What is your all-time favourite stout?

[mshergold]

Bath Ales Dark side is very good and made me think twice about what stout was the first time I had the cask version. Samuel Smiths Oatmeal and chocolate stouts are very good and I like the Titanic chocolate vanilla stout. Wadworth did a blackcurrant or blackberry stout a few years ago which was nice. It may have been a exclusive to a Wetherspoons beer festival though. Oh, and my oatmeal stout is very good. Well, I say 'my' oatmeal stout - the recipe was probably pinched from here or is an amalgam of recipes.

[charliemartin]

Black Isle Hibernator Oatmeal Stout is a delicious 7% stout. I brewed a clone version which came in a bit stronger at about 8.8% abv, but it was almost as good as the original just a tad overcarbonated for my liking. Pale, Chocolate malt and Flaked Oats only for the grist. For hops I used Challenger and WGV.

Cheers,
Charliemartin

[barry44]

Whilst I am by no means an expert on stout, i recently had a pint of Loch lomond's silkie stout and it was by far the best stout I've tried so far.

[seymour]

Monkeybrew, I hope you don't mind...

UPDATED: MONKEYBREW DOUBLE VISION STOUT

…being Seymour's all-grain clone of Monkeybrew's popular two-can extract brew, corrected to reflect Wally's whiteboard information about Coopers' extract composition. Thanks!



6 US gallons = 5 Imperial gallons = 22.7 Litres

GRAINBILL
75.5% = 11.1 lbs = 5034 g, Pale Malt (best/freshest you can get, Joe White Aussie Traditional is authentic)
6.5% = .96 lb = 433 g, Wheat Malt
9% = 1.32 lb = 600 g, Black Malt
9% = 1.32 lb = 600 g, Cane Sugar (added to boil kettle, DON'T FORGET!)
TOTAL: 14.7 lbs = 6.67 kg

MASH @ 151°F/66°C for 60 min. Optional: stir in a pinch of Calcium carbonate

SPARGE to collect 7 US gal/5.8 Imp gal/26.5 L

BOIL 90-120 minutes, as vigorously as possible. I don't usually boil so long, but this maximizes kettle caramelization just like extract brews. Optional: add pinch of gypsum to make the hops sing.

HOPS
2.7 oz = 75 g, Pride of Ringwood, 90 minutes (single bittering addition)

CHILL, then AERATE in true Ditch fashion: using a gauntlet, Hitachi drill, and paint stirrer, then PITCH yeast.

YEAST
Coopers Brewery ale strain, available as WLP009 Australian Ale, or cultured from bottles of Coopers beer. The dry packet from Coopers kits is a different bugger, but still very good. Ferment at 65-72°F/18-22°C.

APPROXIMATE STATS
OG: 1071
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 50
COLOUR: opaque black with beige foam and lace
BJCP STYLE: 13D. Foreign Extra Stout

[Mr. Dripping]

Great thread, been a big help planning a recipe for later today. SHMBO has asked me to brew a stout and I haven't done one for ages, so why not
Re: Sam Smiths Chocolate Stout. I've had a fair few of those and it is quite an exceptional drink, although you couldn't drink it any quantity as it is far too sweet. Liquid chocolate with a malty burnt taste and just enough hops. It's made by blending with some kind of chocolate essence...my guess is with their oatmeal stout.
I've got a bottle of high quality chocolate essence and I might try a few blending experiments with the brew.

[Monkeybrew]

Monkeybrew, I hope you don't mind...

Honoured matey

Your OG is where mine should have been.

Cheers

MB

[bigdave]

At the moment I'm getting a lot of pleasure from Sam Smiths Extra Stout.

[RobWalker]

Full flavoured;



General drinking;



Can't go wrong with a Guinness Foreign Extra though!

[Jymbo]

I agree - the Guinness FES is superb. I'm also partial to St Peter's Cream Stout - very tasty.

[seymour]

Monkeybrew, I hope you don't mind...

Honoured matey

Your OG is where mine should have been.

Cheers

MB

I updated my clone recipe above, taking into consideration actual Coopers Brewery grainbill percentages shared by Wally. Very cool.