JAMIE’S NOTES:
Generally, a porter in the UK now would be 4 to 5% abv, with fairly mild hopping. The colour should be dark and red, not fully black like a stout. Needs to be opaque.
See below for advice on recreating historic porters!
OG: 1.044 (11°P)
Target FG: 1.009 (2.25°P)
Target ABV: 4.5%
HOPS:
Challenger, boil for 60 minutes, 35 IBU
YEAST:
HISTORIC VERSION:
For recreating the earliest Porters (1700’s, before the invention of Black Patent malt) use 60-70% pale ale then at least 20% of your own “brown malt blend:” 10% being our Export Brown, then add a mix of malts from Munich through all crystals to chocolate and Roast Barley. It was an uncontrolled kilning process so you can design your own mix.
Note, 1700’s Porters had an abv of nearly 7%, these would be Stout Porters. They would be heavily hopped but no one would know an actual IBU.
Once the malt roasting drum was invented the recipe changed overnight to use pale ale and black patent malt. Better extract but a less interesting beer, in my opinion!