New Brew - Irish Stout

[dan287]

View attachment ImageUploadedByTapatalk1434740091.649177.jpg
Here's my newest brew fermenting nicely. Loosely based on Greg Hughes dry stout recipe, but I didn't have enough EKG's, so made up using 40g EKG's, 20g Progress for the full 70 minute boil, and added 10g Challenger for the last 20 minutes.
Used Brewer's Friend to work out quantities to give an IBU of 37.4. OG 1.048.

What do people think, when the time comes, do I bottle or barrel?

 

[cornyandy]

For an ordinary strength stout I tend to barrel. If that's any help

 

[MyQul]

Not sure about the barrel or bottle question as I've never barrelled anything.

As I type this I'm slurpping on a dry stout myself. I don't really understand the logic of late hops in dry stout. Maybe it's just me but I can never taste them. The roastyness from the roasted grains far overpowers any late flavour hops you might add

 

[cornyandy]

My thing is I like low carbonation for real ales and higher carbonations for light and APA type ales and lagers, that's the way I like to roll. It might be right or wrong but it works for me.

 

[dan287]

I'm tending towards barrelling, but not sure how the head retention will be once the natural carbonation runs out, and I have to inject CO2 into the barrel. I haven't gone down the corny keg route or have any idea about using nitrogen.

 

[cornyandy]

I personally would not use nitrogen, it isn't anything special, I tried it long a go with a midget widget and found it expensive and not a great deal different from CO2. Also Nitrogen can be an issue in hangovers/migraine problems.

I have 3 King Kegs and have just dispensed the one with no added CO2, using one then another then another and letting the ale recover between drawing a pint off. the head isn't great as the barrel has emptied but the ale still tastes fine.

Head retention isn't too bad once you add CO2 but is it better if you can be patient, let the beer recover and draw some more.

 

[clibit]

I like bottled stout. I like some carbonation, the way the Americans do it, but less so.