Chocolate English Porter

Enjoy this rich, smooth porter with subtle chocolate notes, roasted flavors, and a hint of dark coffee reminiscent of an Americano.

Ingredients & Supplies

• 2 oz cocoa nibs
• Floated 2.0 dip tube (to filter out the cocoa nibs)
• 116 oz filtered water
• Sanitizer (e.g., Star San)
• iGulu English Porter Kit

Instructions

1. Sanitize Your Equipment
• Use a sanitizer, such as Star San, to thoroughly clean your keg and all parts that will come in contact with the beer.
2. Prepare the Base
• Add 116 oz of filtered water to your sanitized keg.
• Pour in the English Porter extracts, followed by the dark dry malt extract, and finally the cocoa nibs.
3. Mix Ingredients
• Using a sanitized spoon, stir the mixture until all ingredients are fully dissolved.
4. Pitch the Yeast
• Sprinkle the dry lager yeast on top of the mixture. Do not stir after adding the yeast.
5. Start the Brew
• Seal the keg and place it inside your F1 Brewer.
• In Master Mode, set the temperature to ferment at 80°F for 4 days, followed by conditioning at 35°F for an additional 4 days

English Porter with Grains

Enjoy the complexity of an English Porter with subtle green apple notes and rich dark grain flavors.

Ingredients

Grain Tea Malt

• 1.5 oz Brown Malt
• 1.5 oz Crystal 60 Malt
• 1 oz Chocolate Malt
• 2 cups water
• iGulu English Porter Kit

Instructions

1. Prepare the Grains
• Place the Brown Malt, Crystal 60, and Chocolate Malt in a Ziploc bag.
• Crush the grains thoroughly to break open all husks, releasing the flavors.
2. Make the Grain Tea
• Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave to 170°F.
• Transfer the hot water to a large mason jar or heat-safe vessel fitted with a fine mesh bag.
• Add the crushed grains into the mesh bag, pour hot water over them, and ensure they are fully saturated.
• Let the grain tea steep for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the Base Porter
• While the grains steep, sanitize your Triton keg.
• Fill the keg with filtered water, add the liquid extracts, and add the dry malt extract in that order.
4. Add the Grain Tea
• After 30 minutes, carefully remove the grain bag and squeeze out as much liquid as possible to capture all flavors.
• Add this grain tea to the keg.
5. Mix and Add Yeast
• Using a sanitized spoon, mix the entire contents of the keg thoroughly to dissolve the dry malt extract.
• Sprinkle in the dry lager yeast, but do not stir.
6. Start the Brew
• Seal the keg and place it inside your F1 Brewer.
• Use Master Mode to set the brewing temperature: ferment at 80°F for 4 days, then condition at 35°F for another 4 days.

Benham Brewing's Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an American Porter and an English Porter?

American porters tend to be hoppier and sometimes have additional flavors (like vanilla or coffee), while English porters focus on malty sweetness, with subtle, roasty undertones.

What is an English Porter beer?

An English Porter is a dark, smooth ale with rich malt flavors, often featuring caramel, chocolate, and mild coffee notes.

How do you make a porter?

Creating a porter typically involves brewing with dark malts and careful fermentation to develop complex flavors. The process is straightforward with an automated brewer like the iGulu F1.

How do you make an English porter at home?

With an F1 Brewer, making an English porter at home is easy: sanitize, add the ingredients, pitch the yeast, and set the desired temperature for fermentation and conditioning using the RFID sticker in your brew kit. 

How long does it take to make an English porter?

Most English porters take about 1-2 weeks, depending on conditioning preferences. For the English Porter recipes on this page, each drink took 4 days to ferment and 4 days to condition.