AG#060 - Big Dan's Black Stuff

[SiHoltye]

Hello,

Brewing Saturday for a mate who has not yet been initiated into the way of homebrewed stout. He likes my best bitter, but doesn't drink bitter presently at the pub instead preferring Guinness. I don't have the hops or yeast for an exact clone but have taken the assumed grain bill, added Northdown hops for bittering, and used will use Hop Back yeast (their Entire Stout is decent enough no?).

Ingredients
23L @ 83% efficiency, 90min mash @ 67°C, 90min boil
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.07 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 70.00 %
0.88 kg Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC) Grain 20.00 %
0.44 kg Roasted Barley (591.0 EBC) Grain 10.00 %
45.00 gm Northdown [8.50 %] (90 min) Hops 40.3 IBU
1 Pkgs Slurry - Hopback Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.74 %
Bitterness: 40.3 IBU
Est Color: 44.0 EBC

Liquor-wise I'm going to adjust alkalinity to 150 as Brupaks suggest, and use Graham's calculator for mineral additions approximating 'stouty' water.

[Tequilla6]

As I was drinking Entire Stout only last Friday with Jubby and friends I would say Yes it's decent enough.

Keep us up to date and give us a picture of the final pint as I would love to hear how it goes. I am now looking for my second AG brew and I do love my stouts.

Cheers

[oblivious]

Looks good SiHoltye, he should enjoy it

[SiHoltye]

Again i had to boil like billy-o for an extra 45mins to get the SG up to 1.047. It's because of this I acheived only 16L. I'm gonna knock my extraction efficiency down from assumed 83% to 75% next time to see if this gets me closer to target SG after 90mins boiling.

Sample tasted lovely

[SiHoltye]

This brew ended up at 1.017 - far too sweet, the flavours are hidden behind the sickly sugar syrup taste Might even have to chuck it, I like sweeter beers but this is undrinkable in pint form It was my last foray into HB yeast for a while.

Since this brew I've had success with WLP002 and intend to use it Friday in essentially the same recipe (but Fuggles instead of Northdown and tweaked down the OG so it's ready a bit quicker ).

Ingredients
23L at 63% efficiency, 90min mash, 90min boil, liquor = stout
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.75 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 71.36 %
1.00 kg Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC) Grain 19.03 %
0.50 kg Roasted Barley (591.0 EBC) Grain 9.61 %
70.00 gm Fuggles [4.50 %] (90 min) Hops 34.3 IBU
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [Starter 100 ml] [Cultured] Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.043 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.22 %
Bitterness: 34.3 IBU
Est Color: 48.5 EBC

I average 75% with WLP002 so fingers crossed this time

[Tequilla6]

Would you not think about using some dry beer enzyme to try and get it down a little further?

[delboy]

What about dosing it with isomerised hop extract the addational bitterness should counteract the sweetness and hopefully bring it back into balance.

Failing that you could keep it as a cooking stout as the extra sugars will be a bonus.

[SiHoltye]

Now this is kegged (2 weeks ago) I think I'm committed to what it is. Although not averse to eating steak and ale pie all summer think my chances of getting Mrs making that all summer long I've got 2 Hopes. I don't like keep mentioning my lack of success with reclaimed Hop Back yeast, firstly because of my lack of success and secondly because it may put others off when people here have successfully used it, but I won't be rushing back there. WLP002 I have no problems with and I like the yeast character, the Hop Back is not necessarily my palates favourite yeast anyway being slightly tart. The next return to improve results will be to WLP005 (bigger starter, rouse early while yeast most active) and then a new liquid for me WYeast London III.

There's so much experience to be gained, I think I'll put this one down to just that this time. What I'll take away from Hop Back is that it likes aeration initially, perhaps aeration in early fermentation (first 18hrs), correct pitching rate, and 19degC ferment. That's what I'll look at when I next use it which'll be my 3rd reclaiming experience. Also I'll be looking to use it in a Hop Back clone to see I'm getting the right characteristics from it. So prolly a Summer Lightning clone later this year or next.