• Please visit and share your knowledge at our sister communities:
  • If you have not, please join our official Homebrewing Facebook Group!

    Homebrewing Facebook Group

Help/suggestions building first Stout

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

nwmalthead22

Active Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
30
Reaction score
2
Location
Oregon city
I'm working on my first stout for next week's brew day (open to a porter too). Right now I am working on the grain bill. Any input is greatly appreciated. It's a 5 gallon batch.

3# Pilsen DME (need to use it)
2# light DME
1.25# crystal 120°L
1# bohemian dark malt (similar to Munich malt)
1# Chocolate Malt
1# oats
3oz roasted barley 525°L

Any suggestions?
 
A lovely stout framework based on Guinness is thus, AG version:

70% UK pale malt
16% flaked barley
10% roasted barley
4% medium dark crystal

You can use oats for the flaked barley or mix the two. You can reduce the roasted barley and compensate to hit 10% roasted malts with some chocolate. You can vary the crystal Lovibond (60-150).

OG = 1.045. IBU in the mid to upper 30s with any UK hop, just a 60 minute addition is fine.
 
Looks like an extract batch w/ specialty grains, so I would omit the oats, they can't steeped. Also, that's a low amount for the roasted barley. I used 8oz in a recent batch and it's not overly roasty at all (as opposed to my usual stouts which are 1lb or more). Also, maybe a little high on the crystal, but think you'd still probably be ok.
 
is this a partial mash? or is it extract with steeped specialty grains?If partial mash i would just use 2 row or maris otter instead of the pilsen dme and keep the light dme.
hop suggestion, Glacier.
 
I was planning on doing a mini mash on the side and adding it into the wort before the hop boil. I'm on a budget right now so I'd prefer to use up my pils malt and buy the specialty malts/ingredients.
And thanks for the suggestions I'll up the roasted barley to 8oz (I'm going for more of a chocolate stout). I'm thinking of dropping the crystal to 1lb and adding 1lb lactose plus some cocoa nibs.


3# Pilsen DME (need to use it)
2# light DME*
1# crystal 120°L
1# bohemian dark malt (similar to Munich malt)
1# Chocolate Malt
1# lactose
8oz roasted barley 525°L
Cocoa nibs
 
cocoa nibs tend to lend more of a nutty flavor with only some small hints of chocolate. its enjoyable but just a heads up.
i don't remember where i copied this from so take it with a grain of salt

"chocolate Guidelines on Quantity by Form Based on a 5-Gallon Batch:

Use one of these as a standalone, or reduce amounts and use a combination of forms:

Stouts:
Raw cacao beans, cracked (6 oz)
Roasted cacao beans, cracked (6 oz)
Cacao nibs (3 oz)
Cocoa powder (2 TBSP)
Baker’s chocolate (2 oz.)
Sweetened processed chocolate (6 oz)
Chips (6 oz)
Liqueur (1/4 – 1 cup)
Extract (4 tsp – 4 TBSP)
 
Back
Top