Glossary entry for
porter
Porter is a variety of beer, distinguished both by recipe and by brewing process.
Falling in-between ale and stout in the continuum of dark and bitter beers,
porter is brewed in part from a specialized malt called chocolate (a.k.a. black)
malt and from ungerminated barley. Traditionally, porters also contained honey.
The name comes from its popularity among the working class porters (menial
laborers) of England, the same association from which porterhouse steak takes its
name. The invention of the porter brewing process is often attributed to one
Ralph Harwood who began to market a product called "Mr. HarwoodÕs Entire" in
1722.
In the beer brewing process, one or another starch-rich food source (barley,
corn, rice, etc.) is germinated under controlled conditions. When the seeds are
germinated, a growth process begins which allows the stored starch to be
converted to sugar. NatureÕs plan here is for the sugar to feed the fledgling
plant, as the yolk feeds the chick. Beer brewing capitalizes on this phenomenon
to create sugars which are subsequently fermented. These germinated seeds are
called malt. Beer brewing developed in colder climates, where high sugar foods,
notably the fruits common to wine-making, do not thrive in abundance.
There are a zillion different ways of controlling the malt-making process. These
variations, combined with the use of optional fermenting yeasts, temperature
management, and waters of varying softness are largely responsible for the
differences among styles of beers. The chocolate (a.k.a. black) malt used in making
porter is created by wetting and heating malt at high temperatures in closed
drums.
Contributed by Mary Berryman Agard
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