Guinness Grain Composition

[morry]

I was having a look at ratebeer.com the other day and had a look a guinness.

I found this in the commercial description:

Commercial Description:
Available in cans, kegs and bottles with nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Pasteurised. Usually called Draught; sometimes called Cold or Extra Cold - same beer, but served colder.
Launched in 1961.
Ingredients: Pale ale malt, about 25 to 30% flaked barley, and about 10% roasted barley, with no other grains or sugars; several hop varieties, mainly Goldings (pellets and isomerized extract); a flocculent head-forming ale yeast.

Heres the link for those that are interested. http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/guinness-draught/1267/

Anyway, I thought stouts had less flaked barley than that and more roasted barley. Is this source legit or is it someones made up info. I couldnt find this anywhere else on the web.

 

[barfridge]

From what I've read Guinness is a bit of a strange beast, with strange ingredients, up to and including a sour (lacto) mash of a little of the previous brew.

This is why its apparently so hard tp duplicate as a home brewer. But who wants to, with the lack of body made up for by nitrogen gassing.

 

[morry]

From what I've read Guinness is a bit of a strange beast, with strange ingredients, up to and including a sour (lacto) mash of a little of the previous brew.

This is why its apparently so hard tp duplicate as a home brewer. But who wants to, with the lack of body made up for by nitrogen gassing.

That would be me. Guinness is really the only stout Ive ever really liked. Ive always been a bit hesitant about brewing these, because Im afraid Ill make something I hate. But I reckon Guinness is good stuff.

 

[Hoops]

Morry

have you tried an oatmeal stout yet?
I brewed an oatmeal stout late last year and it was great. I used to really like Guinness but now it just seems boring, like most commercial beers

Hoops

 

[normell]

This is why its apparently so hard tp duplicate as a home brewer. But who wants to, with the lack of body made up for by nitrogen gassing.

Come on Barfridge, I don't mind knocking of commercial brew such as crown lager being crap, but knocking Guinness is going a bit far, or do you make something better. :huh: :blink: :huh:

 

[morry]

I dont think Ive tried oatmeal stout. My mate reckons the Emersons one is really good.
Perhaps I just need to try a few more. I remember last year when me and my mate tried about 150 beers, a few of those were stouts, but the only one I liked was Guinness. I couldnt stand the Coopers Extra Stout, even though thats supposed to be a great example.
Until I find something else, Ill be thinking about cloning guinness.

 

[barfridge]

Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, I was in a grumpy mood.

Guinness isnt too bad at all, it could just use a little more oomph

 

[normell]

I know the aussie version is nowhere near the irish but .....

 

[Jazman]

Emerson stout the kiwi one well in april i will taste it in nz

 

[Ross]

You haven't tasted Guinness till you've been to Ireland... Even a short trip over the water to England it tastes like cr-p in comparrison. I was told it was in the dispensing pumps which are not allowed out of Ireland - Not sure if that's a myth, but a Guinness poured in Ireland takes a good 10 mins to pour & is bloody magic... The thick creamy head stays all the way to the end of the glass...

 

[jgriffin]

I think they've been slowly diluting guinness over the years. I'm sure that going back 10 - 15 years it used to be like 7% alcohol and tasted twice as thick and creamy. Now it's all nitrogen to make up for it.

 

[Ross]

Haven't been there for about 15 years - so you may be right...

 

[morry]

I actually got to go to Ireland when I was 16. I wasnt brewing at that stage and didnt really have much of an appreciation of beer. So instead of Guinness, I drank Bud. I shudder at my missed opportunity now.

 

[Gough]

I spent 12 months there 95-96, living and working in Galway. Travelled all around the place and the Guinness was indeed fantastic. The ABV of Draught Guinness was around 4% and to my knowledge always had been. The 'export' stuff in the bottles was a different brew and it was around the 7% mark - we can get that here as well.

Shawn.

 

[Trough Lolly]

On the subject of the Guinness Grainbill, I've been tarting around a number of forums on the net. From what I've read in my travels, the general consensus is that the beer is made from a dead simple grainbill - pale base malt and roasted barley. Appropriate hops include Target, Fuggles, EKG (no Cascade!!). Yeast is key...

The hotly debated issue is how they achieve the "twang" in the beer - allegedly from the lactic infected wort that they recycle on site and add to the pre-boiled wort. Some argue that this is the key ingredient in Guinness, whilst some very highly reputable brewers in the US suggest that this sour mash method is a real wank story (Go to HBD.org and search on "sour mash, guinness" if you want to check out some BJCP master judges slagging each other off!).
In a previous post, I recommended adding some Flaked Barley to the grain bill - but now I'm not so sure I would do that - if you have a good base malt and some roasted barley, that will do the trick for a dry stout - this ain't something with oatmeal or choc chips folks - they're totally different stouts, IMHO.
I personally reckon you can have the fanciest grain bill in the world but the beer will not shine through the fermentation process unless you have a starter of quality yeast - sorry if that seems to be terribly obvious, but brewing an Irish Dry Stout without an Irish Ale yeast is kinda like making a delicate kolsch and heating it up for 30 secs in the microwave before drinking! It might look ok, but wait till you taste it!

Cheers,
TL

 

[morry]

Well the yeast is no worries, as I have Wyeast 1084.

 

[thehipone]

I was under the impression that the grain bill was pretty simple. Mostly pale malt plus enough roast barley for coloring. At least thats what Designing Great Beers leads me to believe.

 

[spog]

mmm,the emerson stout in nz sounds like a goer jazman, i will be there in april as well