18/09/08 - Four Shades of Stout

[subsub]

Nice one Garth, nice pics too. I think I need one of them zappers the amount of fruit flies that are still about. I made a quirky stout today as part of a double brewday. I'll post tomorrow because it's bedtime

[Garth]

thanks for the comments lads,

a few last photos

chilling the wort using the pump, took half the time


Thrumometer, it gave 23-26C throughout without fiddling with the tap, excellent, without the pump I was constantly having to open and close the water tap.


Trub and hops congregating around the hopstopper


3 x Nottingham to ensure a good start and to finish at the correct FG


.....and this morning, a good, cleanish looking krausen


The smell coming off this is lovely but different, probably down to the Cascade, a hop I wouldn't have thought to put in a stout, but this looks promising.

Got 52 litres at 1048, Promash tells me this is a record at nearly 80% efficiency, I'm putting this down to a finer crush on the grain this time. The grain bed in the tun was very deep as well, don't know if that had any bearing on it?

[Buzz]

Nice work Garth. My Choc and Treacle stout came out well and is conditioning as we speak. Be interested to see how this one compares when you get around to tasting.

[maxashton]

Is that scale on your elements, or is it just some kind of protective layer?

[Garth]

Max, it's just dried on trub/hop crap, a quick wipe and it comes off, all nice and shiny stainless steel underneath

I thought most peoples elements would look like this after the boil..?

[Buzz]

I thought most peoples elements would look like this after the boil..?

Mine do

[Horden Hillbilly]

Max, it's just dried on trub/hop crap, a quick wipe and it comes off, all nice and shiny stainless steel underneath

I thought most peoples elements would look like this after the boil..?

Mine used to, but after I started using brupaks crs there is only a very slight deposit on my elements.

[maxashton]

I couldn't tell what it was from the pics, it looked like thick limescale. Sometimes i get a thin white powdery deposit, but i never get anything more than that.

[Garth]

bloody dosen't want to be limescale, it's only the boilers second outing

[mixbrewery]

Great pics of your new kit Garth.
I would have been to involved to have taken pics.

Brew looks good as well

[Garth]

just a quick update on this one,

well, this stout is brilliant, what a beer, a must for any quaffing stout fans, I know I could drink this all night, coz, err I have

the Carafa Special III really makes a difference to the overall smoothness,

although the only hop was the copper one and it was Cascade, I can still tell it's Cascade, I thought all trace of it's unmistakable aroma/flavour would have been boiled away and lost but it's still there, amazing

I believe I have to thank drsmurto, one of our Australian members, for this recipe, cheers mate

[stevezx7r]

I aggree, Garth, the half I tried while at yours was fantastic. I've been getting into "darker" beers when out (mainly 'cos everything else on tap is shat) such as Guinness etc but the FSoS was the best I've tried. In fact, it was so nice I'm making it tomorrow

Just popping over to the H+G for a few extra supplies ( flaked Barley, Amber, Carafa and a pack of Cascade, oh and some Nottingham). So, I'll give my gear a clean tonight and will set about making this beauty tomorrow AM.

Cheers for the recipe

[Garth]

Steve, Did you manage to get any Nottingham, they still didn't have any in on Saturday

I was busy bottling last night, 45 of the FSoS (which it will be known as now cheers Steve) and 50 of the Nelson Sauvin Ale, I bottled a couple in Dandelion and Burdock bottles for beer swaps and for also testing to see when the secondary has built a bit pressure up.

I actually enjoyed it, the Beer Gun helps, well apart from dropping one of the PET bottles, it even managed to get on the ceiling.

I'm just about out of gas as well, the cylinder has lasted me nearly 2 years, amazing. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and fork out another £9 ......

anyway, from now on the plan is, I'll be brewing, then fermenting for a week, filling three cornies, leaving for a week or two, then bottling two of them leaving the other for general supping and freeing up the other two for the next brew. I'll get a good stock of bottles this way.

[stevezx7r]

A nice sight, all those bottles

About the Nottingham, I spoke to John and he said the Brupaks Ale yeast was in fact Nottingham. I've taken his word for it and bought 2 packs (6g each) and it's kicked off nicely - It's already dropped a good ten points since yesturday and that was via dry pitching. The smell is there and the taste is comming along nicely too, so, maybe the yeast isn't far off.

I seriously can't wait for this to be ready, I'm just pleased I have my Throttle to sup tomorrow night

[drsmurto]

Somehow missed this thread.....

Makes a good stout that recipe, its not mine so i wont take any credit for it. I am just finishing off a keg of it!

Entered it into ANAWBS - Australian National Amateur Wine and Beer Show and got a 1st in the Classic Dry Stout.

I used Green Bullet (similar to Styrian Goldings) and 1187 ringwood yeast.

Will be a regular on tap in the colder weather.