Stout additions

[McGreen]

I am making a stout and I want a sour taste. I have gypsum, but was wondering if acid malt was better or if the do the same thing?

Also, I heard I should use malto-dextrin for a thicker head. Anybody have experience with that?

 

[edb23]

acidulated malt at about three percent of the grain bill should do the trick.

maltodextrin is a great thing for added body and head retention, crystal malts and such would also be good to add to a stout (very likely you have that stuff though)

what's the recipe?

 

[McGreen]

acidulated malt at about three percent of the grain bill should do the trick.

maltodextrin is a great thing for added body and head retention, crystal malts and such would also be good to add to a stout (very likely you have that stuff though)

what's the recipe?

Minimash:

6.6 lbs light extract
1 pound Flaked barley
1/2 pound roasted barley
1/2 pound black patent
3/4 oz northern brewer hops
Package Wyeast Irish Ale
1 oz Gypsum or Acid Malt
1-2nd Irish Moss

No crystal malt. Would you recommend it? I'll adjust the recipe to have malto-dextrin.

Is the gypsum not good enough? I already bought it.

 

[edb23]

i've used gypsum before, but never really gotten much sourness or tang out of it. i would add maybe 2 ounces of accidulated malt. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend cutting back on the black malt. that stuff is powerful. I would scale it back to 4 ounces and add 8 ounces chocolate and 8 ounces crystal 80L. maybe a pound of maltodextrin too.

also, none of the grains you have listed need to be mashed. this is really more of an extract with steeping grains recipe, and steeping it all at 170 for 30 minutes should do the trick

 

[edmanster]

dont need the irish moss... its a stout... everything left after the break will drop after fermentation...

 

[McGreen]

i've used gypsum before, but never really gotten much sourness or tang out of it. i would add maybe 2 ounces of accidulated malt. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend cutting back on the black malt. that stuff is powerful. I would scale it back to 4 ounces and add 8 ounces chocolate and 8 ounces crystal 80L. maybe a pound of maltodextrin too.

also, none of the grains you have listed need to be mashed. this is really more of an extract with steeping grains recipe, and steeping it all at 170 for 30 minutes should do the trick

Really? I was told you can mash Flaked barley. I do like a powerful stout, but perhaps your right. You think I can get away with doubling the everything except the blacks and making 10 gallons with the additions you suggested?

 

[McGreen]

dont need the irish moss... its a stout... everything left after the break will drop after fermentation...

Just doing what I was told on that one. I was told it would clear it up and refine the taste. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[edb23]

double the blacks too, and actually you don't have to mash flaked barley but i did totally miss the flaked barley i'd keep the steeping water about 155 to 160 for 30 minutes, not all the way at 170.

also, +1 on the irish moss. it won't do any harm to add it, but i use it about half my batches and it sometimes helps a little little with clarity but no real flavor difference

 

[cyclonite]

I would absolutely not double the black malt! Roasted barley can be doubled fine, but no way would I use a full pound a black patent in any recipe. I don't like the taste of charcoal much myself . I personally won't go more than 1/4 lb black patent, and really just don't use it much any more. +1 on a bit of chocolate though for complexity. Crystal depends on your taste - it will add a bit of sweetness in the final product, which may or may not be desired. Maltodextrin is great for body in a stout.

 

[ToddO]

+1 on no more than a 1/4 lb of the black. Trust me. Add some Crystal 120 instead. I'd probably do at least an oz of hops too.

 

[BillyBock]

Have a stout on tap that I used 1/2# of black malt and it over powered it. Drinkable, but not what I was going for.

 

[edmanster]

i did a session stout with 1/4# of patent and it made it a little astringent at first but its one of those things that does mellow with time.. 3 months after kegging and now its awesome...