Stout Recipe Check

[inkslinger82]

Trying to figure out a stout I can use as a house stout recipe...any suggestions or comments are appreciated! Thanks.
Chris

7.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 68.29 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 9.76 %
1.00 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 9.76 %
0.75 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 7.32 %
0.50 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 17.9 IBU
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.07 %
Bitterness: 17.9 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 39.4 SRM Color:

 

[HOOTER]

I'm a total noob (not to mention a hop head) so forgive me if I'm wrong but it seems like the IBU's are a bit low. Maybe some flavor/aroma hops added later in the boil would be beneficial?

 

[foonder]

I wouldn't consider myself a noob, but I am a total hop head, and I also love dark beers. I agree that there aren't enough hops, I always go about 4oz minimum (but I usually make beers in the 7% - 8% region). I'd say up the hops just a Tad, and maybe a bit of black patent malt. I'd say 3/4 of a lb or so should do. Make a stout that you'll go "This is a Stout" when you drink it. If this is a house stout recipe it doesn't need to be super crazy, but it doesn't need to be tame either.

 

[Blender]

I would cut the chocolate in at least half or remove it altogether. Up the roasted barley to a pound and the flaked barley to 1.5 pounds. I would probably bitter it in the 30-35 IBU range. Stouts don't need flavor or aroma hop additions.

 

[inkslinger82]

OK...updated version. Thanks for the input

7.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 65.12 %
1.50 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 13.95 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 9.30 %
1.00 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 9.30 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.33 %
1.00 oz Glacier [5.60 %] (60 min) Hops 19.6 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 17.5 IBU
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) Yeast-Ale


Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.33 %
Bitterness: 37.1 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 30.5 SRM

 

[BeerSmith]

Hi,
I don't know if you are shooting for an Irish Stout, but here are some tips for Irish Stout that I put together.

Personally I would drop the Cara-Pils and Chocolate, go with Goldings all the way, and possibly even up the Roast Barley if you want it really dry.

Here's my recipe for Irish (Guinness like) stout.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Blender]

I really don't think you need the Cara-pills. The flaked barley should work well for head retention if that is the idea. It should be a nice dry stout.

 

[pedalbiker]

Depends on the kind of stout. but if it is a Irish Stout. We all assume from the yeast. I would bump the Pils to about 85% Take the roasted barley to about 3% and put the rest of a medium crystal. That will give you a nice malty Irish red stout. Just my thought. Yeh I know this is more of a Irish red.

 

[Brett0424]

Personally I do not understand the homebrewer's obsession with dextrin malts. Drop the carapils. You should have plenty of dextrins in an all grain brew and if you are worried about body do a thicker mash, but you already have flaked barley.

 

[HOOTER]

Est Color: 30.5 SRM

Is this a bit light for a stout?

 

[inkslinger82]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!...I made a few more adjustments....so hopefully this will be the final recipe....

here goes:

7.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 73.68 %
1.25 lb Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM) Grain 13.16 %
1.00 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 10.53 %
0.25 lb Black (Patent) Malt (600.0 SRM) Grain 2.63 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.4 IBU
1.00 oz Glacier [5.60 %] (60 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) Yeast-Ale


Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.69 %
Bitterness: 39.0 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 48.1 SRM Color: Color

 

[ChrisKennedy]

I would cut the chocolate in at least half or remove it altogether.

Why? I have made several stouts with a similar proportion of roasted grains and been very pleased with them. It seems an odd suggestion when there is nothing out of range about the grain bill.

 

[HOOTER]

Why? I have made several stouts with a similar proportion of roasted grains and been very pleased with them. It seems an odd suggestion when there is nothing out of range about the grain bill.

I have yet to make a stout but I've seen a million stout recipes while researching for my stout that I will be brewing soon and very few were without chocolate malt altogether. It seems like a common and desirable addition to a stout grain bill, but again I'm a newbie and don't want to pretend that I know what I'm talking about.

 

[Blender]

Why? I have made several stouts with a similar proportion of roasted grains and been very pleased with them. It seems an odd suggestion when there is nothing out of range about the grain bill.

