Stella Artois Black AG clone recipe?

[gospurs]

Hey,

I'm brewing for an upcoming wedding, and there's been a very special request from the bride-to-be: she wants me to clone her favorite beer, Stella Artois Black.

I've never heard of this beer or had it. Stella claims that it gets part of its flavor from orange peel and coriander seeds, but despite extensive searching I've found no indication of what might go into it other than a heap of German malt (and maybe Saaz?). My initial plan - to do a regular pils lager with a handful of Black Patent ended up scuppered when I discovered that stella black is, well, not black. It's only marginally darker in hue than regular stella.

Any insight/ideas? If anyone has attempted to clone this oddball beer, I'd be really thrilled to hear from you.

 

[beergolf]

I have never had that beer but you might try a little Midnight wheat. It does not add a lot of roast flavor, but adds color and a little mouthfeel. I use it in a black Saison and it is good stuff.

I used 8 oz and it made the brew very dark. I would guess a couple of ounces would add some color.

 

[Silentbob]

I've never had the black, but I do have the regular Stella clone recipe. Dont know if it'll give you a start or not.

9lbs pilsner 2 row
half a pound belgian caramel pils
half a pound caramel vienne

2oz saaz 60
1oz saaz 15
1oz saaz 5

white labs
Chech budejovice lager

 

[gospurs]

Thanks for the replies. Hmmm... that recipe seems like a good starting point.

A couple questions:

Are there any good dry yeast alternatives to wlp802? I'm a little lazy and have a bad habit of just pitching WL vials...

I'm also on the fence about adding wheat to the grainbill. Are there any good barley malts that would add color, mouthfeel, and an ever so slight roastiness?

Last question: how do I sterilize add the coriander and orange peel? End of the boil? I don't normally like to secondary my beer.

 

[beergolf]

Another choice for color is Debittered black.

 

[Brandon McPherson]

Hey,

I'm brewing for an upcoming wedding, and there's been a very special request from the bride-to-be: she wants me to clone her favorite beer, Stella Artois Black.

I've never heard of this beer or had it. Stella claims that it gets part of its flavor from orange peel and coriander seeds, but despite extensive searching I've found no indication of what might go into it other than a heap of German malt (and maybe Saaz?). My initial plan - to do a regular pils lager with a handful of Black Patent ended up scuppered when I discovered that stella black is, well, not black. It's only marginally darker in hue than regular stella.

Any insight/ideas? If anyone has attempted to clone this oddball beer, I'd be really thrilled to hear from you.

I realize this was forever ago, but did you end up brewing a Stella Black clone? My wife loves it and she wants me to do one. Do you remember what your recipe was?