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schweaty

Doe Re Mi Beer
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Okay, so I would like to do an Imperial Stout for my next beer and was trying to come up with a recipe. During the process I realized that I wasn't sure how much of the specialty grains I should use as I've NEVER done a stout before. I tried looking at some other recipes to get an idea but everyone was all over the board. And since black, chocolate and roasted barley could easily be a bit over the top I was hoping that some stout aficionados could lend a hand. The recipe is as follows

Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 55.00 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 lb Oats, Malted (1.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.50 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.50 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 38.2 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (45 min) Hops 15.9 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (30 min) Hops 13.4 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.5 IBU

WLP007 Dry English Ale Yeast

Mash @ 150

Est Original Gravity: 1.093 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.022
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.31 %
Bitterness: 77.3 IBU Calories: 435 cal/pint
Est Color: 46.7 SRM
 
A few people were helping me with the very same thing the past few days here. :)
 
I think your grist looks pretty good. There are a couple of things I question.

I'd increase the Roasted Barley proportion. As it stands, your roasted grains stand at 10% of the grist. You can go as high as 15%.

I don't think you'll need the Wheat Malt. There won't be foam issues with this beer, and if you wish to increase the gravity without flavor/body contribution, use sugar.

I like the idea of oat malt. Really, it's just because I like oat malt. You don't really need to increase body in the beer, and and unique flavor contribution will be lost amongst all that roasted grain. But it's cool. ;)

Have fun!

Bob
 
Looks interesting. I've become more of a fan of the dark fruit notes from a dark crystal (C120, C150, SpecialB) in Imperial Stouts of late. Something about that figgy/raisin with a thick mouthfeel that just seems right to me.
 
Looks interesting. I've become more of a fan of the dark fruit notes from a dark crystal (C120, C150, SpecialB) in Imperial Stouts of late. Something about that figgy/raisin with a thick mouthfeel that just seems right to me.

+1

I usually use C90 or C120 in my stouts. I also absolutely love the special b flavors in dark Belgians, but i have yet to use it in a stout. It should play pretty nice i would think
 
Not to thread hijack, but I have a question regarding black patent malt in stouts. If I had the choice between using black malt and debittered black malt in a stout, which one should I use?
 
Not to thread hijack, but I have a question regarding black patent malt in stouts. If I had the choice between using black malt and debittered black malt in a stout, which one should I use?

Depends on the type of stout. Personally, I don't like Black Patent malt in stout, except for a relative pinch in RIS. Roasted Barley makes a beer Stout. I like a dash of Chocolate Malt in Oatmeal and Sweet stout, but in a secondary role to Roasted Barley.

Bob
 
Mostly on-topic (as I'm asking this question to benefit the stout I'm planning): I think I may be a little confused on what some of these grains are called.

Black barley, black roasted barley, black roast, roasted barley, black patent --

Am I correct that black roasted barley, black roast, and roasted barley are essentially the same thing? I know there are a couple (maybe a few) roast levels so maybe black roasted barley / black roast is the darker one and roasted barley is the lighter?

And black patent is unmalted, kilned barley?
 
Roasted barley and Black Barley are made from unmalted barleycorns roasted to particular darknesses. Both come from Briess Malting.

Black Patent Malt is - you guessed it - made from malted barley. Roasted in the same manner as Roasted Barley, it has a very different flavor.

Bob
 
Depends on the type of stout. Personally, I don't like Black Patent malt in stout, except for a relative pinch in RIS. Roasted Barley makes a beer Stout. I like a dash of Chocolate Malt in Oatmeal and Sweet stout, but in a secondary role to Roasted Barley.

Bob

Should I decrease the Black Patent to 0.25 lbs and bump the roasted barley to 1 lb? Also, do you think the chocolate is overkill? Here is what I'm thinking so far

12.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 59.26 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 19.75 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 4.94 %
1.00 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4.94 %
1.00 lb Oats, Malted (1.0 SRM) Grain 4.94 %
1.00 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 3.70 %
0.25 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 2.47 %
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 38.1 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (45 min) Hops 15.9 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (30 min) Hops 13.3 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.4 IBU

Still up in the air about the yeast, either WLP002 or WLP007, but leaning towards 007.
 
It's worth a try. Like I said, I'm not a fan of the phenolic character of Black Patent. That said, 4 oz in 5 gallons is more Robust Porter proportions. I'd leave the BP at 8 oz and kick the Roasted Barley up to a pound. The Chocolate is not overkill. RIS needs a broad spectrum of roasted-malt flavors.

Bob
 
Looks interesting. I've become more of a fan of the dark fruit notes from a dark crystal (C120, C150, SpecialB) in Imperial Stouts of late. Something about that figgy/raisin with a thick mouthfeel that just seems right to me.

-1 for me. Next time I make a stout of any kind Iam going to stay as far away from fig/raisin as possible. In fact, I plan to post up my next recipe and get assurances that I won't end up with that flavor again. Every stout that I've made over 1.060 (three of them now) has tasted like raisins or plums when what I wanted was a nice roastiness or, in the oatmeal stout, a creamy nuttiness. that fruity flavor kills it for me, too sweet.
 
It's worth a try. Like I said, I'm not a fan of the phenolic character of Black Patent. That said, 4 oz in 5 gallons is more Robust Porter proportions. I'd leave the BP at 8 oz and kick the Roasted Barley up to a pound. The Chocolate is not overkill. RIS needs a broad spectrum of roasted-malt flavors.

Bob

What about the crystal? Like snailsongs said, I am trying to stay away from the raisin/plum flavor and get more of the chocolate/roastiness flavor. It's going to be malty enough as it is, doesn't need any more sweetness for me.

That being said, should I drop the crystal back down. I just wanted a touch of sweetness and caramel, not the dark fruit flavor.
 
You could use a light crystal malt in that case. You don't start getting much in the way of raisins/figs until you get to about crystal 90. It's more mild sweetness, caramel, toffee for the lighter ones.
 
You could use a light crystal malt in that case. You don't start getting much in the way of raisins/figs until you get to about crystal 90. It's more mild sweetness, caramel, toffee for the lighter ones.

I originally had Crystal 10, maybe I should go with crystal 40 or 60.
 
i like 60 and 90 split. It gives you a softer crystal flavor, but you still get a smidge of that nice roasted crystal flavor (fig, plum yada yada). I don't like to have a lot of fig in my beer ever, that is why I split the two and get the 90 into a range that makes it be that "something" in the beer and not a dominant flavor. Also, remember your attenuation, you don't want too much crystal hanging out at the end of the beer. I might even drop this down to 3/4 of a lb.

I am not following your want for the addition of oats. At 5% they won't really help with anything in my book. Confirm this for me Bob, but I have heard that you need to get closer to 10% for the oats to assist in body, head or various other things that Oats are good for.

I really like a nice roastiness in my stouts and in my RIS, so I will most often up the roasted barley to, as Bob said, 10% or even 15% while leaving the chocolate at the level that you have. It makes the beer a STOUT and that is what you are trying for.

Lastly, why the Munich? Is that traditional or are you just liking the flavor?
 
11.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 55.00 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
2.00 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 lb Oats, Malted (1.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 38.7 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (45 min) Hops 16.2 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (30 min) Hops 13.5 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.5 IBU

1 Pkgs Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) Yeast-Ale

Pretty sure this is what I'm going to go with. I got rid of the BP and upped the roasted barley, so my roasted grains are 15% of the total bill. Decided on Crystal 60L also.
 
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