Gordon Strong’s London Porter

London Porter

by Gordon Strong, Beavercreek, Ohio
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 33 ABV = 5.2%

This recipe took first place at the SODZ British Beer Festival, and is fairly straightforward. It is meant to be in the style of Fuller’s London Porter (my personal favorite), with brown malt being the key flavor ingredient. It was entered in the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Brown Porter category.

Ingredients

7.4 lbs. (3.4 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
13 oz. (0.37 kg) German Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) UK brown malt
1.4 lbs. (0.65 kg) UK crystal (65 °L)
10 oz. (0.28 kg) UK chocolate malt
5.6 AAU Fuggles hops (60 mins.) (1.4 oz./40 g of 4% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Fuggles hops (10 mins.) (0.6 oz./17 g of 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) (1 qt./1 L yeast starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Two or three days before brew day, make the yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with
oxygen) before pitching the yeast.

On brew day, mash in the malt at 153 °F (67 °C) in 17 qts. (16 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise mash temperature to 170 °F (77 °C), hold for 5 minutes then recirculate. Run off wort and sparge with water hot enough to keep the grain bed around 170 °F (77 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort. (Check that final runnings do not drop below SG 1.010.) Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C).

London Porter

by Gordon Strong, Beavercreek, Ohio
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 33 ABV = 5.2%

Ingredients

3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
4 oz. (0.11 kg) German Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) UK brown malt
1.4 lbs. (0.65 kg) UK crystal (65 °L)
10 oz. (0.28 kg) UK chocolate malt
5.6 AAU Fuggles hops (60 mins.) (1.4 oz/40 g of 4% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Fuggles hops (10 mins.) (0.6 oz/17 g of 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) (1 qt./1 L yeast starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash the grains at 153 °F (67 °C) in 8 qts. (7.6 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C).

London Porter

by Gordon Strong, Beavercreek, Ohio
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 33 ABV = 5.2%

Ingredients

3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract
1.6 lbs. (0.74 kg) light dried malt extract
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) UK brown malt
1.4 lbs. (0.65 kg) UK crystal (65 °L)
10 oz. (0.28 kg) UK chocolate malt
5.6 AAU Fuggles hops (60 mins.) (1.4 oz/40 g of 4% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Fuggles hops (10 mins.) (0.6 oz/17 g of 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) (1 qt./1 L yeast starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Steep the grains in 3 gallons (11 L) of 158 °F (70 °C) water for 30 minutes. Remove the grain, add the dried malt extract and enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C).

Tips for Success:
One of the keys to brewing a good porter is paying attention to the brewing water. If you are interested in brewing better beers with dark grains, it’s a good idea to get a water report from your municipal water source, or have a sample of your well or spring analyzed.

Brewing with dark grains adds acidity. If your water contains a low level of carbonates, the pH of the wort and beer can drop when brewing a dark beer, making the beer taste thin and acidic. You can counteract this by adding calcium bicarbonate (chalk) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). In the “Practical Porter” story from BYO December 2007, Chris Colby explains how to choose between the two: “Adding chalk adds calcium along with the carbonate, and these two partially offset each other in terms of their effect on pH. If your brewing water is deficient in calcium or you only need to make a small adjustment in mash pH, chalk is a good choice. If you already have enough calcium in your water, or you need to make a relatively large change in pH, baking soda may be a better choice. (Note: do not use baking soda that has been used previously to absorb odors from your refrigerator.)”