Just brewed a nice stout. Just wondering what I should do or not do more? Recipe 10lbs Maris Otter 4lbs Smoked malt 3lbs oats 2lbs chocolate malt 1lb carafoam 1lb crystal malt 20L 2oz columbus 30 min 1 oz hallertauer 30 min 1oz styrian goldings 15 min chocolate bakers 1/4 cup flameout licorice stick 50%30 min 50% 5 min Yeasts, dried british ale yeast and East Coast Yeast British Mild with starter Thinking of adding coffee to secondary. Any other additions?
It looks like you've got too much going on here already. I can't picture smoke and licorice playing nice together, and I never had a commercial example to confirm or deny that. It might all work out nicely. I hope it's not a chocolate bomb for you, as I like chocolate to be in the background of my beers. If you plan to secondary this for a long time (4+ months) I'd consider coffee then--but not until then. Let this mellow out and see what you think. You can always cold-steep some coffee and add it to a sample.
On the surface, I would say that recipe has a lot of everything, but I think the smoke might work in that amount if it's Weyermann's and not real fresh. What kind of oats are those? You are definitely in export/imperial territory with 21#s of grain in (I assume a 5 gal) batch...I like a little licorice in a stout, but I'd nix the baker's chocolate for the extra head. Are you using some brewing software? If so, where's the projected gravity and IBUs? I like your choice of hops...but not real familiar with the yeasts you are using
OG is 1.100 and IBU's are at 68.7. Using beersmith. After tasting the wort, you get zero licorice, chocolate and just a hint of smoke,if any really......
You have alot going on in your recipe. Seeing that you asked for opinions I would drop the Chocolate and licorice. Good luck.
I used to love a cup of coffee and a morning cigarette, but I don't think coffee in a smoked stout is gonna be such a good pairing. I'm also of the idea that you have too much going on. Yeah, all those flavors are nice by themselves, but chocolate, licorice, smoke and coffee together is way overboard.
I've never heard anyone compare smoked malt to cigarettes...but I think the main problem is the ostentatious gravity...I don't think much will matter in a 1.1 beer that usually tastes like robutussin anyway (hipshot)...awaiting reply from gravityheads : )
Smoke flavor takes a long time to develop in beer. My rauchbiers are twice as smoky at 6 months as they are at one month, and after all the other flavors fade the smoke is still there. I'm drinking a rauch marzen I brewed in February of 2011 and it's still very smoky.
I agree. I have an Export India Porter that was only 7% Briess cherrywood smoked malt (keep in mind that it was also 15% brown, 2.5% black patent and 2.5% chocolate with marris otter as the base and hopped out the ass) that I brewed in January, and the smoke has really only been making an impression for the past two months.
