# Is Stout Actually Good For You? How?



## lukemarsh (27/3/10)

When I ordered my first ever stout at a bar a couple of months ago (Coopers Best Extra... changed my world!) the bar guy told me straight off "yep... a winter's drink, that... good for you too" and also a few other people have told me stout is 'good for you'.
Is this true? And why is this so? As far as I know, stout is the same as any beer, just very dark roasted ingredients...


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## Pete2501 (27/3/10)

I always think of it like liquid Vegemite. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite


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## Greg Lawrence (27/3/10)

Pete2501 said:


> I always think of it like liquid Vegemite.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite



You might want to try a new recipe


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## wabster (27/3/10)

Guinness was always advertised as "Good for you" and it, and stout generally, has always been an old wives type of "Tonic" for invalids and nursing mothers too, if I recall correctly.

Part of this was because the high levels of dark malt which reputedly contained lots of minerals and other beneficial trace elements.

It also packs a pretty solid nutritive punch which will show around your waistline if you drink it to excess 

Back in the days prior to sanitation as we know it, think England in the mid 1800's, stout was totally clean and safe to drink as well, when the same could not be said of the water.

So yes, it could be said stout IS good for you. Moderation is the key  Cheerz Wabster


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## Dazza_devil (27/3/10)

It puts lead in your pencil.
Too much water is bad for you.


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## RdeVjun (27/3/10)

The association between stout and "good for you" probably has its origins in Guinness marketing of the 1930's- John Gilroy's iconic posters with the theme "Guinness is good for you" are now well- embedded in beer culture (wikipedia, you can even buy them as reprints). 
The manufacturer though, Diageo, makes no health claims of the product as they were told to desist from this practice decades ago by advertising authorities. This is despite the University of Wisconsin's own research, reported on the BBC, finding some health benefits to be had from stout (which was in fact Guinness) compared with lager. Also note the BBC article mentions that the "good for you" concept may have derived from market research in the 1920s.

My 2c, hope this helps! :icon_cheers:


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## bum (27/3/10)

Wow. That was thorough.

Can you next address the claims that Carlton Draught is "Made From Beer"?

Or even that it is "beer"?


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/3/10)

MMMMm Coopers Best Extra Stout with fresh ground pepper sprinkled on top....Peppered steak in a glass..

Even doctors have perscribed stout as being good for old folk and pregnant mothers....


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## Polar Beer (27/3/10)

I have heard Guinness has a lot of iron in it? Maybe only compared to lagers, not sure. But this would tally with my experience - many years ago when I was 18 a mate and I spent the weekend up at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. It was my first year there legal. We did nothing but drink Guinness for 3 days, only stopping for the very very occasional sausage. (we also dominated the pool table at one stage too, another story)
Back Tuesday, I'd forgotten I had booked to give blood. Became concerned that after a such an unhealthy weekend, I wouldn't pass the iron test. Well, I nearly blew the thing up. I was something like 1/100th of a unit off having too much iron to be able to donate. 
True story. 
So there maybe something too it. Probably not though. If ti's got booze in it, it can't be good for you.


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## muzza (27/3/10)

I love drinking it! It makes me happy, therefore I consider it good for me!


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## praxis178 (27/3/10)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> MMMMm Coopers Best Extra Stout with fresh ground pepper sprinkled on top....Peppered steak in a glass..
> 
> Even doctors have perscribed stout as being good for old folk and pregnant mothers....



In Denmark (at least when I and my siblings were born), new mothers were given stout after delivering the kid and were told to have one everyday or so for the next month. Tough medicine to take that, if like my Mum you hate stout!


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## lukiep8 (28/3/10)

Stout has a high Iron content, and thus it is good for new mothers.


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## driveitlikeustoleit (28/3/10)

Stout is bloody good. I try and make sure i always have some form of it on tap.

Yes iron, yes pregnant chicks, YES INEBRIATION!!

:chug:


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## Nick JD (28/3/10)

I would think that anything with that much charred carbohydrate in it would be pretty bloody carcinogenic. 

What's the rate of arse cancer in Ireland? That stuff makes me shit black. 

If Stout is good for you I'm Jenny Craig.


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## big78sam (28/3/10)

There was some controversy about a coopers stout marketing comment recently

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/...91126-jser.html


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## Polar Beer (28/3/10)

Nick JD said:


> I would think that anything with that much charred carbohydrate in it would be pretty bloody carcinogenic.
> 
> What's the rate of arse cancer in Ireland? That stuff makes me shit black.
> 
> If Stout is good for you I'm Jenny Craig.



Good question.
What's the rate of mouth cancer in Queensland? That XXXX makes me spit XXXX.


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## Muggus (29/3/10)

Considering the amount of malted/unmalted grain used to make stout, in comparison to paler styles, you could come to the conclusion that the higher grain to liquid ratio would make it more nutritrious, and essentially "better" for you than normal beer.
I've always wondered about hops though...are they a good source of antioxidiants?


