Foreign EXXTRA Stout (1st place - Iowa State Fair)

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Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
3,058
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Location
Ames, Iowa
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
WY 1056
Yeast Starter
Cake
Batch Size (Gallons)
6
Original Gravity
1.083
Final Gravity
1.020
Boiling Time (Minutes)
90
IBU
87
Color
51.7
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14 @ 65
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
None
Additional Fermentation
Bottled at 14 days
Tasting Notes
Right in between a strong Foreign Extra and Russian Imperial stout.
Clean on esters so the malt character really shines through; good emphasis on roast with a chocolate/nutty background. It's technically out of style for foreign extra, but is on the really low side for an RIS, especially with the roastiness (with the 300L roast). This is a very drinkable beer at 8.25%, it goes down too smooth. Maybe it's a domestic exxtra stout, i don't know. Has a nice mouthfeel and the residual sweetness and bitterness balance each other well.

Type: All Grain
Boil Size: 8.25 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
Efficiency: Planned for and got about 65% (LHBS crush I normally get 70-75% with)

Grain Bill:
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 40.45 %
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 40.45 %
1.50 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6.74 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.49 %
0.75 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 3.37 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.25 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2.25 %

Hops:
50.00 gm Magnum [12.10 %] (60 min) Hops 73.2 IBU
28.30 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 9.6 IBU
14.20 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (15 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
14.20 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (1 min) Hops 1.4 IBU

Mash:
Single infusion at 152 for 60 mins

Fermentation:
I started this in my cool basement at around 65, it warmed itself up to almost 72 during it's rampage, but still didn't produce too many esters or any detectable fusel alcohol.

Big old yeast starter or a reused cake. This is the only time I've ever actually reused most of an old cake and the fermentation, as expected, cranked out in like 2 days. That's why I bottled it so soon. It was very drinkable after carbing for the requisite 3 weeks but just gets better with age. I normally keg but am glad I bottled this one.

Notes
brewed 12/5/09
bottled 12/16/09

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i reused a yeast cake, so the fermentation took off like a rocket. i usually subscribe to the school of once the yeast is mostly flocced and the gravity stable, i'm good to bottle/keg. this thing literally fermented in 2.5 days and had the additional 8.5 to condition and clear up. no regrets whatsoever, the bottle conditioning took care of the rest and it turned out awesome.
 
this beer just took 1st place in the 'Stout' category at the Iowa State Fair! I'm down to the last sixer, i guess I need to brew it up again.
 
I was concerned I want to make a Guinness stout one day when I get setup, I am doing research now and saving money up to buy the setup. I would like to know, Since Guinness is supposed to be fermented at 65F how do you maintain that temperature in your home or storage area? I am concerned because I need to know how I will, since I live in an APT and need tips on this process. The rooms I have available are limited and will most of the year be above 65F most times.
 
I was concerned I want to make a Guinness stout one day when I get setup, I am doing research now and saving money up to buy the setup. I would like to know, Since Guinness is supposed to be fermented at 65F how do you maintain that temperature in your home or storage area? I am concerned because I need to know how I will, since I live in an APT and need tips on this process. The rooms I have available are limited and will most of the year be above 65F most times.

search around the site for 'temperature control'. you can do it in a bathtub with ice or other ways if you don't have room for an extra fridge or something to control temperature with.
 
Any chance you've had Lion's Stout out of Shrilanka? It's an export stout around 8% and I'm curious if yours is anything like it...or if you have another commercial example that is in the ball park.

Looking forward to making this bad boy.
 
you know, i have always wanted to try that, but never have. i think this stout borders between a really strong american stout and a foreign extra and could even be considered on the low end of russian imperial. bridges a lot of gaps, but style number-wise, it fits extra stout the best. it definitely doesn't drink like an 8% stout though, super smooth and no alcohol noticeable.

i can't think of any commercial examples that are very similar...

i'd be really interested to hear how it turns out for you if you decide to brew it.
 
you know, i have always wanted to try that, but never have. i think this stout borders between a really strong american stout and a foreign extra and could even be considered on the low end of russian imperial. bridges a lot of gaps, but style number-wise, it fits extra stout the best. it definitely doesn't drink like an 8% stout though, super smooth and no alcohol noticeable.

i can't think of any commercial examples that are very similar...

i'd be really interested to hear how it turns out for you if you decide to brew it.

Alright, here's our homework. You buy and drink the Lion's Stout and I'll make your stout. :D I really like the sound of the victory in the grain bill since it's not your typical pale/roast/chocolate mash.
 
ok, so i can't find that lion stout anywhere around me, but i will keep on looking. did you brew the beer?
 
hello from des moines

I have some three floyds dark lord coming from the city, here over the hoiday week. Last time they bought my a case of aplha king.

I might try your brew here in the next couple weeks.

Thomas
 
ok, so i can't find that lion stout anywhere around me, but i will keep on looking. did you brew the beer?

Not yet man. My ferementing chamber is clogged up with some cider that I'm feremeting really low. As soon as it's done, it's stout time.
 
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