Maple Stout Recipe and Advice

[mpenn35]

So last weekend, my girlfriend and I went to Square One Brewing and Distillery in St. Louis. She had the maple stout, and she fell in love.

I'd like to attempt one, but I'm not sure where to start. I've done some searching and have come up empty. Some say add to boil, end of boil, secondary, or at bottling...I know it's preference and all, but has anyone actually done this? Anyone done it multiple ways and prefer it one way over the other?

Also, I'm not sure if I should start with a dry stout, sweet stout, oatmeal stout, or what...

 

[mpenn35]

Bump...Anyone?

 

[homebrewdad]

I can give you a tip or two.

You want to get the darkest maple syrup you can find - that grade A light for your pancakes will almost totally ferment out. It's the impurities (that don't ferment out) that give you maple flavor.

Go with the darkest grade B you can find.

For my imperial nut brown, I added maple at the end of the boil - and I also used it to prime my bottles. We'll see how that turns out (but I don't plan to crack a bottle until the fall).

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I can give you a tip or two.

You want to get the darkest maple syrup you can find - that grade A light for your pancakes will almost totally ferment out. It's the impurities (that don't ferment out) that give you maple flavor.

Go with the darkest grade B you can find.

Agreed. Darkest, funkiest, muddiest looking maple syrup you can find.

Might also see if spiking the boil with fenugreek is thought to work, but that may lend a less authentic, faux-maple flavor. It would be worth seeing what google thinks, though. (fenugreek is the primary flavor constituent of immitation maple flavor).

 

[Challenger440]

Agreed with the lower grade B stuff! I also would say to add it after flamout, before you pitch your yeast, maybe as you are cooling. You don't want to boil off any aromatics.

 

[mpenn35]

Thanks for the input guys. I just received a reply back from John at Square One Brewery. Apparently they add the maple syrup at kegging and store the kegs in a walk in fridge until they tap them. Unfortunately, I was hoping to bottle this beer so I'd say that's out of the question for me. He also said they use their Irish stout for this, and the finest maple syrup you can find.