Black is Beautiful Stout

[Steven Barrett]

Is anyone brewing the Black is Beautiful imperial stout? If you aren’t aware, many breweries are teaming up across the USA to all brew this beer and donate profits to a worthy cause. The recipe has been shared and version scaled to homebrew 5 gallon size. Check out the link below for more information.

https://blackisbeautiful.beer/

 

[Kent88]

Please remember that this thread is to discuss the recipe *ONLY*. Discussions of any related causes are only allowed in the debate section.

Brew on.

Kent88
HBT Moderator

 

[jswillbrewforbeer]

This is the first I've heard of this, thanks for sharing!

 

[Knightshade]

Thanks for the reminder, I had been meaning to download the recipe. I've got a couple breweries in the area who are participating in this, will be interesting to see the different varieties.

 

[couchsending]

Found it kind of odd that the scaled down version was quite a bit different than the pro version. Wonder why...

 

[Steven Barrett]

Found it kind of odd that the scaled down version was quite a bit different than the pro version. Wonder why...

Yeah noticed that too. The pro version seems more elegant with fewer ingredients and the homebrew version has confusingly low efficiency.

Would be cool to taste different breweries side by side using the same recipes, to see how much their technique affects the result.

 

[secretlevel]

So uh, the Homebrew and commercial recipes are quite different? At least the ones I found in the Dropbox linked on blackisbeautiful.beer.

Homebrew Recipe - OG: 1.081, FG - 1.016, 8.7% ABV
58% Pale Malt
11.8% Flaked Oats
5.9% Chocolate Malt
4.4% Flaked Barley
4.4% Caramel 120
4.4% Roasted Barley
2.9% Chocolate Rye malt
1.5% Black Malt

Commercial Recipe - OG/FG??
51% 2-Row
10% Carafoam
12% Flaked Oats
9% Caramel 120
4% Chocolate Malt
8% Black Malt
6% Dextrose (maltodextrin?)

8% Black malt with 4% Chocolate malt sounds intense...

 

[Kent88]

Pale malt for 2-row, I don't think that is a big deal.

Flaked barley vs carafoam, at least I think that is what they were going for. The percentages are rather different.

Haven't used chocolate rye malt before, but that is only on one side of the ledger. Roasted barley is also only on that side of the ledger. Dextrose is only on the other side of the ledger.

The only place outside of this thread that I have seen BiB discussed is a recent episode of Chop & Brew, and I don't recall them addressing the differences.

 

[joacimmvp]

So uh, the Homebrew and commercial recipes are quite different? At least the ones I found in the Dropbox linked on blackisbeautiful.beer.

Homebrew Recipe - OG: 1.081, FG - 1.016, 8.7% ABV
58% Pale Malt
11.8% Flaked Oats
5.9% Chocolate Malt
4.4% Flaked Barley
4.4% Caramel 120
4.4% Roasted Barley
2.9% Chocolate Rye malt
1.5% Black Malt

Commercial Recipe - OG/FG??
51% 2-Row
10% Carafoam
12% Flaked Oats
9% Caramel 120
4% Chocolate Malt
8% Black Malt
6% Dextrose (maltodextrin?)

8% Black malt with 4% Chocolate malt sounds intense...

Dextrose will ferment out while maltodextrine will not. It's not the same.

 

[Knightshade]

I listened to a fairly brief interview from Weathered Souls Brewing where they were talking about this during an Untappd event. He said that Annie Johnson, whom I believe was very recently employed by Picobrew did the HB conversion.

Was also on Untappd last night, browsing through the different varieties of this beer that breweries around the country have provided descriptions on. Various stouts of course, Imperial, Milk, Dry, American, Pastry, saw a couple Black IPAs. WSB looks like they're doing at least 4 different versions of it.

 

[Tyler B]

I just stumbled across this today in my Google feed. I'd like to brew it as well.

Anyone with a lot of experience brewing these big stouts want to guess how these two recipes might differ once finished (assuming the same starting gravity)?

 

[Bramling Cross]

I just stumbled across this today in my Google feed. I'd like to brew it as well.

Anyone with a lot of experience brewing these big stouts want to guess how these two recipes might differ once finished (assuming the same starting gravity)?

I wouldn't say that I have "a lot of experience" brewing big stouts, but I have refined an imperial stout for X-mas for most of the preceding 15 years. In my estimation, those are two very different beers.

As someone that wants to join in on this project, I'm not really happy with either recipe. An imperial stout with less than 60% base malt doesn't strike me as something I'd enjoy drinking. Five-ten percent C120 is also a cause for concern, and what's with all the dextrin?

