Keep brown, or go black

[Davemci]

Looking for your opinions on my recipe. As it's written its a brown ale. Should I add black patent and make it a stout or keep it as is. Thanks

10 lb irish malt co stout malt
1 lb pale choc malt
.5 coffee malt
.5 crystal 40
.5 crystal80
.25 chocolate

1 oz pearle 60 min 1 oz pearle 20 min
Us 05

154 mash temp. Single 14 day ferment

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

usually takes more than black patent to make a brown ale into a stout

please post the rest of the recipe

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

Sure. Add 1# of black or roasted malt. Perhaps take out the chocolate malts and leave the crystal malt in. I think the Perle and s05 are perfect for an american stout.

Black Patent or Roasted malt are what you'd need for a stout.
Roasted malt is generally considered the defining malt of a stout. I read the chapter on Stouts in Ray Daniel's "Designing Great Beers". About half of commercial stouts have just pale malt (~90%) and roasted malt (>10%). He claims that these alone will make a tasty stout. I just made one today. This is the dry stout (ex. Guinness).

Randy Mosher considers this the "Fundamental Stout Recipe": 1# Black, 1# dark Crystal malt, 9.5# pale malt. He likes usually black malt instead of chocolate because it has less of a bitter taste. I made his "Pirate Stout" with 1.5# of black malt and it is smooth and silky.

 

[JKaranka]

With 6-8oz patent you'll be likely to end in porter territory. I'd simplify the grist, though. Why do you want it darker?

 

[Davemci]

I ended up goin with
9 lb irish malt co 2 row
.5 crystal80
.5 pale choc malt
.3 coffee malt
.2 choc malt
.4 Vermont maple syrup, I have a lot so y not
Mash in at 152 for 75 min. OG 1.058
1 oz pearle 60 min
.5 pearle 20 min
.25 cascade 20 min
Pitched 2 packs of us 05 at 66 f

I'll let u know how it is

 

[Psylocide]

Do you ever plan on going back?

 

[Davemci]

I have gone black before, kept it brown this time.