My thinking was that the roasted barley and flaked barley should be more pronounced than the chocolate in a stout recipe.

 

[niquejim]

Try my stout
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=58364

the cyrstal 135-165L gives it a really distinctive flavor that, so far, everyone who has tried it has enjoyed.

 

[TexLaw]

I like the original recipe quite a bit. You can drop the carapils, but you do not have to. It's a good way to ensure a certain about of sweetness and body in the final beer. If you want to drop it from future recipes, go right ahead. If you really want a drier stout, drop it now.

I do not think you need to increase the IBUs. The chocolate malt and roasted barley (again, in the original recipe) provide bitterness of their own. So, even though you only see 18 IBUs in the calculations, your beer will be effectively more bitter, and I expect it will be well balanced. At the same time, the flavors and aromas from those dark malts will come through so much more if you keep the hops down.

And, keep the black patent the hell away from your beer. That stuff is just evil. It was created as a cheap way to add color to beer. Folks could charge more for darker beer because customers thought darker beer was stronger. Don't take the same shortcut.

If I did anything to the original recipe, I would increase the flaked barley up to a full pound and maybe use a medium crystal, rather than carapils. I also like to use Marris Otter for stouts, rather than a pilsner malt, but that is a matter of personal taste.


TL

 

[CBBaron]

I think the problem is you need to decide what you want in your stout. There is a wide variation between different styles and even within a style. A dry stout has very little in common with a RIS or an Export stout and the ingredient lists will be quite different.

Personally I like them all.
I've made a couple RIS stouts with high hop bitterness, one with a strong chocolate component the other with more roast flavors from barley.
I've made a mellow oatmeal stout that was smooth somewhat sweet and had low bitterness.
I've made a moderate bitterness export stout with a large amount of roasted grains for a very dark roasted taste.
None of these are like a Guinness, a dry stout which I intend to try to brew soon.

So basically I think all of the recipes would make a good stout. I don't usually use Dextrin malts and instead use medium or dark crystal but otherwise I could see making any of the above.

My only question is why pilsner malt? Stouts are usually made with English or American 2-row malts instead of continental malts. I'm not sure what the base malt will have on the beer as I havn't used it but just wondered why?

Craig

 

[RadicalEd]

Generally agreed with CBBaron. It's almost impossible to make a "bad" stout. Dry stouts, sweet stouts, big stouts, Russian Imperial Stouts...They're all delicious . Most of the recipes posted so par would turn out delicious. I've done everything from a 3 grain partial mash to a 8 grain monster to a Bell's Expedition clone...And they're all good. Seriously the easiest super-category of beer to make .

I personally love my dextrin malts (they just make my beer so delicious ) but in a stout a crystal malt would add more complexity.

So go nuts, do what ever strikes your fancy, just don't forget to take notes and brew another variety later!

 

[niquejim]

Generally agreed with CBBaron. It's almost impossible to make a "bad" stout. Dry stouts, sweet stouts, big stouts, Russian Imperial Stouts...They're all delicious . Most of the recipes posted so par would turn out delicious. I've done everything from a 3 grain partial mash to a 8 grain monster to a Bell's Expedition clone...And they're all good. Seriously the easiest super-category of beer to make .

I personally love my dextrin malts (they just make my beer so delicious ) but in a stout a crystal malt would add more complexity.

So go nuts, do what ever strikes your fancy, just don't forget to take notes and brew another variety later!

Oh it's possible to make a bad stout, I've tasted a few

 

[RadicalEd]

Well, I've tasted one myself. It's a certain dominant commercial dry Irish stout that absolutely everyone is familiar with.

And admittedly, I made just about everything go wrong with my last stout, and circumstances had it ferment super dry. But then I added a bit of maltodextrine to it, and now I consider it one of my better brews .

Perhaps an interesting continuation of the thread would be "what not to do in a stout." Ranking highly on my list for that would be using an unbalanced amount of hops, excessive aroma/flavoring hops, too little dark malts (never such a thing as too many, imho ), etc.