Please review/critique this stout recipe

Please review/critique this stout recipe.


2-row ------- 9 lb ---- 72%
Oats -------- 1 lb ---- 8%
Dextrine ---- .5 lb ---- 4%
C60L ------- .5 lb ---- 4%
Choco Malt - .5 lb ---- 4%
Roasted ---- .5 lb ---- 4%
Debittered -- .5 lb ---- 4%

Magnum -- 1 oz -- @ 60 min. -- 48 Ibu
8 oz cocoa powder @ end of boil

3 lb Cherry puree (after primary fermentation for a short secondary).

Mash @ 155 F for 60 min

O.G. --- 1.062
F.G. --- 1.015
ABV --- 6.0%
IBU ---- 48
SRM --- 50
BU:GU - .77

Looks good, though I don't see a need for dextrin personally. I have a stout that has 35 IBU, and I really like it. A little more roasted won't hurt you and a little more flaked could be tossed in there to take up the lack of dextrin malt. Why the debittered? I understand that you want the color, but not the coffee/roasted, but this is a stout and that coffee flavor is kinda needed IMO.

I always have enjoyed the idea of the two row, flaked, chocolate, roasted and then a touch of crystal to round out the flavors. You seem to have that sort of recipe and I like it.

Why debittered?

Because the taste and smell remind me of this time of year (December/Holiday time). It has a woody-fireplace-burning-in-the-neighborhood aroma and quality to it. Debittered is definantly not just for coloring, but it is milder. That is why there is chocolate and roasted in there too.

As for the dextrine... I just have good luck using it in my beers. It adds something I like.

Please let me know if you think I am crazy for the debittered thing. I do like the way it taste when I chomp on it though.

No takers?

Is this too much of perfection for you mere mortals to touch.

Come on... I'm goading you. Say something.

I dare you.

That's what I thought... CHICKEN!

Bawlk Bawlk BaaaawwLLLLLkkKk.

I'm drunk, and that's my attempt at a dramatic bump.

I prefer less bittering hops in my stouts. I shoot for 20-30 IBUs.

looks good, not sure about the cherry though....is that supposed to be good? i can't imagine it.

How did I miss the cocoa and cherries? Skip 'em!

I was a little worried for the IBUs too, I think I might lower the addition to .75 or there about.

But the cocoa and the cherries are what this is about. I have made very good stouts in the past, but I have wanted to do something like this for awhile now.

You know I've made 3 cherry/berry stouts so far. They taste great for about 4 weeks after bottling, but after that you either 1. lose the cherry flavor and are left with an off flavor stout, or 2. You didn't get all the cherries peices out and its inevitable you won't get them all and it turns the beer slightly sour.

I'm kind of done with the fruit/berry beers. I've made them and I know they just don't come out that well.

Same with chocloate. Don't do it. The chocolate just makes the beer more bitter and you really just don't get any chocolate flavor. you do but its ever so faint (Which some perfer...but myself? I want LOTS of chocolate flavor)

I'd really suggest going with fruit/berry/chocolate extract for sure in the secondary. I'm 100% done trying to use "Natural" Ingrediants. Even the Chocolate Nibs and Raw Cocoa Beans I roasted myself one time did not produce a good chocolate taste imo.

I would suggest trying 1/2 cup of molasses to your stout. I'm pretty big on that molasses taste in my heavier stouts.

+1 on cocoa powder mostly only adding bitterness to the stout (which i personally like, but im sure is disappointing to others)