English Porter Old Blind Sow. Brown Porter

Old Blind Sow Brown Porter
This is one of my favorite beers. I formulated this a number of years ago in an attempt to recreate the “entire guile butt beers” of the late 1700’s. I originally wanted to use a lot of Brown Malt, but it was not readily available to me at the time. I doubt I will ever revise to replace the Chocolate, it’s just too dang good as is. The secret to making this beer is to ferment cool, in the low 60’s, (rousing the yeast every couple of days), and long. The last batch I brewed was in Primary for 6-weeks. It had been a couple of years since I brewed up a batch, and I had forgotten just how much I like it, I’m down to just a few bottles and I’m going to cry when it’s gone. It has a rich flavor with just the right amount of a “roasted” taste, and is hopped just enough for balance. Color is a dark brown with a creamy moderate head.

O.G.: 1.054
F.G.: 1.013
IBU: 29
SRM: 23
APV: 5.4%

For 5-gallon batch
8-pounds Maris Otter Malt
1-pound Crystal Malt 60L
0.5-pound Chocolate Malt
1.25 oz Fuggle Hops pellets (4.5 AA) 60-minutes
0.50 oz Fuggle Hops pellets (4.5 AA) 15-minutes
Yeast: S-04
Single infusion mash at 154-degrees for 60-minutes with 3-gallons of strike water. Batch sparge in two steps at 170 degrees. Boil volume is 6-gallons. 60-minute boil. Boil low, just barely boiling. I use my high carbonate (limestone, no sulfates, no iron) water without any adjustment.

How do you rouse the yeast and how do.you do this without aerating the wort?

Good question.
I place my hands on either side of the fermenter, and give it a sharp quarter turn, and back. I typically do this three times. This "swirls" the wort without sloshing it. There is no oxygen in the fermenter, it all has been pushed out of the airlock by CO2, so aeration is not an issue. The airlock may bubble a couple of times when you rouse the yeast, not a problem. There may be a slight increase in airlock activity in the hours following rousing.
Rousing the yeast like this simply re-suspends some of the "lazy," live yeast that has fallen out, from off the top of the trub. Any dead yeast cells suspended, will only act as nutrients for the living.