Stout Time...

[IainMcLean]

I've been brewing for some time now and have had great success with pale ales and Belgian Dubbels and am about to do my first stout which got me wondering...

Is there any black majik you guys do at bottle priming time that's a little out of left-field for this style?

 

[phinnsfotos]

Is there any black majik you guys do at bottle priming time that's a little out of left-field for this style?

I've heard of people using black jelly beans for priming. But never tried it myself.

 

[captian black beer]

If your letting it bottle at a higher than normal gravity (say 1020) use less priming sugar than what you normally would. Less risk of bottle bombs.

 

[Maple]

I've been brewing for some time now and have had great success with pale ales and Belgian Dubbels and am about to do my first stout which got me wondering...

Is there any black majik you guys do at bottle priming time that's a little out of left-field for this style?

use a bit of Rye in the grain bill. Let the majik happen, release your inner wizard!

 

[mje1980]

Anyone ever made a stout with out RB ?? I have black and choc, but no roast barley. Thinking of a stout with just the black and choc. Sacrelige??

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Anyone ever made a stout with out RB ?? I have black and choc, but no roast barley. Thinking of a stout with just the black and choc. Sacrelige??

Closer to a porter perhaps. Is your black bitter? (not a debittered carafa?) IMHO a stout differs from a porter by the presence of burnt malt flavour / bitterness - that little bit of acrid flavour roast barley chucks in the mix. I always thought Black Patent was roast barley branded differently.

I don't like licorice all that much so I don't like the jellybean idea. I have been given a case of Cascade Stout that tastes to me of licorice and is not really going down well. If it floats your boat, aniseed in stout can cover up some mistakes.

Otherwise come bottling stage, its kinda too late for any more "majik".

 

[goomboogo]

If your letting it bottle at a higher than normal gravity (say 1020) use less priming sugar than what you normally would. Less risk of bottle bombs.

I would recommend bottling once terminal gravity has been reached irrespective of the style of beer. I agree with FG that grist/hopping/yeast etc will have a far greater impact on the final beer than what you prime the bottles with. If you can tell us some of the commercial stouts you like then advice will be forthcoming as to possibilities.

In answer to your question about priming out of the ordinary; many alternative sugar sources are available, including black jelly beans if you are that way inclined. It has been reported that Theakston's Old Peculier is primed with molasses. The important thing is to identify the sugar content of whatever you choose to prime with.

 

[sid]

.

I don't like licorice all that much so I don't like the jellybean idea. I have been given a case of Cascade Stout that tastes to me of licorice and is not really going down well. If it floats your boat, aniseed in stout can cover up some mistakes.

I had that cascade stout the other day.................bit rich for me, I prefer a dry Irish stout.............so need to use RB for this style beer.
In fact the irish stout is being boiled right now....................so better go for the 2nd hop edition.

 

[IainMcLean]

I would recommend bottling once terminal gravity has been reached irrespective of the style of beer. I agree with FG that grist/hopping/yeast etc will have a far greater impact on the final beer than what you prime the bottles with. If you can tell us some of the commercial stouts you like then advice will be forthcoming as to possibilities.

In answer to your question about priming out of the ordinary; many alternative sugar sources are available, including black jelly beans if you are that way inclined. It has been reported that Theakston's Old Peculier is primed with molasses. The important thing is to identify the sugar content of whatever you choose to prime with.

I have been known to sink multiple pints of guinness while living in Los Angeles - the only 'pub' type bar i found was and Irish bar, great place but not too heavy on great beer. The owner once gave me a sample of a lager and asked if I could tell what it was... bland, fizzy... I thought either Fosters or Tennents. Turned out to be Tennents dishwater...

Also really like Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout - goes great with a steak from the Melbourne Wine Room.

A brewery in Pasadena used to make a Russian Imperial Stout that wa good... strong as all hell but good..

Anyone got any good recipes?

I notice the Choc Stout on the recipe db has cane sugar (golden syrup) listed twice - am i correct in assuming the two amounts are both added into the boil?