Porter

British style of beer that was originally a blend of inexpensive mild ale and expensive old or brown ale. This beer gained its name due to its popularity with the market porters of London's 18th and 19th century working class. Robust porters are black in color and have a roast malt flavor but no roast barley flavor. These porters have a sharp bitterness of black malt without a highly burnt/charcoal flavor. Robust porters range from medium to full in body and have a malty sweetness. Hop bitterness is medium to high, with hop aroma and flavor ranging from negligible to medium. Fruity esters should be evident, balanced with roast malt and hop bitterness. Brown porters are mid to dark brown (may have red tint) in color. No roast barley or strong burnt malt character should be perceived. Low to medium malt sweetness is acceptable along with medium hop bitterness. This is a light- to medium-bodied beer. Fruity esters are acceptable. Hop flavor and aroma may vary from being negligible to medium in character

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 55º L British crystal malt

• 1/2 pound British black malt

• 1/2 pound British chocolate malt

• 6 pounds light DME

• 2 ounces black treacle

• 2 ounces East Kent Goldings hops

• 1/2 ounce Fuggles hops

• 1 teaspoon Irish moss

• Wyeast 1084 Irish ale yeast

• 1-1/4 cup extra-light DME

Instructions:

1. Place the crushed specialty grains in a nylon hop bag and steep them in 1 gallon of preheated 150º water for 30 minutes.

2. Drain and discard the spent grains.

3. Bring at least 3 gallons of liquor to a boil, remove the brew kettle from the heat source then stir in the extract, the black treacle and 1-1/2 ounces of the EKG hops.

4. Return the brew kettle to the heat source and boil for 45 minutes, then add the Fuggles hops and the Irish moss.

5. Boil for an additional 12 minutes, then add the remaining EKG hops.

6. Boil for an additional 3 minutes, then remove the brew kettle from the heat source, cover it and drop the temperature of the wort as quickly as possible to 77º F.

7. Once the wort has cooled to below 77º F, take an original gravity reading, pour the wort into a primary fermenter through a funnel with a strainer and add enough cool water to create 5 gallons.

8. Once the wort has been transferred to the primary fermenter, pitch the yeast, stir the wort vigorously, seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment at approximately 68-74º F for 1 week.

9. Rack the beer to a secondary fermenter and allow the beer to finish fermentation.

10. Once fermentation is complete, rack the beer to a bottling bucket, prime with the extra-light DME and bottle and condition as usual.