Caramel Stout - Feedback Please!

[treznor]

I've created a couple batches from extract kits and looking to expand a bit and create (or at least modify) a recipe so I can tailor it a bit. I'm looking to create a stout with a caramel flavor profile.

Ingredients
Extract
3 lbs Light DME - during boil
3 lbs Light DME - at knockout

Steeping Grains
.5 lbs Crystal Malt 20L
.5 lbs Crystal Malt 40L
.25 lbs Crystal Malt 120L
.25 lbs Special B
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
1 lbs Black Patent Malt
.25 lbs Roasted Barley

Hops
.75oz Nugget (11%) - 60 min
.75 Fuggles (4.5%) - 30 min

Yeast
Irish Ale Yeast (Wyeast WLP004)

Bottling
4 oz Honey

Est OG: 1.056
Est FG: 1.015
Est ABV: 5.3%

Bitterness: 46.3 IBU
Est Color: 55.7 SRM

I'm really hoping the Crystal malts and Special B really brings out the caramel flavor and that the Chocolate/Black Patent/Roast Barley don't overpower it. I'm hoping the honey gives just a light bit of sweetness to complement the crystal flavor. The color is past the recommended guidelines for a sweet stout, so not sure if I should cut back on the darker malts or not.

 

[treznor]

Any feedback? Would love to get some feedback on how to get some good caramel flavors into a stout.

 

[dcp27]

if you don't want the dark malts to cover the caramel, id cut way back on the black patent. you may want lean heavier on the darker crystal malt as well.

also, the honey won't add any sweetness, its basically a simple sugar and will ferment out.

 

[treznor]

If I cut back the chocolate malt and black patent to .5 lb and increase the Crystal 120 to .5 lb, I'm coming in at 41 SRM, which is still nicely in the range for a sweet stout.

This will be my first stout, so want to make sure I don't rob it of the "stoutiness".

 

[dcp27]

you could try using this as the base and adding your dark malts to it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/caramel-amber-ale-167880/

the two 0.5lbs might be a lil light on the 'stoutiness', but that might be good for not hiding the caramel.

 

[treznor]

Brewed this today, or at least something close. The LHBS was out of Black Patent, so I substituted more Chocolate Malt and they didn't have WLP004, so went with WLP007 and made a few more changes here and there.

Final Recipe:
Steeping Malts (steeped at 150-160F in 3 gallons water for 30 minutes):
.75 lbs Crystal 40
.75 lbs Crystal 80
.75 lbs Crystal 120
.25 lbs Special B
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
.25 lbs Roasted Barley

Grains:
3 lbs Light DME - 60 min
3 lbs Light DME - 15 min
1 lbs Lactose - 15 min

Hops:
.75 oz Nugget (12%) - 60 min
.5 ox Fuggles (4.2%) - 30 min

Yeast:
Dry English Ale (WLP007)

Boil start volume: 6 gallon
Boil end volume: 5.5 gallon

I wanted to steep in a bit less water but needed the 3 gallons (close to 2 gallons) to cover the grain.

Everything went pretty well until I measured the FG. FG at room temp came in at 1.080, much higher than the 1.060 I predicted from BeerSmith and from manual calculation.

Any idea why my FG would be so much higher than I expected?

 

[treznor]

So, figured that one out on my own. On my previous beers I didn't aerate the wort nearly so well and there was a lot more foam at the top that I thought there was (about a gallons worth). After it settled down this morning I noticed that the wort level was actually closer to 4 gallons. After topping off with some boiled (and cooled) water to 5 gallons to OG is at 1.068, which is closer to the 1.065 that I calculated it should be at.

Question though: Did I kill all the yeast? The LHBS isn't open until tomorrow, should I head over and get another package of yeast? Should I create a starter for it (I didn't when originally pitching)?

 

[Calder]

Why would you have killed the yeast? I don't see any issues.

Yes, yeast don't like higher gravities, but 1.080 is not high enough to kill it.