Coopers Stout For Christmas

**jmprdood** · 11-18-2011, 01:43 AM

Went the easy route for my Xmas stout this year (gotta good deal on the LME):

3.7lbs Coopers Hopped Stout LME
3.3lbs Coopers Dark LME
1lb Dark Brown Sugar
1lb Briess Amber DME
1oz Willamette Hops boiled 5 mins in 1 gallon water with DME and brown sugar
Nottingham yeast rehydrated IAW package directions (decided to save the Coopers yeast that came with it for another time)

Boiled hops and DME; strained into the fermenter
Added LME, stirred to dissolve
Topped to 23L
OG 1.058
Pitched yeast @ 24C

Will leave in primary for 10-12 days and take it from there

**unionrdr** · 11-18-2011, 11:58 AM

Adding the DME to the boil is good for doing hop additions. I do that myself. But save sugar additions for the end of the boil so you don't burn or caramelize them. The dark brown sugar is dark enough flavor-wise without boiling it. Add the cooper's stout can at flame out & stir till no more LME can be scraped off the bottom of the BK.
It's easier to do it in the BK while it's still hot than in the fermenter. Then put the hot BK in the sink for an ice bath down to pitch temp. This will give less chill haze later,& make for cleaner flavors in conjunction with good ferment temps.
Willamette hops is a good choice in the historical context. Adding some Fuggle or Kent Golding would give more hop character. Just don't overdo the hops,the malt should stand out on this one. But the hops should provide some balance.
& no dry hop traditionally. And 24C is a bit high for pitching yeast. 20C (68F) would be better.

ayoungrad · 11-18-2011, 02:14 PM

If I'm reading correctly, you did a 5 minute boil? You'll get some hop flavor this way, but not much in the way of bitterness with only a 5 minute boil.

FWIW, chill haze will not be an issue with a stout, provided the color is dark enough.

**jmprdood** · 11-18-2011, 02:47 PM

Stout LME was hopped already - wanted more aroma and hop flavor not necessarily any bitterness.

I pitched the hops at 24C because they were rehydrated at about 28C as per package directions and I didn't want to shock the yeast with a colder wort temp (it was showing visable fermentation this morning at about 20C).

Good point on the sugar addition - didn't think about that.

We'll see how it turns out - it was right where it needed to be from an OG perspective. Though I probably should have started this batch a couple of weeks ago to give it a little more time to age before Xmas.

**jmprdood** · 12-31-2011, 05:06 PM

I let this ride until today - the wait was worth it (31 days in the bottle)! Nice tan head, good body and nice roasty flavor balanced with the hops.

We'll be drinking this up tonight.

Happy New Year All!