Stout isnt stouty

Okay, so I brewed my first beer a while ago and its almost done carbing in bottles. I used 3gal carboy (never again...) And the recipe is completely original. I've been brewing for a while but i was always with my cousin when I did it (it was more like me just watching him do it). It's an extract with specialty grain.
-5lbs Extra Dark dme
-1lb black patent malt
-1lb chocolate malt
-1lb roasted barley
-1 cup maple syrup
-1 cup light brown sugar
-1oz Fuggle hops
-1oz Willamette hops
-1/2 cup light brown sugar (priming)
-WLP Irish Ale yeast

Steeped grains at 145 for 15 min with maple syrup added (I know, I didn't get conversion. Idk why I did this). Raised temp to 160, stirred in dme and brown sugar. Added willamettes 20 min in. Added fuggels for last 20 min. Moved to cool to 71 degrees before pitching yeast (my cool time was quite long, maybe around 120 min, so I definetly have chill haze). Let sit in primary fermenter for 20 days at 68F, then bottled. Bottling needs one more week, then I'm throwing it in the fridge for a week. My problems right now: brownish, hazy color. Huge carbonation and a head that won't stick (most of my carb is still in the headspace). The taste is AMAZING, but I imagined it to be a darker flavor, but it really comes out as a banana/maple sweetness and a nice smooth, nutty finish. Grainy, but not a roasted grain. Should I be concerned about anything? Infection, maybe? Did I do anything wrong? (Oh and by the way, my OG was most likely wrong cuz it clocked in at 1.074 and there's no WAY it could be that low with so muchh added sugar) thoughts?

The black malt, chocolate malt, and roasted barley seem like major overkill there... What was the ambient air temp during fermentation? Too high a temp could bring the banana-ieness

I know haha this was a classic example of trying way too hard to do way too much. Ambient air was the same as ferment temp, 68F.

I've found infection can eat away at any sort of malt character. Check the bottles for a ring around the neck, and see if they become overcarbonated. Otherwise, you might not have gotten great efficiency in your steeping. Possibly a dumb question, but you did mill the grains, right?

Yes, I did haha theres no such thing as a dumb question. I knew I didn't get good efficiency because my steep temp was way way too low for conversion.

145 is fine for steeping grains, there is no conversion to be done with specialty grains, you're basically just rinsing the sugars off of them at that point. Your final gravity came in at 1.074, that's a huge beer and it's going to need some age on it before everything comes together in a really nice and balanced way. What was the final gravity?

I'd wait a week, put a couple in the fridge and give it another three or four days and then crack one open and see what you think. Then wait another whole month, two if possible, and put another couple in the fridge and do the same check again. You'll be amazed at the difference I promise.

Did you boil the wort? You mention only 160 degrees. It should be raised to 212* for a rolling boil to sanitize the wort and extract hop bitterness erc.


Anyways, the beer is not ready to be drunk. It is a big beer (you made an "Imperial" Stout btw) and needs time to meld. Let it alone for another 3 weeks and drink one again. If it still tastes not right, wait more time. The carbonation also needs time to be absorbed by the liquid, so try chilling it a longer time before drinking (more time out of fridge, then 3-7 days in fridge).

Stouts don't have to be so big, a Guinness is probably only 1.050 for example (not 100% sure but it is about 5% abv).

If you have little patience like most new brewers (we see it 100 times a day here), make a little beer so it will be ready faster.

I'd also suggest you buy a kit beer or make a tried n true recipe for your next one. and read a good brewing book like Palmer's How to Brew.

good luck.
Wendy

Balance might be an issue with this beer. With an OG of 1.074 and just 2 oz of low AA% hops it should seem very sweet and malty. Most stouts have a ratio of bittering unit to gravity unit of ~.7 or higher. i.e. 35 IBU/OG 1.050 = .7. Next time add a larger bittering charge at 60 minutes.

midfielder5 said:

Stouts don't have to be so big, a Guinness is probably only 1.050 for example (not 100% sure but it is about 5% abv).

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Im pretty sure its closer to 4% FYI

METALGUY said:

Im pretty sure its closer to 4% FYI

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I don't think it is much over 3%.

METALGUY said:

Im pretty sure its closer to 4% FYI

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Yeah Google says 4.2%abv

RM-MN said:

I don't think it is much over 3%.

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it's 4.2%