Stouts question

[DublinOhioBrewer]

So I'm thinking about brewing a stout, maybe a chocolate milk stout or something like that. Are Stouts okay in a keg carbonated with CO2? I know that a lot of stout people say that you should use a nitrogen gas with Stouts but at this point in time buying a nitrogen tank and having a spout for it and everything just isn't an option so I don't want to brew a stout if it's going to taste like crap carbonated by CO2. So if anybody has ever brewed a stout and kegged it with CO2, did it taste okay and did you notice much difference in comparison to Stouts that you would have at a bar or something?

 

[DublinOhioBrewer]

additionally, does anybody have a good chocolate milk stout that they would recommend. I'm a brew in a bag guy

 

[DublinOhioBrewer]

or, would my lack of hydrogen make it more prudent to bottle instead of keg this batch

 

[chickypad]

Carbonating a stout isn't going to make it taste like crap. When you bottle you're also carbonating, you're just doing it with yeast. It's not going to have a creamy head that you get using beer gas and a stout faucet, but neither do the great majority of bottled commercial stouts or a lot of kegged stouts at bars.

BIAB is just a method, you can do any all grain recipe that way you don't have to specifically look for BIAB recipes.

 

[DublinOhioBrewer]

so basically no Rich foamy head without nitrogen?

 

[chickypad]

Nitrogen doesn't dissolve much in the beer, it's just a way to use higher pressures with a stout faucet without overcarbonating. You would use beer gas for a stout which is like 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2. The stout faucet and restrictor plate is what give you the creamy head, by forcing the CO2 out of solution. You can get a somewhat similar effect with a syringe.

http://blindtigerpodcast.com/nitro-pour-at-home-trick/

 

[BrianK3721]

I haven't made alot but any of the stouts I made I actually preferred not carbonating

 

[RM-MN]

The stout doesn't care whether it is in a bottle or keg. What it mostly cares about is the time to mature and get smooth. Kegs are tempting to start serving from well before the stout matures and it will be harsh flavored and probably a bit thin. If you can afford to tie up your keg for a few months, it's a great way to serve it. Bottles are cheap and for my house store easier. I may leave the stout in the bottle without sampling for 6 months or more.

 

[Leezer]

additionally, does anybody have a good chocolate milk stout that they would recommend. I'm a brew in a bag guy

I've made this recipe twice, but used the version in post #31 in the thread because I liked the idea of including the flaked oats.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/triple-chocolate-milk-stout-chocolate-lovers-only.568586/

I did a 2G version using biab. It's one of my most favorite beers I've made. The second time I increased the amount of cocoa powder and cocoa nibs to up the chocolate flavor.

 

[FunkedOut]

...You can get a somewhat similar effect with a syringe.

http://blindtigerpodcast.com/nitro-pour-at-home-trick/

I’m off to try this one now!

 

[chickypad]

I've tried it, it does sorta work! If the beer is too carbonated though watch out for a mess.

 

[bigdawg86]

I haven't made alot but any of the stouts I made I actually preferred not carbonating

This is interesting... I have thought about it. I just racked a BCS clone stout to secondary yesterday (1.118OG FG 1.018) and it tasted quite good as is. Big stouts like Bourbon County have such little carbonation it did cross my mind... I have a BCS extract clone that is "trying" to bottle carb but being that I used a less aggressive yeast it finished ALOT higher (1.135OG - FG 1.036) and is just too syrup like without the carbonation.

 

[r4dyce]

I don't see any problem carbonating but you generally want to keep it on the lower side. It's hard to describe succinctly but the carbing kind of lightens up the mouthfeel and generally you want to accent the smoothness in a stout. Bubbles are still good to help the aromatics come out. I did an affogato stout as one of my first beers, bottle carbed it was excellent.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have this on tap, low carbed and very yummy.

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Oatmeal Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.054
Efficiency: 80% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.069
Final Gravity: 1.020
ABV (standard): 6.33%
IBU (tinseth): 18.61
SRM (morey): 42.06

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (76.9%)
0.5 lb - Belgian - Special B (3.8%)
1.5 lb - United Kingdom - Chocolate (11.5%)
1 lb - Flaked Oats (7.7%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Fuggles, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.66
1 oz - Fuggles, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 4.95

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Fly Sparge, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

YEAST:
White Labs - Irish Ale Yeast WLP004
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 71.5%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temp: 65 - 68 F

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

There's a left hand milk stout on here that's really good. And I do mine on co2