First time Stout - Choc-Mulberry Imperial/Double Stout

[Mick Chopps]

Perusing extract/kit&Kilo recipes for an Imperial Stout using some Mulberries I've got access to. Keen on some feedback on the following recipe...

Brewed to 21L.

Malt bill:
3.4kg Light LME
2kg Dark DME
500gm Caramalt
200gm Chocolate Malt
100gm Carafa
100gm Roasted Barley
100gm Black Patent Malt

Hop Schedule:
25gm Magnum @60min
25gm Fuggles @20min
25gm Goldings @20min

Fermented with Mangrove Jacks M42 New World Strong Ale Yeast.

Cocoa nibs and washed and frozen mulberries in @ secondary.

Aiming for complexity in malt profile so also considering Dark Chrystal and/or flaked Oats for creamy mouth feel. Had considered Lactose but will probably end up too sweet with the high sugar of the mulberries going in at the secondary also.

Have used the extract spreadsheet and it looks about 9.5% and a good whack of bitterness (~58IBU) to balance the strong roasted malt profile and sweetness of the fruit.

Once it's bottled I'll probably keep a couple for sampling but in the main it'll be going under the house to condition until winter.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Milhouse]

My first thought is it seems very complex. I would consider dropping either the carafa or chocolate as well as either the roasted barley or black patent. This would allow each malts characteristics to come through which you could then tweak if need be, or add additional malts if it lacks complexity, which I wouldn't expect it would.

However its your beer so do what you want...

 

[Mick Chopps]

Yeah dropping the black malt back is something I was leaning towards.
Cheers

 

[Milhouse]

Yeah black patent and roasted barley are very similar. My understanding is black patent was made at a time when unmalted grains weren't permitted to be used in beers in the UK. Something to do with malting taxes. Someone else on this forum would undoubtedly know more.

 

[Mick Chopps]

Put this down on Saturday afternoon.

3.4kg Black Rock Light LME
2kg Generic Dry DME
500gm Caramalt
200gm Chocolate Malt
100gm Carafa 2
100gm Roasted Barley
50gm Black Malt
50gm Rolled Oats

Hop Schedule
25gm Magnum @ 60min
25gm Golding @ 20min
25gm Fuggles @ 20min

20gm Mangrove Jacks M42 New World Strong Ale Yeast pitched at ~22-24c. A touch warm but the best we could get it down to given the warm weather.

To be added at secondary
250gm Cacao Nibs and ~1kg washed frozen Mulberries

Boil was about 7L, brewing to 21L. Gravity was about 1097.

Not gonna lie, pretty excited about how this one might turn out, hope I haven't ****** it!

 

[chesl73]

Patent malt is called 'patent' because the process of making black malt was invented by someone and he patented the process (and therefore the malt) and so it became known as black malt but also patent malt. That's when brewers in the UK started to move away from brown beers (porters) and into darker beers with black malt. Stout was originally the term for a stronger version of the same beer but then it became a style in its own right.

My only comment on the above recipe is that the title is 'first time stout' and I look at the recipe and if you haven't brewed a stout before I have to wonder why you are throwing everything but the kitchen sink into it! I hope it works out though, good luck.

 

[Mick Chopps]

Thanks for the input.
Everything I've read about imperial stouts, which is what I was tending towards here, is complexity. Consistent across recommendations was the use of 6-7 different malts be they light or dark.
Now I don't believe in doing things by half (or adhering to my own limitations lol) so if the professionals say complexity then that's what I'm happy to shoot for it.

We'll see how it turns out, strong chance I've bitten off more than I can chew but I'll keep the fingers crossed that it's not a sink pour. Intend on cellaring until at least late Autumn next year to give it ample time to age and come together. Of course the odd taster along the way to check on progress!

 

[Mick Chopps]

Bottled out yesterday.
Didn't hit the FG we wanted, assuming yeast issues due to the heat during fermentation and some non fermentable sugars. Tasted and smelled great at bottling though, see how it goes after conditioning for a few months, have set aside a few bottles for sampling along the way.

 

[Mick Chopps]

First taste the other day. Pretty good, happy with the result for a first try. Very roasty up front but as it warmed slightly the berries and chocolate came through more. Bit over carbonated but a nice full and smooth mouthfeel owing to the oats in the grain bill. Will try again in a month or so.

 

[BEER IN SYDNEY]

She even looks tasty, full bodied and cold!
I am on my 5th brew after a ten year break. All good so far.