First Stout (2nd Runnings), Which Hops to Use?

[pshankstar]

This weekend our local homebrew club is hosting the AHA "Learn to Home-brew" event at our local nano brewery that supports us. We will be brewing an extract and all grain brew of the same beers for the event, but we also have the opportunity to get the second runnings off the brewery's Imperial Stout earlier in the morning and brewing our own beer out back too. It is estimated the second runnings will have the OG in the 1.05X range.

The grain bill of the Imperial Stout is 2-row, Maris Otter, Paul's Medium Crystal, Chocolate Malt, Debittered Black and Flaked Oats. Sorry I do not have the amounts or percentages. As a club we can add some additional malts to the second runnings if we would like, but we haven't decided on that yet and may just do so that morning.

With that being said, I have no idea where to start with the hop additions. Normally I brew IPAs and Pale Ales, so I know the amount of hops for this brew will be much less than I normally use. I have a bunch of hops on hand (list below mainly hops for IPAs and PAs) which I would like to use instead of buying any. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what I should use and when during the boil with the hops I have on hand? I believe Chinook work good for a bittering hop for Stouts. I'll look into the BJCP style guide to keep the IBUs in range for a stout, but any input on which of the hops I have would work good for the style would be helpful and appreciated.

Also, if you have any suggestions on adding any steeping grains before I start the boil or anything, I'm all ears. If you need any additional information, please let me know. Lastly, I'll probably use a packet of S-04 yeast since I haven't had a chance to overbuild any of my liquid yeast and probably won't have time to get one going before the event.

Thanks in advance!

Amarillo
Bravo
Cascade
Centennial
Chinook
Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ)
Crystal
Experimental #07270
Falconer's Flight
Hallertauer Hersbrucker
Mosaic (HBC 369)
Motueka
Nugget
Opal
Simcoe
Sonnet Golding
Sorachi Ace
Summit
Tradition
Warrior
Zythos

 

[kev211]

Definitely bitter with the Warrior. All 3 of my stouts are all bittered with warrior. I was going to suggest willamette for aroma/flavor but if youre going from the freezer grab bag then I would do crystal. I dont know that I would add any steeping grains, unless you wanted to up the og a bit, then maybe add some 2-row and maybe a little more chocolate or some crystal malts to add some body.

 

[theDREWery]

Ditto on the warrior/willamette combo, or just goldings is good, too. I'd also consider some cold brew coffee at flameout, if the second runnings are lacking roastyness.

 

[thehaze]

I would vote for either Columbus or Simcoe or a combination of both.

Columbus for bittering and some late addition. Simcoe only for late additions.

Chinook and Barvo would also work great in a Stout or dark beer, also paired together.

 

[pshankstar]

Thank you all for the feedback, it will give me some ideas to mull over. I was thinking I would maybe split the wort into some smaller fermenters and add some cold brew coffee to one, maybe peanut butter or peanut butter cups to another and maybe keep one neutral without any additions in the fermenter. Thanks again for the feedback!

 

[kev211]

maybe peanut butter or peanut butter cups to another

I would watch out on that one. Dont know what the artificial crap in those pb cups, along with the oils and corn syrup would do to your beer. I cant imagine itd be good for head retention. But I do like the idea of PB. Maybe add some PB2 and cocao nibs to the fermenter?

 

[pshankstar]

I would watch out on that one. Dont know what the artificial crap in those pb cups, along with the oils and corn syrup would do to your beer. I cant imagine itd be good for head retention. But I do like the idea of PB. Maybe add some PB2 and cocao nibs to the fermenter?

I should have been clear on the peanut butter, it would be the powdered PB2. Yeah, I am not sure about the PB Cups with all the artificial stuff. That was going to be some research over the next week or two. But thank you for the heads up.

 

[kev211]

I should have been clear on the peanut butter, it would be the powdered PB2. Yeah, I am not sure about the PB Cups with all the artificial stuff. That was going to be some research over the next week or two. But thank you for the heads up.

Then just use the cocao nibs with PB2! Itll be the same as a PB cup, but different. Ha!

Ive never used PB2 but one of my buddies is getting ready to brew his second ever AG batch and is planning on doing a PB stout so I started researching how/when to add it. Seems to be some differing opinions on the interwebs (weird right?) so probably might want to check that out

 

[nick_a]

I really like sonnet! It looks like it’s gonna turn out brownish based on the grist, so I think some kind of American Brown Ale treatment with Bravo for bittering and maybe Sonnet and Centennial as late additions.

 

[JacktardBrewmeister]

If I might add... you are using Safale US04 which is more typical for a British ale. So why not go balls deep with British Hops. I'd say 1 oz Fuggles for 60 minutes and 1 oz East Kent Goldings for 30 minutes. You could reverse these hops if you'd prefer the EKG over the Fuggles. Also, if you're doing all grain... don't be a cheap bastard... go ALL IN on the Maris Otter. I've made a mighty good stout or two using all Maris Otter in place of 2-row and Maris Otter combined. But then again, I am insane so....

Now, for the hops you're suggesting I would go with US-05 for a Sexy American Stout. With the hops you have listed perhaps 1oz cascade for 60 minutes and 1oz to 0.5oz Mosaic for 15 minutes. Your IBU would end up around 33 to 49. It really just depends on your hops preference. NO Sorachi Ace... tends to have a dill pickle taste to it unless you only add it in during the last 5 minutes of boil. Kind of defeats the purpose of it in a stout as it doesn't really add anything to a big fat thick stout.

 

[pshankstar]

Thank you all for the advice. I ended up going with Warrior at 60, Sonnet at 5 and Flame Out. The yeast was S-04 and BRY-97. I thought I had other dry yeast in the fridge but I didn’t. Life was too crazy to do a starter so it is what it is.

Thanks again everyone for the input I really appreciated it!

 

[Lefou]

English-style .... Fuggles, EK Goldings, or Styrian Goldings/Celeia
US stout ... Willamette, or a non-citrusy hop of your choosing. Above hops would be ok, too, but a US style stout may necessitate using a neutral yeast like US-05/1056/WLP-001.
Belgian-style ... A mid-range AAU hop balanced with alpha and beta for bittering, or just go with a bittering hop and late-addition noble hop for aroma.