Stout

STOUT

 We've talked about Stouts in these pages before, with our Coffee Stout entry a few months ago. The beer that we are brewing today is the classic Stout recipe we have been making for over a decade. Stronger and heftier than a classic Stout (think Guinness), this recipe leans towards the Extra Stout version of the beer. Loaded with dark malt and flaked barley, our Stout dark and roasty, perfect for Winter's cooler temperatures. 

Ok, now onto the beer itself. This one is jet black, as all stouts should be, with heavy notes of coffee and roasted barley. That coffee flavor also injects itself into the aromatics, pairing with resin and earthy pine from the hops, along with subtle floral notes for the classic rounded Stout aroma.  

The original Stouts that we know and love today were created by the Guinness company in the early 18th century. Originally a porter brewery in Dublin, Ireland, Arthur Guinness started playing around with his recipe and eventually stumbled upon a concoction that he dubbed "a stouter kind of porter." It was heavier, darker, and more robust than the traditional porters of the day. Guinness was on the forefront of using new dark malts, with Black Patent being among his most famous innovations. 

After World War II, the Guinness company began adding Roasted Barley to their mixture, and shortly after that, Flaked Barley was incorporated into his malt bill. Guinness is still the standard for Stouts across the globe. The iconic coloration and flavors are amplified by the use of nitrogen to dispense the beer. This quirk is why Guinness has a special tap style, which created the cascading effect of the nitrogen gas leaving the beer. The nitrogen leaving the beer and evaporating into the atmosphere has the added effect of creating a silky smooth beer that slides gracefully across the palette. 

We are also going to be dispensing our Stout through a nitro tap (because we have one). Stouts are not the only beers to grace a nitro tap. Using this method can change the perception of any beer. Right now, we are featuring a Red Ale on nitro, and in the past we have poured our Belgian IPA, ESB, and Brown Ale with great effect on that tap. The nitrogen's more delicate carbonation makes for a smoother beer with heavier mouthfeel without bulking up on flaked adjunct grains. 

OUR RECIPE

10 LB 2-Row Pale Ale Malt
2 LB Black Patent Malt
1/4 LB Roasted Barley
1/4 LB 60L Caramel Malt
1/4 LB CaraFoam
2 LB Flaked Barley 

3 oz East Kent Goldings Hops

S-04 Dry English Ale Yeast

Malts We Use

2-Row Pale Ale Malt: A traditional American base malt, this won’t impart too much color or flavor. It is a clean, crisp malt that works well with specialty grains and most beer styles. American varieties are generally less starchy and lighter in color than their English counterparts and less flavorful as Munich or Pilsen base malts.

Black Patent Malt: Black malt will add dark black colors as well as roasted and bitter flavors to beer. It will impart some charcoal and black coffee aromas to stouts and porters. Black malt should be used with caution as the angular flavors can overpower a beer with astringent characteristics that may not be welcome.

CaraFoam: Also known as Dextrine Malt or CaraPils, this addition is to increase head retention in your beer. CaraFoam can be used in any beer style as it gives little to no color, flavor, or aroma to a brew.

Roasted Barley: A classic dark malt, roasted barley adds rich dark hues with highlights of magenta and red to stouts and porters. It is heavy on the roast flavor and gives a fresh coffee aromatic characteristic in beer. Roasted barley is among the only widely used specialty grains that are unmalted.

60L Caramel Malt: Caramel malts are the most commonly used specialty malts. Rated on a Lovibond Scale for color (L) the 60L is right in the middle of the pack. The higher the Lovibond number is on these malts, the darker they are. The lightest will add very little color and some faint sugary sweetness, while the darkest will give dark caramel, prune, and raisin flavors while adding dark red color to the beer. 60L is right in the middle, providing a warm malty sweetness and enough red coloration to accent a pint.

Hops We Use

East Kent Golding: The quintessential English hop variety, East Kent Golding was developed in the 18^th century as a generic hop for all English and Irish ales. The low Alpha Acid brings just enough bitterness to the beer while retaining an earthy, sweet, rustic flavor profile and floral aromatic characteristic. Homebrewers love this hop for its versatility and heartiness. 

Yeast Used

SafALE S-04: An English ale strain of dry yeast, S-04 gives the beer plenty of room to work. This yeast won’t overpower the beer with bready content, rather it lets the malts and hops come to the forefront. Naturally aggressive, this yeast will ferment vigorously for 48-72 hours, quickly petering out over the next few days. The tight sediment base creates a clean beer with traditional English ale characteristics. A blow off tube and bucket or extra head space is recommended during primary fermentation as the powerful action can exceed the capacity of a traditional carboy.