I love American porters, and they are among the first beers I ever brewed (all the way back to 2009!). Sierra Nevada’s porter is a great one, a classic in the American porter style, as listed by the BJCP 2021 style guide. The BJCP also indicates that this style is “becoming increasingly hard to find.” That’s a good reason to make a homebrew version!

I did some searching to find an appropriate recipe, which landed on one that is allegedly directly from Sierra Nevada. I adjusted the grains very slightly to get more even amounts, and I also upped the Carafa Special III and black malt, in order to darken the beer. Oddly, the grain-only version was lighter than consistent with the style (noted by folks at the original link), so I added Sinamar to bring things into line. The original recipe called for Sterling and Aurora hops, neither of which I had on-hand. So, I substituted Mandarina Bavaria and Elixir. They’re not the same, but should be enough in the ballpark.

This was an enjoyable recipe to brew. It didn’t require dry hopping or whirlpooling, and I didn’t bother with a closed transfer. Other than using Sinamar, the ingredients and techniques were dead-basic.

Sierra Nevada Porter Clone

• 10.25 lb. 2-row malt (Briess)
• 1 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
• 0.5 lb. caramel malt – 60L (Briess)
• 0.5 lb. chocolate malt (Bairds)
• 1 oz. black malt (Briess)
• 1 oz. Carafa Special III (Weyermann)
• 1.5 oz. Sinamar (added at end of boil)
• 1 oz. Mandarina Bavaria hop pellets (6.7% alpha), 60 minute boil
• 1 oz. Elixir hop pellets (5.1% alpha), 15 minute boil
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
• 1 oz. Elixir hop pellets (5.1% alpha), 5 minute boil
• 1 pkg. California ale yeast, dry version (White Labs WLP001)

Target Parameters

• 1.056 s.g., 1.014 f.g., 5.7% abv, 35 IBU, 40 SRM
• Full volume infusion mash, held at 154° for 60 minutes and 168° for 10 minutes
• Claremont tap water with Campden tablet

Procedure

• I heated 7.5 gallons of water to 160°, and added the grains for a mash temperature of 154°. I added 5 mL of 88% lactic acid to adjust the pH, and held the mash at 154° for 60 minutes.
• After 60 minutes, I raised the mash to 168° for 10 minutes, before pulling the grains and heating to a boil.
• The mash yielded 6.5 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.050, for 71% mash efficiency.
• I boiled the wort for 60 minutes, adding finings and hops per the recipe.
• After the boil, I chilled to 70° and transferred to the fermentater.
• I brewed the beer on 2 December 2023. Starting gravity was 1.058, just a touch above target.
• I fermented the beer at 66°, and kegged on 31 December 2023. Final gravity was 1.016, for 5.5% abv.

Tasting

• Appearance
  • The beer is a deep, deep brown, almost black, with a persistent tan head.
• Aroma
  • Dark chocolate and coffee–very roasty! Resiny hop character. Very nice!
• Flavor
  • Rich, chocolate and coffee malt notes. Medium-high bitterness with a resiny and piney character.
• Mouthfeel
  • Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly dry finish.
• Would I Brew This Again?
  • Yes! This is a fantastic American porter, simultaneously rich and drinkable. It has interesting character, and is just a nice beer. I don’t know how it would stack up against Sierra Nevada’s product, but even on its own this recipe is pretty nice.
• Overall
  • 10/10