Recipe critic for Coffee Milk Stout & a Wit - First all grain Recipes

[Franky]

After a couple of extract/partial mash brews without to much problems I've decided to give all grain a go with the BIAB method.

I did some re search and then used Beer Smith to put together my first 2 recipes. I'm just wondering if any of you out there that have more experance then me would be willing to look it over and tell me what you think. Feel free to rip it to shreds if I'm making an huge mistakes. Rather learn, then brew - not learn after I brewed. I'm not looking for "traditional" but still want it to be grounded in traditional roots for the style.

For 5 gal. Batch - Coffee Milk Stout
7 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 71.4 %
12.0 oz Carafa III De-bittered Black Grain
8.0 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 3 4.8 %
8.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.8 %
4.0 oz Carapils Grain
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.4 %
12.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 7.1 %
1.00 oz Atlas [9.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 34.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Craft Series Mangrove Jack M10 - Workhorse Dry Yeast
1 oz Brewers Gold Pellet Hops - 60min Boil

I will also be adding some coffee to the secondary, along with 1oz of Belgian Cocoa at bottling time.

Rye Wheat? - 5gal Batch
4 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 1 47.4 %
4 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 42.1 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.3 %
8.0 oz Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.3 %
0.15 oz Sorachi Ace [12.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 7.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Riwaka [5.25 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 8.0 IBUs
0.75 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
0.75 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins)
1 pkg Craft Series Mangrove Jack Belgian Ale M27 - Dry Yeast

Any comments would be welcome and greatly appricated. Again, I have never created any beer recipe before I want to make sure I'm not trying to do the "I'm excited and going to throw in everything but the kitchen sink" brew. Then be bitterly disappointed when it tastes horrible.

Thanks!

 

[hercher]

These look good as is, and I don't think you need to make any changes.

However, I'd suggest you use some chocolate malt in your stout in place of the Belgian cocoa. Probably I'd do something like cut the Carafa III to 8 oz, and add 8 oz Chocolate Malt. Instead of Crystal 120, I'd likely use crystal 60 or 80. The 120 will give you some nice raisin-like flavors, but they often take a while to really mature, in my experience.

 

[Franky]

Thanks hercher,

Took your advice, cut the Belgian cocoa, cut the carafa III etc.

 

[tflew]

How are you adding the coffee in secondary? Racking over beans or cold brewed. I am drinking a stout now where I used cold brewed coffee in the secondary and it turned out well. No experience with the whole beans though.

 

[Franky]

tflew, not really sure yet how I'm going to do it. Once I rack over to the secondary I'm going to taste it. If I decide I like it how it is I might not add any at all. Other wise I was probably going to use beans that I crush (only slighly), add those to a bag, then let it sit. I'd taste it every day until it got to where I wanted it.

However, maybe cold brew is the better way to go. How many oz/ml did you use for a 5gal batch?

 

[ducati]

I am curious in how your use of rye in the Wit recipe turns out. Please share how this beer tastes. I normally use oats to add a little body and creamy head instead of the rye.

Getting the spices the way you want them in a Wit was key for me. Personally, I prefer more orange than coriander, but again that's personal preference.

 

[Franky]

ducati, I decided to go with a different recipe in the end. However, I'm still planning on brewing it later in the year. When I do I'll get back with you on how it tastes.