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## coe-crl (29/3/10)

Good for pregnant ladies...and good for making ladies pregnant?! h34r: 

Like anything else in life, good for you in moderation




...and better in inebriation  (sorry couldn't resist)


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## Rabbitz (29/3/10)

Polar Beer said:


> ... I'd forgotten I had booked to give blood. Became concerned that after a such an unhealthy weekend, I wouldn't pass the iron test. Well, I nearly blew the thing up. I was something like 1/100th of a unit off having too much iron to be able to donate.
> True story.
> ...



Sounds more like haematomacrosis to me

I'd get a medico check it out.


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## leiothrix (29/3/10)

Rabbitz said:


> Sounds more like haematomacrosis to me
> 
> I'd get a medico check it out.



Do you mean hemochromatosis by any chance?


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## Polar Beer (29/3/10)

Rabbitz said:


> Sounds more like haematomacrosis to me
> 
> I'd get a medico check it out.



LOL :lol: Thanks Doctor. I reckon I'll be fine. Was 13 years ago and have given blood a couple times a year ever since. Iron levels have never been that high since. More proof of Guinness magic.


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## tavas (2/4/10)

When i did a tour of the Guinness factory in Oreland a few years ago, the Tour Guide said Guinness contains lots of iron and all B group vitamins. Not sure of the accuracy of this tho.


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## Fantoman (2/4/10)

Apparently there are some studies that show that anti-oxidants found in Guinness slow down the deposit of cholesterol on artery walls, so I would imagine that it applies for other stouts as well - nothing related to the supposed iron content though... Guiness and Health Also interesting to note the use of Isinglass in Guinness for fining - would have thought being a big commercial beer, it would be filtered and thus not need fining...

I don't believe the myths about the iron content though, as it is just grain, hops, yeast and water... I doubt the roasting of the barley magically increases its iron content somehow, add to that, that only a small portion of the grist is the roasted malts, etc.

Makes you wonder though, if the anti-oxidants are derived from the malt, hops or yeast, and if other styles of beer have similar benefits...


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## manticle (2/4/10)

All beer is good for you unless it's shit beer or preservative laden.

We all know this. Brewing a stout tomorrow to stave off any winter flus


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## Dazza_devil (2/4/10)

manticle said:


> All beer is good for you unless it's shit beer or preservative laden.
> 
> We all know this. Brewing a stout tomorrow to stave off any winter flus




Any chance of you parting with the recipe Manticle?


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## jetfoley (2/4/10)

Nick JD said:


> I would think that anything with that much charred carbohydrate in it would be pretty bloody carcinogenic.
> 
> What's the rate of arse cancer in Ireland? That stuff makes me shit black.
> 
> If Stout is good for you I'm Jenny Craig.



Decent question, being that burned carbs = a carsenogen, http://www.blurtit.com/q378124.html, is stout more likely to give you cancer?

Or is my 7% ginger beer making my head fussY..


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## jetfoley (2/4/10)

leiothrix said:


> Do you mean hemochromatosis by any chance?



(in song) I AM IORN MAN da de do de dah da di do

too much iorn = WIN


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## manticle (2/4/10)

Boagsy said:


> Any chance of you parting with the recipe Manticle?



No worries.

Found part way down this thread:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...0&start=560


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## Dazza_devil (2/4/10)

manticle said:


> No worries.
> 
> Found part way down this thread:
> 
> http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...0&start=560




Thanks mate,
That's a shit load of Roast Barley, is that where the goodness lies?
Interesting to see which yeast you go for. I've noticed my Irish Ale yeast samples taken from my 3 litre starter have started to clear up nicely after around 3 weeks in the fridge. Something I guess you wouldn't notice in a big black stout is yeast in suspension, which leads me to wonder how much goodness comes from that?

Edit - I hate it when I make spelling misteaks


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## manticle (3/4/10)

The grist is basically the same as my cream stout found in the recipe db. The 500g of roast barley seems to work very well in the sweet version so I'm hoping it carries its own in the oat version. Following that I'll try a dry version.

I've made this stout with several different yeasts (Whitbread 1099 is a favourite) and earlier extract versions with s04 and us05. The yeast is probably less consequential with this kind of style but I'm still playing around.

I've got a starter going with the irish ale because that's what I had on hand (second gen) but I've also got another brew with london ale III going which is a good top cropper. If the starter seems wonky in any way, I'll scoop from one into the other (done that before with great results using 1007).

I think you still notice too much yeast in suspension no matter how dark the brew - hence I treat each brew the same and try and settle out as much as I can before bottling.


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## glennheinzel (4/4/10)

Fantoman said:


> I don't believe the myths about the iron content though, as it is just grain, hops, yeast and water... I doubt the roasting of the barley magically increases its iron content somehow, add to that, that only a small portion of the grist is the roasted malts, etc.



Perhaps the iron is from the local water in Dublin?


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