Stout, primary, secondary and conditioning

[gedburg101]

Hi,

I brewed my first all grain stout yesterday. Was reasonably happy with the results (although came out a couple of points lower on my gravity).

I normally brew IPA and pales which are obviously best drank fresh. I understand this is not the case with stout.

How long in primary, secondary and if it needs conditioning, how long?

 

[Budgie]

My process with stouts is usually 2 weeks in primary then bottle. Leave 2 weeks warm then 2 weeks cold. After that your tastebuds are your best judge. Crack one open and see what you think, if you think it needs a bit longer leave it another week or so and try again. I usually find about 6 weeks after bottling they're spot on. That's just my opinion though and it's obviously subjective.

 

[Spapro]

Same as budgie, not found stouts much different from other ales in terms of conditioning - although I brew around the 5% ABV mark, they will need longer if stronger.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Just a wee tip for anyone brewing a stout, buy some Acidulated Malt and add a small amount (50g - 100g) for a 3.5kg batch. This will give your beer that all important twang taste you associate with Guinness and will turn it into something special.

Stouts are really foolproof as clarity is not an issue and hops are not important as long as you get your ballpark figures. Great first choice for an AG.

Just drink it fresh and keep a few bottles to mature. Get that production line going :)

Welcome to the dark side :)

 

[Kman]

I've just got ingredients to do a stout, would a dry hop of fuggles work?


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[Slid]

I've just got ingredients to do a stout, would a dry hop of fuggles work?


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You would need quite a lot to notice much difference, is the issue. US style hoppy Stouts tend to use a fair whack of "C" hops - for instance a Greg Hughes Recipe calls for 60g of Amarillo.

Yes, I know Amarillo begins with an "A" :lol:.

 

[DoctorMick]

My process with stouts is usually 2 weeks in primary then bottle. Leave 2 weeks warm then 2 weeks cold. After that your tastebuds are your best judge. Crack one open and see what you think, if you think it needs a bit longer leave it another week or so and try again. I usually find about 6 weeks after bottling they're spot on. That's just my opinion though and it's obviously subjective.

That's similar to my experience, about 6-8 weeks after bottling they seem to hit top condition. Unlike pales, they tend to stay in that condition for quite a lot longer.