1st competition, dry stout, add black roasted barley post fermentation

[Kiknjville]

Hoping for some direction here. I'm entering my first competition with a dry stout (local homebrewers club comp.) I brewed 5.5 gallons last Sunday and it fermented out pretty well. 1.042 start/1.012 finish.

The problem is I didn't use enough black malted barley and it tastes and looks more like a dry porter.

I have a pound and a half of black roasted barley in my fridge and I'd like to steep some of these grains and add them into my fermenter. I'm just not sure how and how much to do and I'm looking for some suggestions.

My initial thought would be this:

8 oz of black roasted barley (500 L)
1 1/2 quarts of water
steep at 150 ish for 30 minutes
remove grains (maybe do this in a bag)
boil for 10 minutes
let cool to 65 (where I have my fermented stout at)
pour into carboy
possibly come in 1st 2nd or 3rd in the competition!!

What do you think? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Original recipe:

7lbs marris otter
2lbs flaked barley
1lb roasted barley (300 L)
6 oz black roasted barley
004 Irish Ale Yeast (1 liter starter)
2 oz kent goldings 60 minutes
60 minute boil
mashed at 152

It's been fermenting at 65 ish since last Sunday afternoon

 

[shanecb]

Are you sure you even need to? That should be like 36 SRM or so, which is perfectly within the color range of a dry stout. It's on the upper edge going by the BJCP guidelines.

 

[r2eng]

Like shanecb said, are you sure you need/want to?

Dry Irish stouts don't necessarily need to be big on the roasted flavors. Many are a bit lighter (and should be) on the roasted flavors.

Leave it and win!

 

[BeerLoverHere]

I wouldn't change your recipe. I think you'd screw your beer up and do more harm than good; you might score...let's say a 36 with the original batch....but when you tinker with it at this point I'd think it'd lower your score...you are better off letting it ride, let your LHBS taste it too, and then try to pick the best stout category it fits in after it's "done" as is...you may think it is best in one category going in, but it could change after

I have never added black malt to any stout I've made; if I would it would only be 1-2 oz total in a 6 gal batch; ALSO, you could always make a few ounces of wort and mix it in after some of your other bottles have already been bottled; it's not much so I wouldn't worry about it getting exposed to the hops. Make sense? I get 2 batches sometimes from 1: I add fruit to a wheat or jagermeister to my cream stout. I bottle half as is and then add the flavorings to last 2-3 gallons.

 

[Kiknjville]

Thanks for weighing in everyone. I'm going to let it ride as is. I'm thinking I want the feedback anyway. I didn't go into the process issues that I had that caused it to be a little light. I'll just use this entry to prompt some conversation.