Fig Stout ... thoughts as to the fig addition .

[mac_1103]

This is what I have done / plan to do. Was originally intended to be an "almost imperial" but turned into a bit of a hot mess for a bunch of reasons not worth dwelling on too much (what I needed to get rid of; new mashing and boiling set up; etc). This was inspired by a local brewer who does a lot of amazing big barrel-aged stouts with all sorts of different flavorings. So anyway, FWIW -

7 lb 2-row
3 lb maris otter
1 lb crystal 40
8 oz black patent
8 oz chocolate malt
8 oz dextrine malt
8 oz roasted barley
4 oz flaked wheat

1 oz Columbus @ 60 minutes
1 oz Cascade @ 25 minutes
1 oz Willamette @ 5 minutes

1 lb pureed figs at flameout

S-04

On day 5 4, add "figgy pudding" puree (5 lb figs, 8 oz orange marmalade, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla)

After three weeks, rack onto rum-soaked French oak chips for a couple of months

Keg condition for about three weeks

OG - 1.073 (was shooting for ~1.08)
FG - who knows after the figs?
IBU - ~70

 

[mac_1103]

So two weeks ago I was concerned that the figs wouldn't ripen in time to get this brewed before going to the beach for a week this coming Friday. Now I've got more than 20 lbs in the freezer on top of what I needed for the stout and what we've eaten fresh and given away. RDWEAF.*



*Relax Don't Worry Eat a Fig.

 

[chewyheel]

I pasteurized the figs ( 5 pounds ) 10 mins at 160 . I mashed them a bit and they are cooling down in a metal bowl in ice bath . I will add them to the carboy once cool. Today is day 5 ... the Nottingham yeast has done it's job nicely so far ,so I don't see the reason not to add the figs at this point .
Thought I posted this earlier ... guess not ... anyway figs are in and now we wait.

Give us an update on how it taste when you have a chance, that sounds really good.

 

[mac_1103]

Figs went into the FV this morning. Looks like the yeast started chewing on them almost immediately.

 

[suprchunk]

Send one up to me so I know I'm making the right decision growing these trees.

 

[bellhp]

Wasn't going to secondary this but I need to go offshore in the morning and I'm not comfortable with the floating fruit in the carboy for at least another week . I'm going to rack it into a 5 gallon carboy today , I'm sure the flavors the figs would impart to the brew are there and this is the best course of action .

 

[chewyheel]

Wanted to post an update about my fig use, so here's the recipe I ended up going with. Ended up going with a more British style ale since that's what I had on hand for ingredients.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Fat Fig Ale
Author: Daniel T

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Fruit and Spice Beer
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 3 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 3.91 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.030
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV (standard): 5.75%
IBU (tinseth): 26.73
SRM (morey): 17.42
Mash pH: 5.46

FERMENTABLES:
2 lb - Carolina Gold (33.4%)
2 lb - Munich - Light 10L (33.4%)
6 oz - Opal 44 (6.3%)
3 oz - American - American - Chocolate (3.1%)
1.42 lb - Figs (dried) - (added to fermentor at yeast pitch, see notes) (23.7%)

HOPS:
14 g - East Kent Goldings, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.6, Use: Boil for 45 min, IBU: 19.16
14 g - East Kent Goldings, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.6, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 7.57

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
0.25 tsp - Yeast Nutrient, Time: 5 min, Type: Other, Use: Boil
0.5 each - Whirlfloc, Time: 5 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
3 g - Calcium Chloride (dihydrate), Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
3 g - Gypsum, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
3 g - Baking Soda, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
10 g - Ginger root, Time: 10 min, Type: Spice, Use: Whirlpool
0.3 each - Campden Tablet, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash

YEAST:
Lallemand - LALBREW® NOTTINGHAM HIGH PERFORMANCE ALE YEAST
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 80%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 50 - 72 F
Fermentation Temp: 64 F
Pitch Rate: 0.75 (M cells / ml / deg P)

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Edinburgh (Scottish Ale, Malty Ale)
Ca2: 100
Mg2: 18
Na: 20
Cl: 45
SO4: 105
HCO3: 235

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Strike, Start Temp: 160 F, Target Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 9.1 qt
2) Sparge, Start Temp: 168 F, Target Temp: 168 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 7.4 qt
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.75 qt/lb
Starting Grain Temp: 74 °F

NOTES:
Reserved 1 quart of wort and mixed with 1.42 pounds of dried figs and let simmer then pureed and heated a little bit more. Will save fig puree and put in fermenter at yeast pitch.
10 grams of ginger at flameout and let steep for 10 minutes

 

[bellhp]

Good luck chewyheel your recipe sounds good , just transferred mine to secondary carboy and SG was 1.012... sample had nice flavor , can't wait to taste it after conditioning , this will be an easy drinker .