The purpose of this recipe is to make a point within the moment, subsequently it has to be a quick turn around. I also want this beer to be crushable, I want this beer to stimulate conversation and I want it to encourage people to ask for a second pint, continue talking, and ask for a third, and more conversation. It should also be stark and simple, like the issue at hand. To that end, I'm thinking along these lines:

OG:1.055 (That's way short of whatever Gordon Strong is calling an imperial stout these days, but that's more than big enough for a hot, miserable, muggy, and especially frustrating summer here in DC. In fact, I think 1.045 is a better gravity for the purpose of this beer, but I want to make it substantially bigger than necessary to respect the author's intent).

60% pils
20% maris otter
8% UK black barley
2% UK dark chocolate
10% cane sugar (or thing that dries the beer out of your choice)

35 IBU of magnum at 90 min.
4oz of Cascades at 5 min. (Thank you, John Maier)

Mash pH 5.5.

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[Tyler B]

So uh, the Homebrew and commercial recipes are quite different? At least the ones I found in the Dropbox linked on blackisbeautiful.beer.

Homebrew Recipe - OG: 1.081, FG - 1.016, 8.7% ABV
58% Pale Malt
11.8% Flaked Oats
5.9% Chocolate Malt
4.4% Flaked Barley
4.4% Caramel 120
4.4% Roasted Barley
2.9% Chocolate Rye malt
1.5% Black Malt

Commercial Recipe - OG/FG??
51% 2-Row
10% Carafoam
12% Flaked Oats
9% Caramel 120
4% Chocolate Malt
8% Black Malt
6% Dextrose (maltodextrin?)

8% Black malt with 4% Chocolate malt sounds intense...

Thanks for posting these. Just so you're aware, the homebrew recipe is missing the 5.9% dextrose/corn sugar.

 

[Tyler B]

I wouldn't say that I have "a lot of experience" brewing big stouts, but I have refined an imperial stout for X-mas for most of the preceding 15 years. In my estimation, those are two very different beers.

As someone that wants to join in on this project, I'm not really happy with either recipe. An imperial stout with less than 60% base malt doesn't strike me as something I'd enjoy drinking. Five-ten percent C120 is also a cause for concern, and what's with all the dextrin?

The purpose of this recipe is to make a point within the moment, subsequently it has to be a quick turn around. I also want this beer to be crushable, I want this beer to stimulate conversation and I want it to encourage people to ask for a second pint, continue talking, and ask for a third, and more conversation. It should also be stark and simple, like the issue at hand. To that end, I'm thinking along these lines:

OG:1.065 (I think that's way short of whatever Gordon Strong wants us to make these days, but that's more than big enough for a hot, miserable, muggy, and especially frustrating summer here in DC).

60% pils
20% maris otter
8% UK black barley
2% UK dark chocolate
10% cane sugar (or thing that dries the beer out of your choice)

40 IBU of magnum at 90 min.
4oz of Cascades at 5 min. (Thank you, John Maier)

Mash pH 5.5.

That's what I'm thinking.

I understand what you're saying, but that is a completely different recipe. Probably a very tasty one, but I am leaning towards brewing something closer to the Black is Beautiful homebrew recipe, just to see what I get.

I'm thinking I'll probably sub flaked wheat for flaked barley and the choc rye malt for plain rye malt because that is what I have on hand. That would also bring the dark grains down to 11.8% of the grains.

I get your point about turning it out quickly. I had the same question and wondered how breweries are able to do it so quickly, but I think I'll most likely scale it up to 10% ABV because that's what's on the included labels and because I prefer big stouts.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I understand what you're saying, but that is a completely different recipe. Probably a very tasty one, but I am leaning towards brewing something closer to the Black is Beautiful homebrew recipe, just to see what I get.

I totally get that.

It would be cool to hear what you make of it. While I built my recipe around a fast turn around, it is cool to know that these 10% monsters will be keeping the idea alive deep into this winter and next year.

Good luck with yours, it's going to be fantastic!

 

[Tyler B]

it is cool to know that these 10% monsters will be keeping the idea alive deep into this winter and next year.

Good luck with yours, it's going to be fantastic!

My thoughts exactly! Best of luck to you too. Report back and let us know how yours turns out. I'll do the same.

 

[skibb]

So I did brew this beer up at my brewery - the BiB website/recipe does state you can adjust it a bit to your liking... I must say I thought the original recipe was pretty odd - using dextrin malt and dextrose? Malto dextrin to adjust at the end? Sooooo much acrid black malt, too. It made no sense to me - so we simplified our malt bill and mashed high to retain body (mashed @ 156)

73% 2-Row
9% Flaked Oats
9% Crystal 120
4.5% Black Patent
4.5% Chocolate

50 IBU @60 minutes

OG: 1.098
FG: 1.022 - finished right at 10%

Really pleased with how it turned out - not boozy (fermented with BSI-2 @ 64 F until D-rest), it has enough roast to keep it from being sweet, and the crystal 120 adds a nice caramel sweetness up front.

