White House Honey Ale. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum.
To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before. As far as we know the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds.
For a “brown” porter, add a little chocolate malt, up to 0.5 pounds (0.23 kilograms) in 5 gallons (19 liters). You do not want to overdo it, as you do not want to make the beer too dark, or to have too much of a roasted flavor. For a “robust porter” black malt is the answer, up to a maximum of 6 ounces (168 grams) in 5 gallons (19 liters).
By 1913, porter was quoted as having an original gravity of only 1.040, as compared to mild ale at 1.050! Mild at this stage had become the most popular beer in Britain, displacing porter almost completely.