User Upper Stout Recipe

[UKSkydiver]

I haven't brewed for a while and I find myself in a position I can brew this weekend, but I only have what I have in stock.

Looking to make some sort of stout - it doesn't really matter what sort, as long as it isn't the American / high bitterness ones.

The malts are pretty much what I have in stock and my 'recipe' is based on a Tropical stout to get in the OG and IBU ballpark, but I know I won't get a tropical as I haven't got all the crystals and the right hops. This could easily be an oatmeal or an Irish. I think they are all in the same area, I just want to know if I'm just throwing random ingredients together hoping for a stout and actually getting a bowl full of cack brown water.

Vitals​

15 litres
7.2%
Original Gravity: 1070
Final Gravity: 1015
IBU (Tinseth): 36
BU/GU: 0.51
Colour: 80 EBC

Malts (4.98 kg)​

1.5 kg (30.1%) — Crisp Vienna Malt — Grain — 7.8 EBC
1 kg (20.1%) — Munich Malt — Grain — 17.7 EBC
900 g (18.1%) — Crisp Europils Malt — Grain — 3.4 EBC
870 g (17.5%) — Simpsons Crystal Medium — Grain — 179 EBC (This is all I have in the crystal malt area)
320 g (6.4%) — Weyermann Melanoidin — Grain — 59 EBC (This is all I have in the crystal malt area)
190 g (3.8%) — Crisp Chocolate Malt — Grain — 1045 EBC
150 g (3%) — Oats, Flaked — Grain — 2 EBC
50 g (1%) — Crisp Roasted Barley — Grain — 1200 EBC

Hops (55 g)​

20 g (26 IBU) — Northern Brewer 9.5% — First Wort
15 g (5 IBU) — Celeia 4.2% — Boil — 20 min
20 g (4 IBU) — Fuggles 4.2% — Boil — 10 min

I do actually have a few other hops in stock.

For the yeast I have half an old packet of dry MJ boho lager and I'm probably going to make a starter with a spoonful of top cropped Lall Voss from September.

I'm feeling lucky.

 

[phildo79]

4.8% dark malts seems pretty low. Isn't it normally at least 8% of the grain bill?

Also, only 36 IBU for a 1.070 beer? If you over attenuate, that will be too low, I would have thought. Actually, that's way too low for an export stout at over 7%. Not that IBU calculators can be trusted. Try using the SMPH calculator for IBU. I've had good success over the last 4 or 5 brews. You'll be surprised how low that calculator predicts compared to tinseth.

 

[Nicks90]

In my experience, user upper brews tend to be so good they can rival the Gods!
But like Phil says, would be tempted to up the IBUs to about 50
Good luck

 

[UKSkydiver]

Thank you for your thoughts.

I checked my other stout recipes and you're right, they have been about 8% dark malts. I will up them bit using the chocolate (rather than the roast barley which I think is likely to be more bitter?)

I really don't like high bitterness brews from hops so I would be wary of going 50 IBUs. Is it possible that the bitterness from the dark malts can be used to balance instead of the hops?

Cheers

 

[phildo79]

I wouldn't worry at all about the extra bitterness from the roasted barley. After all, it's only an extra few percent and it's roasted barley, not black patent. I also wouldn't worry if it was black patent as you are going for a +7% export.

High bitterness should not be confused with perceived bitterness. If you like export stouts, then they are almost certainly north of 50 IBU's. The beer needs to be balanced against the strength. You gravity estimates suggest 7.2% (standard) so I would be shooting for at least 60 IBU's. Do some digging into the export stouts that you have tried and liked. See if you can find out the IBU range. But I would strongly suggest the SMPH calculator for working out your hop additions. It takes way more into consideration than the likes of Brewer's Friend etc.

https://jphosom.github.io/alchemyoverlord/

 

[UKSkydiver]

Maybe I should ask what you mean by export. Export strength or export meaning extra hoppy to cope with the long journey to the colonies via sea?

You may have missed it, but in my first post I mentioned that I don't like American / hoppy stouts. I have some Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black South Pacific Porter and to me it's nearly undrinkable it's so bitter.

In fact, I like choccy, caramel, vanilla, cheesecake, coffee, peanut brittle, marshmallow, millionaire shortbread type stouts. Don't judge me.

I took a look at that IBU calc. [EDIT: I changed the recipe slightly and Brewfather now reports 41 IBUs and the SMPH calc comes in at about 34 - so I can afford to up the hop additions a bit]

 

[phildo79]

Export as in foreign export stout. A stronger, more robust stout that was popular overseas in the colonies. There are some real stinkers out there but also some very good ones. The kernel do a 7.5% export stout which is great. And I have one planned for the near future. An old 1890 recipe from Barclay Perkins.