Stout recipe check/ tips

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by shredder83, Oct 24, 2014.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. shredder83

    shredder83 Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2013 Illinois

    Hey all, I'm looking for a little feedback on a stout recipe I've been wanting to brew. I've done several other batches and recently switched to all grain but this would be my first brew doing dark/roasted grains so I could use some procedural advice and also a little recipe feedback as well. The recipe is as follows:

    5 gallons into the fermenter
    est og: 1.075
    est fg: 1.019
    est abv: 7.4%
    Srm: 57.7
    Ibu: 66

    12# two row 80.8%
    0.75# chocolate (british) 5.1%
    0.75# roasted barley 5.1%
    0.75# flaked oats 5.1%
    0.30# black patent (british) 2.0%
    0.30# carafa III 2.0%

    chinook @ 90 min for 37.1 ibu
    ekg @ 60 for 16.5 ibu
    ekg @ 30 for 12.7 ibu

    Not sure of the yeast yet, I don't know which to choose for a stout.

    I plan on a 60 minute mash at 154 and was thinking a 90 minute boil for this one. I have the capacity to mash all of the grain and do a full boil in my brewpot and set up the recipe for 70% efficiency since i'm not 100% dialed in with all grain yet on my system. I also batch sparge not fly sparge.

    My questions are as follows:

    1) Am I going to need to boil for 90 minutes or would 60 suffice?

    2) What type of yeast should I use for this, a british ale? Maybe just plain old american ale yeast?

    3) Will I need to add bicarbonates or salt to my very soft water to balance out the ph in the mash?

    4) Should I mash the dark grains as usual, cold steep (i'd rather not have to adjust for the drop in efficiency on my first dark brew), add the dark grain halfway through the mash.... etc, etc?

    Any other advice for my first stout, recipe critiques, tips or trade secrets would be very helpful. I've brewed an ipa at this gravity so I'm not worried about the size of the brew, just getting the style right and everyone has been very helpful in the past so thanks in advance!!
     
    #1 shredder83, Oct 24, 2014
  2. epic1856

    epic1856 Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2006 California

    1. Probably yes, read this; http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...-boil-if-no-pilsner-malt.221359/#post-2887242

    2. What do you want out of the beer? In general terms; US = neutral flavors, UK = fruity esters.

    3. IDK. You didn't give enough info since you didnt provide the mineral content of your water.

    4. I usually just mash the dark grains like any other grains.

    Glad you're asking these questions, but I really think you ought to take a couple of steps back and review your recipe formulation process. At the end of the day, it is what flavors, aromas, and texture do you want from the beer? And what ingredients and processes do you need to get these flavors, aromas, and textures. If someone was the ask you why you use a certain ingredient and quantity you should know why.

    You basically used every roasted/dark grain above 400 lovibond in your recipe, why?
     
    #2 epic1856, Oct 24, 2014
  3. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    Yep. What he said.
     
    #3 scurvy311, Oct 24, 2014
  4. shredder83

    shredder83 Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2013 Illinois

    I'd like to just maintain a clean yeast profile for my first stout, so us is probably the way to go.
    I'd have to check the water report I got from the city but I get lake Michigan water that is very soft and definitely chlorinated. Without the numbers in front of me I don't know the actual makeup offhand.

    As for my choice in grains I was just going for layered complexity I suppose. I prefer stouts that have good roasted flavors of coffee and dark malt, a bit of toffee and caramel but not overly sweet. But definitely not so roasty that it's acrid, I love fresh expedition stout but have always found founders imperial too acrid fresh for my liking. I also like my stouts on the thicker side of the spectrum, with lots of body. Aromas of roast, coffee and chocolate are always welcome with me.

    I really just did a bunch of research and put the recipe together in hopes of getting good feedback from people more experienced at brewing stouts.
     
    #4 shredder83, Oct 24, 2014
  5. shredder83

    shredder83 Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2013 Illinois

    Bumping this to try for more community feedback.
     
    #5 shredder83, Oct 26, 2014
  6. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    Sound procedures and sanitation make great beer. It's not the recipe. But on its face I'd split the chocolate malt between pale and regular chocolate malt. Don't cold steep unless you want to subdue the roastiness. Use he whitbread ale yeast to the cold end and allow to warm and finish. These are personal preferences.
     
    #6 scurvy311, Oct 26, 2014
  7. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    I'd take a look at the Beer Advocate Averagely Perfect American Stout.

    It's got a solid recipe, not too far off I think from what you are trying to make here. That goes to say, if you like the recipe you have there, I'd stick with it, it looks rounded enough. I'll echo @scurvy311 on splitting between the pale and regular chocolate. If you want a solid chocolate note, look no further.

    If you want some good toffee/caramel notes, I think you'd be interested in adding some crystal 80 or something to the recipe. I don't see any crystal malts to help lend some body and some sweetness to the base.
     
    #7 FATC1TY, Oct 26, 2014
  8. shredder83

    shredder83 Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2013 Illinois

    Thanks everyone, I am going to add some crystal 80 and I think I will take the advice and split the chocolate malt between pale and dark. I may just cut out the black patent and up the carafa or roasted barley by a 1/4#, unless I should maybe just keep it in for complexity?
     
    #8 shredder83, Oct 27, 2014
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.