High Gravity Stout, Taking Suggestions

[landonrone]

About a month ago I did the first round of this big stout I'm setting out to perfect. The first batch is settling in secondary now. This weekend or the next I will go for round two. Due to some helpful criticism on the last one, I already have a couple recipe alterations in mind. I will post the new recipe below. I'm doing this so that before I go through with the brew, I wanna hear any constructive criticism or advice. Thank you in advance.

gredients:

6 gallons distilled water

15mL (1tbs) calcium hypochlorite

1 oz whirlfloc tablet

12lbs light liquid malt extract

1lb Briess dry malt extract, dark

.5lb Brown Sugar

2oz Columbus hops (60 min)

3oz chinook hops (30 min)

3 1056 (American Ale) wyeast packs

1.5lbs roasted barley

1lb special b

1lb crystal 30

.5lb chocolate

1lb dark chocolate

1lb pale chocolate

 

[landonrone]

Not really quite a month ago but whatever.

 

[JKaranka]

Looks very messy to me, there's a pound of every dark malt pretty much. I'm trying to stock very few malts at home so I'd go for something much simpler. There's no point in steeping Brown Malt, so I'd probably go for just a mix of Chocolate Malt and Black Patent if I was steeping.

 

[landonrone]

The LHBS is almost walking distance from my place so I dont have an issue with that. I'm going for something more complex. Am I wasting my time?

 

[JKaranka]

More is not always more when it comes to beer. Simple recipes can make more subtle and complex beers (Belgian beers are a prime example, often just Pilsner malt and sugar all the way from single to quadrupel). Pale, Brown and Black malt with just 1% peated malt would be pretty complex and unique, you don't need to chuck the whole kitchen cupboard into it. The addition of sugar is a good move, though.

 

[landonrone]

I will keep that in mind. I've tasted the previous version if this recipe and I really like it already- and I plan to age it at least 6 months. I wanna try this one with less roast and more chocolates- but I will have to try a really simple one like you're saying to sip alongside these when they're done. I have done simple stouts before and they fell short- that's what I'm wary of now, and wanting to use all these different grains.

 

[Calder]

6 lbs of speciality grains for 5 gallons is wayyyyyyyyy toooooooo much.

 

[landonrone]

What makes you say that? Just curious.

 

[landonrone]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427167094.743485.jpg
Here is a pic of the last batch, in secondary here and now. Very similar recipe.

 

[landonrone]

I really like this one (only had a small taste), except for a pretty sharp astringency which I'm confident will mellow out in the bottle by Christmas. I'm wondering why there is such a strong aversion to all the grains? It seems a common gripe so I'm curious.

 

[JKaranka]

Try making one with four pounds of Brown malt as a starting point and then add some specialty malt on top (maybe just Chocolate malt). Brown malt is very malty and gives you a lot of those dark toasty/roasty flavours without being as aggressive as black malt / roast barley. It's also very rich as you can add quite a lot before it starts to give any colour.

Something like 12-14lb Pale Malt, 4lb Brown Malt and 1lb Chocolate Malt would probably be rich like fruitcake and smooth. I've not got into stouts yet but I've been working my way through porters since last autumn.

 

[landonrone]

I think I might try to half my roasted barley with brown malts. I'd like a little smoother malty taste but I love the sharp espresso and a pitch black beer that I get with ample roasts- so I have to keep at least some. I like the brown malt idea though.

 

[JKaranka]

Yeah, I love roast and black. I find roast barley more astringent, and black patent more burnt, so I guess it is a bit of a balancing act. Chocolate malt is cool, though. Brown is deep malt with light coffee and a bit of toast.