 

[w8av]

Haven't used chocolate rye malt before, but that is only on one side of the ledger.

Try it sometime. It is a great ingredient!. I use it in my rye porter

 

[Tyler B]

Try it sometime. It is a great ingredient!. I use it in my rye porter

What do you get from it in the finished beer? Also what percentage of the grain bill do you use it in?

 

[hottpeper13]

Because it doesn't have a husk it's super mellow and not acrid at all , the lovibond from Proximity is 275 so very pale. I haven't used more then 1/2 pound in a 5 gal batch (rye lager bock), so not intense flavor,more of a mouth feel thing. Plan on doing that one again with 1 pound to see if more chocolate flavor comes thru. I tend to increase these grains in 8 ounce increments until i get what I want.

 

[Steven Barrett]

Has anyone tried the commercial versions of this? Breweries all seem to be putting their unique twist on it, which is cool.

 

[couchsending]

So I did brew this beer up at my brewery - the BiB website/recipe does state you can adjust it a bit to your liking... I must say I thought the original recipe was pretty odd - using dextrin malt and dextrose? Malto dextrin to adjust at the end? Sooooo much acrid black malt, too. It made no sense to me - so we simplified our malt bill and mashed high to retain body (mashed @ 156)

73% 2-Row
9% Flaked Oats
9% Crystal 120
4.5% Black Patent
4.5% Chocolate

50 IBU @60 minutes

OG: 1.098
FG: 1.022 - finished right at 10%

Really pleased with how it turned out - not boozy (fermented with BSI-2 @ 64 F until D-rest), it has enough roast to keep it from being sweet, and the crystal 120 adds a nice caramel sweetness up front.

Amazed BSI-2 got that low at that mash temp...

What brands of Chocolate and Black Patent are your go-to’s?

 

[skibb]

Amazed BSI-2 got that low at that mash temp...

What brands of Chocolate and Black Patent are your go-to’s?

BSI-2 is a lot different from WLP002 (which is supposed to be its equivalent) - we tend to see better attenuation, less esters, and much less flocc than we were seeing with WLP002. It is very similar to BSI-1/SO5/WLP001

Roasted malt brands I honestly prefer Briess after trying pretty much everything. Weyermann Carafa is a favorite too for chocolate malt, but all the English ones I've tried are significantly higher in lovibond and sometimes exhibit some smokiness to my brews (I tend to use a lot of roast though by % tbh).

Briess RB is amazing. So much chocolate and coffee. English roasted barleys tend to have a lot of licorice for me.

I don't really use much BP (cept for this brew) so I don't have too much experience with other maltsters.

 

[Kent88]

I brewed this version (from Chop and Brew) yesterday:

I tweaked it a little. My base malt was MCI Stout malt, I used Candi sugar instead of dextrose, and my yeast is Wyeast 1084 Irish ale.

My typical grist is 5.5lbs, give or take. This grist was just over 7.5lbs. Rather than stress out over maxing out my 3-gallon mash tun, I steeped everything but the base malt and oats and combined them for the sparge. I ended up doing a long boil, and overshot my efficiency/gravity by 0.01, I tried to dilute it down to 1.080, but I added too much water and wound up hitting my intended target gravity.

 

[Kent88]

In this first video they do talk a little beyond the recipe, but if you want to stick to recipe discussion you should be safe watching from roughly 4:40-9:45 and then you can fast forward to roughly 12:15 and then you're pretty good until the last minute or so.


I think in this one they stayed pretty on topic with the recipe and talking about how it drinks at the end.

 

[Steven Barrett]

I brewed this version (from Chop and Brew) yesterday:

I tweaked it a little. My base malt was MCI Stout malt, I used Candi sugar instead of dextrose, and my yeast is Wyeast 1084 Irish ale.

My typical grist is 5.5lbs, give or take. This grist was just over 7.5lbs. Rather than stress out over maxing out my 3-gallon mash tun, I steeped everything but the base malt and oats and combined them for the sparge. I ended up doing a long boil, and overshot my efficiency/gravity by 0.01, I tried to dilute it down to 1.080, but I added too much water and wound up hitting my intended target gravity.

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Will you add any adjuncts? I tasted a vertical of 5 different Black is Beautiful beers and most had one or more flavor additive. One of the best tasting had maple, cinnamon, lactose and vanilla.

 

[Kent88]

If I can, I plan on siphoning a gallon onto something. Not sure what that will be yet.

 

[kevin58]

I did the Basic Brewing guys recipe a couple weeks ago. It's still in primary at the moment.

