English Porter Recipe (All-Grain): 5 to 30 Gallons
An all-grain English Porter recipe you can brew at 5 to 30 gallons: 4.3% ABV and 22 IBU, with the grain bill, hop schedule, yeast and step-by-step process.
In this post
English Porter at a glance: 4.3% ABV, 22 IBU, OG 1.046. A classic London-style brown porter: soft chocolate and toffee from brown and chocolate malt, a light body and earthy English hops. At about 4.3% it’s a proper session beer.
Bräu Supply recipe · All-grain
English Porter
Grain · for 5 gal into the fermenter
| 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) | Maris Otter | 79% |
| 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) | Brown malt | 8% |
| 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) | Crystal 60 | 8% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Chocolate malt | 5% |
Hops
| 1 oz (28 g) | East Kent Goldings · 5% AA | 60 min |
| 0.75 oz (21 g) | Fuggle · 4.5% AA | 15 min |
Yeast and water
| 1 pkg | English ale yeast (S-04, WLP002 or Wyeast 1968) | |
| Water | Moderately hard, balanced water suits the style. | |
Process
- Mash: 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes
- Boil: 60 minutes
- Ferment: 66°F (19°C) for 10 to 14 days
- Condition: Package when the gravity is stable; ready in 2 to 3 weeks
- Carbonate: 2.0 volumes of CO₂, or less for a softer, cask-style pour
Brew it on
Based on 72% brewhouse efficiency and about 5.5 gal after the boil for a 5 gal batch. Adjust the base malt if your system runs higher or lower. Hops scale in a straight line; larger kettles extract a little more bitterness.
How to brew it
- Mash at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes.
- Boil 60 minutes, adding the hops on schedule.
- Chill to 64°F (18°C), oxygenate and pitch the yeast.
- Ferment at 66°F (19°C) until the gravity is stable.
- Package at about 2.0 volumes of CO₂.
Tips
- Brown malt is the key ingredient: it gives a dry, biscuity, coffee-like note that crystal malt can’t.
- English yeast adds the soft fruitiness that makes the style; an American strain gives a cleaner, plainer beer.
- Serve it at 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C) to taste the malt.
Frequently asked questions
What is brown malt?
A kilned malt roasted to a medium brown. It was the base of the original London porters and gives a dry, toasty, coffee-like flavour. Use it at 5 to 15% of the grist.
How is English porter different from American porter?
It’s lighter, lower in alcohol and less roasty, with more chocolate and toffee than coffee. For a bigger version, try our American porter.
Related guides
porter vs stout, choosing brewing malts, Irish stout recipe.