Chocowheat Dry Session Stout

[mashdar]

Simple recipe, turned out really nice as a dry snack of a beer. Body and head turned out pretty good for the small grain bill. Fermented very hot for S-04, which gave a slight funky yeast flavor at 1 week, but mellowed nicely. Change yeast based on preferences, but consider keeping it a little warmer than normal to add a little flavor back to a lower alcohol beer.

(I'm trying different dark grains, and dry stouts seem like an easy way to compare. I think the chocolate wheat turned out nice for a low alcohol beer -- might not be bitter enough for a 5% dry stout. edit: There is a slight sooty character to the chocolate wheat. Swapping ~4oz for roasted barley would probably mask it.)

Method: All Grain
Style: Dry Stout

OG: 1.030
FG: 1.008
ABV: 3.0%
IBU: 38.0
SRM: 29.3
Batch Size: 5.6 gallons
CO2: ~1.9vol

Grain:

Amount​	Fermentable	PPG	°L	Bill %
4 lb	Crisp Malting - Finest Maris Otter	38	3	66.7%
1 lb	Weyermann - Chocolate Wheat	34.8	415	16.7%
1 lb	Flaked Barley	32	2.2	16.7%

Hops:

Amount​	Variety	Type	AA	Use	Time	IBU	Bill %
2 oz	Fuggles	Pellet	6	Boil	30 min	37.37	100%

Notes: AA on this batch was a little high. 2 oz at 30m left a hint of flavor that was nice.

Mash:

Amount	Description	Type	Target Temp	Time
4 gal	Amylase	Temperature	148 °F	90 min
3 gal	2nd Runnings	Sparge	75 °F	30 min

Notes: DP of MO lot was 62L. Starch test appeared negative at 60m. Raised temp a bit after 60m to encourage gel & finish sac. Was surprised by pH=5.5, but went fine. Water is carbon filtered tap (NY Hudson Valley), no salt measurements available.

Fermentation:

Fermentis - Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Amount: 1L SNS Fermentation Temp: (ambient) 80 °F Attenuation (custom): 72% Flocculation: High Optimum Temp: 54 - 77 °F Starter: 1L SNS

Notes: Airlock was bubbling at 8 hours & almost completely stopped at 32 hours. Left in fermentor for total of 6 days for schedule reasons.

Packaging: Kegged and force carb'd to 1.9vol. Flavor mellowed/improved over ~2 weeks.