Maris Otter as base malt for stout? And other advice

[RedlegEd]

So I brewed this beer 2 weeks ago and I just took a gravity sample today.

It tastes AMAZING.

But I'm really surprised at how high the final gravity is. 1.030! Now, I expected it to be over 1.020 because of the lactose and all the unfermentable sugars from the dark roasted grains (my recipe estimated a final gravity of around 1.023), but I didn't expect it would be as high as 1.030. So, instead of the predicted ABV of 6.76%, it's an actual ABV of more like 6.02%.

Do you think the 22 ounces of coldbrewed coffee increased the final gravity by a few points? Not by sugar (since there is no sugar in black coffee), but just by it being denser than water? Or was the yeast just less attenuating than predicted?

That's really good to hear. It's always great when a new recipe comes together. What was your final recipe, and what, if any, changes would you make next time? Ed

 

[worlddivides]

That's really good to hear. It's always great when a new recipe comes together. What was your final recipe, and what, if any, changes would you make next time? Ed

It was the recipe on the first page, but with 12 pounds of Maris Otter without the dry malt extract and 0.8 pounds of lactose instead of 1 pound. Even so, the final gravity was 1.078, so a bit higher than I planned (but with a final gravity of 1.030, meaning a lower ABV than I planned as well). I also used 22 ounces of coldbrewed Kona coffee instead of whatever I had on the original recipe. I do really like how malty it tastes, despite it being the highest final gravity I've ever had before.

I'll have to wait until it carbs up before I can comment on what I'd change (if anything). I'm aiming for 2.1 CO2 volumes and I'd like to age it for at least a few weeks before I can really comment on what I might not like about it (at the moment, there isn't anything, but it's also not in its final state).

 

[ChelisHubby]

If it taste good I wouldnt sweat anything. If I brewed it again I might check my thermometer and go 3 degrees colder in the mash.