. (1.04 kg) Bonlander Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (40 ºL)
1.25 lbs. (0.56 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
0.70 lbs. (0.32 kg) chocolate malt
0.07 lbs. (0.03 kg) black malt
3.9 AAU Columbus hop (90 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g of 15.6% alpha acids)
3 AAU Cascade hop (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 6% alpha acids)
0.83 oz. (24 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
1 pkg. Nottingham Ale yeast
0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a large nylon steeping bag. (There are 5.6 pounds/2.5 kg of grains to steep.) Steep at 152 ºF (67 ºC) in 2.1 gallons (8.0 L) of water for 60 minutes. (Poke and prod bag periodically with brewing spoon to ensure grains and liquid mix.) Lift bag out and place in a large colander over brewpot. Slowly rinse grains with 1.0 gallon (3.8 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Add half the malt extract to “grain tea” and bring to a boil. Add Columbus hops and begin the 90-minute boil. Keep a small pot of boiling water handy and don’t let the boil volume dip below around 3 gallons (11 L). Add Cascade hops at times indicated in the ingredient list. Turn off heat and add liquid malt extract with 20 minutes left in boil. Resume heating until end of boil period. Cool wort and siphon to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L), aerate wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 ºF (20 ºC). — Aaron Morse, Head Brewer

You might also like…

recipe

Flying Dog Brewery’s Gonzo Porter (Imperial Porter) clone

Brewed in honor of Hunter S. Thomson, this beer is “big, bold, and beautiful.” It features notes of roasted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla m

recipe

Gordon Strong’s Vienna Lager

Your goal here is a smooth, standard-strength malty beer with enough hop bitterness to match the malt. It should not be heavy on the palate

recipe

West Coast Style IPA

A recipe inspired by Green Flash’s West-Coast IPA. Big late hopping and dry hopping additions give a big boost while the bitterness and malt

dark specialty stout in a stemmed tulip glass recipe

Buzz’ard Double Chocolate Espresso Stout

by John Arthur and Glenn BurnSilver

Continue reading – Enter your email to log in or register

New to Brew Your Own? Create a free account to get our weekly newsletter and two free article webpage visits every month.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.