 

[Steven Barrett]

If I can, I plan on siphoning a gallon onto something. Not sure what that will be yet.

You could soak some cinnamon sticks in maple syrup with a dash of vanilla extract, chili powder and sea salt. Then drop those into a carboy.

 

[Kent88]

Might try that minus the salt. But I did come up with something, I'm just not sure yet if I'll have access to it.

 

[Tyler B]

Anyone want to share or suggest a water profile for this beer?

Also, any tasting notes or updates from your brews? I'm about to brew mine in the next few weeks and looking forward to it already!

 

[kevin58]

Mine turned out great. Its going into my regular rotation. As for water profile, I just used one for dark beer and full body... don't remember exactly what it's called.

 

[Genuine]

I can't wait to brew this. After I saw the review by Basic Homebrewing, it further encouraged me to brew it. I thought it was a lot of specialty grains but it looks like it really creates one hell of a stout!

 

[Tyler B]

I finally brewed this about a week ago. Haven't tried it yet, but really excited to taste the finished product!

 

[nursedude]

Finally popped the top on my first bottle of the HB version from Weathered Souls drop box. I’m pretty happy with how it came out, for 10% it is incredibly easy drinking with a definite coffee roast type flavor to it.

I live about 10 miles away from Weathered Souls, the original is definitely different, but has a lot of the same characteristics.

photos from brew day.

 

[NGD]

Had two local versions of this beer around Sacramento. Variations were very subtle but noticeable. Would love to try the HB version. Somehow this thread slipped by me.
On a side note, good to see Marcus getting more exposure. I’ve chatted with him a few times when he’s been back to the Sac area and the guy really knows his craft. I’ve only been able to try a few weathered soul beers in Cali that he brought back. They were all damn good.

 

[OldDogBrewing]

None of them are reaching Europe, I think that Northern Monk in the UK is brewing one

But is this like the All together that every brewery gave it a twist? If so, someone who have tried some can say which ones he liked and why? We could change it a bit and use the better version for HB

I want to brew something like that but I have no reference of how it tastes and what I could change to improve it (or adapt it to my taste)

 

[Tyler B]

None of them are reaching Europe, I think that Northern Monk in the UK is brewing one

But is this like the All together that every brewery gave it a twist? If so, someone who have tried some can say which ones he liked and why? We could change it a bit and use the better version for HB

I want to brew something like that but I have no reference of how it tastes and what I could change to improve it (or adapt it to my taste)

I live in Asia so haven't been able to taste any commercial examples either. From what I can gather, Weathered Souls released the recipe and encouraged everyone to put their own twist on it.

I have brewed more imperial stouts than probably any other style so I gave this one a try mostly according to the homebrew recipe. I subbed ingredients for what I have access to here and what I already had on hand. Also adjusted for my low efficiency. It's only a little over a week into fermentation, but the gravity sample the other day tasted fantastic! Big, smooth, sweet, roasty, chocolatey, balanced... This is compared to numerous other imperial stouts I've brewed and countless commercial RIS I've tasted. It's not even close to done but its looking very promising.

This one seems to get pretty good reviews everywhere I've seen. I'd say give the recipe a try based on your system and only sub ingredients where necessary for you. Then adjust your next brew if that doesn't work for you.

 

[OldDogBrewing]

I live in Asia so haven't been able to taste any commercial examples either. From what I can gather, Weathered Souls released the recipe and encouraged everyone to put their own twist on it.

I have brewed more imperial stouts than probably any other style so I gave this one a try mostly according to the homebrew recipe. I subbed ingredients for what I have access to here and what I already had on hand. Also adjusted for my low efficiency. It's only a little over a week into fermentation, but the gravity sample the other day tasted fantastic! Big, smooth, sweet, roasty, chocolatey, balanced... This is compared to numerous other imperial stouts I've brewed and countless commercial RIS I've tasted. It's not even close to done but its looking very promising.

This one seems to get pretty good reviews everywhere I've seen. I'd say give the recipe a try based on your system and only sub ingredients where necessary for you. Then adjust your next brew if that doesn't work for you.

I will give it a try to the commercial recipe, the HB one requires some malts that I don't have and I won't be using for any other brew in a while and I try to work with specific malts I can use in other recipes

 

[Tyler B]

I will give it a try to the commercial recipe, the HB one requires some malts that I don't have and I won't be using for any other brew in a while and I try to work with specific malts I can use in other recipes

That is exactly how I would approach it if I was you. I brew lots of these so already have or will use most of the ingredients. Also, I was excited to try the homebrew recipe because of the rye as well as the hop combination. I had never used these ingredients in any RIS previously.

Good luck! Please update and let us know how it turns out.