Input on Stout Recipe

[JonnyJumpUp]

My wife has been into stouts lately so I told her I'd brew one...

She tends to like sweet, oatmeal or chocolate stouts the most although she seems to like them all for what its worth. She particularly likes Left Hand Milk Stout. Anyway heres my go at a stout recipe I thought she might like:

This is a 5 gallon AG recipe:

Wyeast Irish Ale 1084
6 lbs 2 Row Pale Malt (us)
1 lbs flaked barley
1 lbs flaked oats
0.75 lbs roasted barley
0.5 lbs chocolate malt
1oz fuggles at 60 mins

I'm going for sweet/chocalatey with that silky mouth feel.

 

[Nateo]

Lactose will help the mouthfeel, giving it that creamy milk stout quality. I would consider adding some. I don't care for that style, so I can't say how much to add.

 

[JonnyJumpUp]

Yeah, I don't know I'm not a fan of overly sweet stouts either, I figured if I mashed at 156-157F or so that should sweeten it up plenty and the flaked oats and barley would take care of the mouth feel. I'm pretty new ot AG though...

 

[scottland]

Add about 1 lb to get close to LHMS. also consider adding a little more chocolate, maybe another .25lbs

 

[RighteousFire]

Id say go for it.

But, if you want my idea:

7# 2 row
1# oats
1# crystal60
.25# roasted barley
.75# chocolate.

Too much roasted barley can lean away from a sweeter stout. Lactose is cheating IMHO.

As for temps,

You actually want to mash around 148-150. Too high will make your FG like 1.020 or higher, which with your recipe will make it very weak and probably too sweet.

 

[Bob]

If you're going to use flaked grains, you don't need the lactose as well; lactose is the ingredient that makes a pale/roasted grist into Milk Stout.

I really like this grist. I think you're onto a good beer here. It might not be terribly 'sweet', though, unless you add a bit of 80L-90L crystal malt. Don't go above 90L, or the sweetness will be different; don't go below, or you'll have to add too much to get the sweetness you want. I'd drop the oats and add a half-pound of 80L Crystal malt. Not only will the Crystal give you the sweetness you seek, it'll also contribute to body/mouthfeel.

I'd also up the Roasted Barley to a full pound. (I like full and half-pound measures in my grists. ) I disagree with RighteousFire; I want the sweetness to be an addition to what makes a stout a stout. Like adding sugar to a good cuppa. I still want my Ethiopian Yrgracheffe; if I want it sweeter, I'll add some demerara.

Do not mash high and think it'll make it "sweet". It won't. It'll make it dextrinous and filling and chewy, but probably not "sweet".

Cheers!

Bob

 

[Stout-n-Braggot]

Add in some medium or dark crystal (about a pound), that will sweeten it somewhat, and mash around 153 for an hour or so.

 

[Ravenshead]

That's not a stout--here's a stout:

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.82 gal
Estimated OG: 1.109 SG
Estimated Color: 51.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 80.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
17 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.40 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 7.27 %
12.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3.64 %
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3.64 %
10.1 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 3.05 %
1.50 oz Magnum [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 47.8 IBU
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (15 min) Hops 14.7 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (15 min) Hops 5.6 IBU
0.50 oz Magnum [14.00 %] (15 min) Hops 7.9 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (5 min) Hops 4.5 IBU

Two 2 liter starters of WLP001

Go big or go home. :rockin::rockin:

BTW not my recipe but I don't know where I stole it from. It's really, really tasty.

 

[RighteousFire]

Touché, Bob, but I was referring to the dextrinous 'sweet' as most people perceive it. I understand what you are saying though.

The recipe i posted is actually my own. It was creamy, malty, roasty, with hints of coffee and chocolate. Its seriously one of the best beers I make. On CO2 it had nice tiny bubbles and a rich head.

I'm in love with this beer and will be making it again soon.

 

[joel4482]

The recipe looks good I would mash lower like 152. Add a little crystal malt 60-75L if you want more sweetness

 

[JonnyJumpUp]

I took all your advice and mashed at 150F for an hour. I did up the roasted barley a little bit. My plan is to pitch a 2nd beer on top of this yeast with just one change, I will add some 80l crystal. I'm still learning what kind of difference all the malts etc. make so doing stuff like that helps.

 

[JonnyJumpUp]

Tried this today, two weeks in the bottle carbed up pretty good. Keeps a good head and taste smooth and a good flavor to it. Thick smooth nice feel but not too heavy. I am very happy with this beer as a "basic" stout. I think I would up the roasted barley up a bit more in the next batch.