Winter Stout Recipe

[boingk]

Hi all. I've got some ingredients to make a stout and although I know what I want I'm not quite sure how to get there. Essentially I want something dark, warming and complex, yet balanced as well with a good hop profile.

I've got:

1.5kg dark liquid malt extract,
500g Crystal grain,
500g Chocolate grain,
150g Black grain.

I'd combine proportions of each with a stout kit and I'm looking to use Goldings hops. The main problem I'm facing is trying to make something thats relatively balanced. eg: Hop levels, how much for how many minutes? One addition or two? I'm looking to dry-hop also. How much chocolate grain should I add before it overpowers things? Heres a recipe I was considering so you can get a look at what I was thinking:

1.7kg stout kit [brand undecided],
1.5kg dark liquid malt extract,
500g Crystal grain,
300g Chocolate grain,
150g Black grain [perhaps only 100g],
20g Goldings @ 20min,
10g Goldings dry in secondary.

Probably use S-04 yeast or culture some Coopers. If a suggestion is nothing more than "throw it all together, you'll be right!" thats fine by me [thats another line of what I'd like to do, my reason is holding me back], but I'd love some feedback if you have something to say.

Cheers - boingk

 

[boingk]

*Bump*

 

[voota]

The recipe you suggest sounds pretty good, I'd use all the roast barley though, and only 200gm of the chocolate. I'd also knock back the volume to like 18 litres (or even less depending how 'warming' you want it).

Oh, and I dont reckon you'll really taste 10gms of dry hopped goldings in the stout. Omit it, add more, or add it into the boil or something.

Anyway, you've got a decent recipe there that should work fine, I'm only suggesting what I'd do...

Make sure you let us know how it goes.

Cheers

 

[boingk]

I'll probably knock it back after downloading Beer Smith and tooling around with the recipe on there, but cheers for the advice anyways. On the hopping in secondary I'll up it rather than omit it, I'd love to have a good hop bouqet when you pour it into a glass.

I'm definitely using all the Crystal, and will probably knock the Chocolate back after cracking open the 'Tarnished Pilsner' in my sig this afternoon for a cheeky one - its got roasty/chocolately/coffee flavours up the wazoo! Having said that they mellow as you drink it, but are still quite noticeable and work well with the Saaz hopping. It only has 150g Choc grain in it

Cheers for the advice!

- boingk