Export India Porter Recipe

1. Heat strike water and mash in

Heat 20 l of brewing water to about 75°C. Add the crushed grains (Maris Otter, Munich, brown, chocolate, caramel/crystal, flaked barley) into a clean mash tun and slowly mix in the strike water to reach a mash temperature of 66°C. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dough balls.

2. Saccharification rest

Hold the mash at 66°C for 60 minutes. Stir gently every 10–15 minutes and check temperature; adjust with small amounts of hot water if it drops more than 1°C.

3. Mash out

Raise the mash temperature to 75°C by adding 3–4 l of 78–80°C water or direct heat, and hold for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort runoff.

4. Sparge

Sparge with approximately 8–10 l of water at 75°C, collecting enough wort to finish with about 25–27 l in the kettle pre-boil (accounting for boil-off). Drain until the runoff is clear and gravity begins to drop significantly.

5. Bring wort to a vigorous boil

Bring collected wort to a rolling boil. Watch for hot-break boil-overs during the first 10 minutes.

6. Bittering hop addition (60 min)

At the start of a 60-minute boil, add 40 g East Kent Goldings (bittering). Maintain a vigorous simmer/boil for the full 60 minutes.

7. Flavor hop addition (15 min)

With 15 minutes remaining in the boil, add 30 g East Kent Goldings and 1 tsp Irish moss or a Whirlfloc tablet to aid cold break/clarity.

8. Late additions and cooling

If using dextrose, dissolve and add it in the final 5–10 minutes to ensure sanitation. After the 60-minute boil completes, turn off heat and begin cooling the wort quickly using a wort chiller or ice bath to about 20–22°C.

9. Transfer and aerate

Transfer the cooled wort into a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind as much trub as possible. Top up with pre-boiled, cooled water to reach 23–25 l if needed. Aerate the wort vigorously by shaking, splashing, or using an oxygenation system for 60–90 seconds.

10. Pitch yeast & primary fermentation

Rehydrate or temper the chosen English ale yeast per manufacturer instructions and pitch into the wort at 18–20°C. Ferment at 18–20°C for 5–7 days until vigorous fermentation subsides (activity slows and krausen drops).

11. Secondary / conditioning

Optional: After primary fermentation slows (about 5–7 days), rack to a secondary fermenter for conditioning and clarity and hold at 12–15°C for 7–14 days to encourage a cleaner profile and mellowing of roast notes.

12. Dry hop (optional)

If you want a touch of hop aroma, add 15 g East Kent Goldings to the secondary for the last 3-5 days of conditioning.

13. Prepare for bottling/kegging

When fermentation is complete (stable hydrometer readings over 2–3 days), sanitize bottles, caps, siphon, and other packaging equipment. If bottling, dissolve 150 g priming sugar in 500 ml boiling water, cool, and mix gently with the beer in a bottling bucket to ensure even carbonation.

14. Bottle or keg

Fill bottles and cap, or transfer to a sanitized keg and carbonate to ~2.0–2.4 volumes CO2 (force-carbonate at recommended pressures or allow natural conditioning).

15. Conditioning

Allow bottles to condition at 18–20°C for 2 weeks, then cold condition at 2–4°C for 1 week before serving. If kegging, condition as appropriate and let settle 48–72 hours before serving.

16. Sanitize all equipment that contacts wort or beer to avoid contamination. If beer is overly astringent or harsh, consider reducing roasted malt amounts or shorter steep times in future batches. If under-attenuated, ensure yeast health and consider slightly warmer fermentation next time or oxygenate wort more thoroughly prior to pitching.