Critique this Stout

I plan on brewing this soon. If there are any tips or adjustments please sound off.
Thanks


Sweet stout

Type: Partial Mash
Date: 3/9/2007
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Leo
Boil Time: 60 min
Equipment: Brew Pot (3 Gallon)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 lb Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM) Dry Extract 40.0 %
1.50 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 20.0 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6.7 %
0.50 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6.7 %
1.00 oz Target [11.00%] (60 min) Hops 22.4 IBU
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50%] (15 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
1.00 lb Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 13.3 %
1.00 lb Molasses (80.0 SRM) Sugar 13.3 %
5.00 gal Boston, MA Water
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.6 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.6 %
Bitterness: 27.0 IBU
Est Color: 32.4 SRM Color

shbrewer said:

5.00 gal Boston, MA Water

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Doooooown by the riveeeeeeer....by the bank of the River Charles!
Thaaaat's where you'll find meeeee....along with lovers, fuggers and thieves... :rockin:

.....Sorry, couldn't resist. Looks like a good recipe. The only thing I'd really tweak is to back off on the lactose a bit, but that is more of a personal taste thing. Over-lactosing, in my taste, give a slick, plasticy taste that I think detracts from a good beer. In smaller amounts, when it doesn't stick out, it is OK.

Regardless, gotta love that dirty water....

shbrewer said:

I
1.00 lb Molasses (80.0 SRM) Sugar 13.3 %

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You sure about the molasses? Have you used it before? I thought it was supposed to be kept <1 pound.

Thanks for the look guys, I think I will lessen the Lactos and the molasses. I was worried that the Grain bill was going to effect the flavor in a bad way. I am just wandering into the land of Partial Mash brewing. I love my extract stout, but I know it could be MUCH better with some grain.
Thanks again.

I use Boston because apparently that is the only city in MA. I keep telling my friends in Beantown that there is more to MA than what's inside 495.

shbrewer said:

I use Boston because apparently that is the only city in MA. I keep telling my friends in Beantown that there is more to MA than what's inside 495.

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I'm a cityboy lifer, but I totally agree with you. Some of best memories as a kid was when my Dad owned a little cottage out Route 2 in Phillipston on Queen Lake - I'd be a total city slicker if I didn't spend every summer up there roaming around the woods.

More recently, I try to spend as muich time down the Cape as possible, but in the end I couldn't roam far from the city. Gotta give western MA it's props....I had a great time out in Amherst back in the college days.

good call on cutting down on the molasses and lactose. I think it is the right thing to do.....the grain bill will give you plenty of flavor, reducting the adjuncts by half, or more, will complement the bill well.

btw I'm only getting a 1028 starting gravity from that recipe. did i miss something or was it omitted? did you say that this was going to be a partial mash? if so, that base malt could account for the difference.

btw again....by my calcs you are getting 50 IBU's from 1oz/60min target and 1oz/15min fuggles......

....4 posts in a row.

(bird's head turns. c***** rolls over in shallow grave)

To make this a mini-mash, you'll need about 2.5 lbs of 2-row, otherwise you'll have mocha oatmeal.

I'd cut the lactose to 8 oz., ditto for the molasses if it is a dark or blackstrap.

1.)Lose the Molasses all together. It usually gives a "cola" taste to stouts and if you're used to drinking and enjoying things like Guinness then you'll regret it.

2.)Listen to these chaps about the Lactose.

3.)I can't speak for what amounts of DME because I use LME but I would suggest:
6-7 lbs of Liquid Pale Malt Extract or it's dry equivalent
1 lb of Roasted Barley
1/2 lb of Chocolate.

4.)The Oat content will make it Oatty if that's what you're going for and the hops are bang on.