 

[mac_1103]

Just back from the beach and racked mine onto some rum-soaked oak chips. All I'm tasting is bitterness. Hope it mellows with a couple of months of aging, but I'm thinking the worst thing that happens is that I wind up with a dry export stout.

 

[bellhp]

Bottled mine Tuesday ... I'll update with tasting after a week or two ... samples i've tasted were promising and smell was very nice .

 

[mac_1103]

Did the seeds drop out or float? I'm thinking I might not want to put mine into a keg after all.

 

[bellhp]

I had a few floaters , but I believe most were filtered out during bottling ... i stopped transferring a little sooner than I would have otherwise ... got 48 12 oz. bottles out of a six gallon batch ... about right I think as I left a bit in the original transfer to secondary .
going to pop one next Tuesday ... can't wait.

 

[bellhp]

Yesterday was two weeks in the bottle ... first impressions are that it has little to no head ... I don't know if it's just slow carbonation due to the secondary or if I screwed up somehow , or something to do with the fruit . Other than that the flavor is spot on (delicious)... it's got the fig flavor but no sweetness , I made the stout to be an easy drinker , I wanted the fig to be subtle and the beer refreshing not dry ... I believe I achieved that with the recipe and will definately do this one again next year ( burned through all my figs already). The last beer I did that took a long time to carb up was a Wee Heavy , at two weeks it was totally flat and I was panicking (Don't do that) at one month it had nice carbonation and head , that was the last beer that I secondaried prior to this one... I'm going back offshore tomorrow and I suspect when I get back in this will have carbed up more and I will see more head retention

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

*Bump*

How'd all the Fig Stouts end up after aging? After Sir Issac (BCBS variation from 2022), it's been in the back of my mind. With no tree, figs are absurdly expensive so using this extract.

 

[mac_1103]

How'd all the Fig Stouts end up after aging

Most of mine is *still* aging, but the samples to date have been a bit disappointing in terms of fig and spice flavors coming through. Just tastes like a nice dry stout so far.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Most of mine is *still* aging, but the samples to date have been a bit disappointing in terms of fig and spice flavors coming through. Just tastes like a nice dry stout so far.

Thanks for replying. I haven't had much success adding flavor pre- fermentation. The flavor was either weak or "odd". This is why I switched to extracts. Or I'll soak whatever I want in bourbon or vodka if I don't want the bourbon taste, to kill anything not wanting. Lots of success with that technique.

Plan on a 10.8% Milk Imperial Stout splitting in half. Half fig extract and half toasted coconut/coco nibs soaked in probably vodka.

 

[leedspointbrew]

Thanks for replying. I haven't had much success adding flavor pre- fermentation. The flavor was either weak or "odd". This is why I switched to extracts. Or I'll soak whatever I want in bourbon or vodka if I don't want the bourbon taste, to kill anything not wanting. Lots of success with that technique.

Plan on a 10.8% Milk Imperial Stout splitting in half. Half fig extract and half toasted coconut/coco nibs soaked in probably vodka.

How much of that fig extract do you plan to use? I'm going to be brewing a porter that I'd like to flavor with fig.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

How much of that fig extract do you plan to use? I'm going to be brewing a porter that I'd like to flavor with fig.

IDK. Probably start with 2oz for a 2.5gal batch and then to taste. I post once kegged... maybe a month or so.

 

[bellhp]

I was just thinking as I opened this particular beer that it is aging quite well...If you look back a few posts you will see me panicking due to the lack of head . That is no longer an issue. The flavor is just what I was looking for ...hard to describe but eat a fig and imagine it without the sweetness and there you go.
Subtle but very complimentary to the stout ...I added no spices to mine as that is not something I like in beer.
I will do this one again next year.
Good luck with the extract .