Mystery Stout 17 Aug 2008 (avec des images)

[richard_senior]

I've had a packet of hops lurking in the bottom of the bucket for a year or so. The label has torn so I don't know what it is. It's likely to be challenger but it could be saaz or first gold. I've given it a sniff, and I think it's challenger but I'm not over sure.
So anyway it's my last packet (hoping to get loads off my plant) so I decided to do a stout, in the hope that the hops might be lost somewhere in the smoky graininess.
If anyone can think of a good name I'd be pleased.
I thought of 'myst-out' as in 'mystery stout', but I'd prefer for someone to think of someone who's mystereous and stout? Maybe Robert Maxwell Ale?
Anyway.. here are some assorted pics from the day (hopefully my last in plastic).

4KG MO
200g Roast Barley
200g Crystal Malt
100g Torrified Wheat
100g Black Malt
+100g sugar with the yeast starter

Hops (unknown) 50g in boil
20g while cooling

S04 (it's all I had)

Click to enlarge (not sure how to get them to tile instead of appearing in a column)

[maxashton]

blub blub blub

[Garth]

sounds good Richard, good idea using the unknown hops in a stout, imo the hop type are not that important in a stout, just there to balance the malt, let us know how it turns out.

[Toast]

Looks lovely. Aside from the driller killer images!
I think I shall be doing a stout next. Let us know how it comes out.

[Vossy1]

Gr8 pics RS

love the drill and plaster paddle with menace shot

hope the brew turns out to be a good'un

[Damfoose]

Good looking brew mate hope it turns out good for you, You could also end up getting quite plastered on that one literally

[richard_senior]

Thought i'd give you guys an update on this.
I put it in the corni and it wasn't good after the first few weeks.
Like the last stout I made it tasted very strongly of the roast barley. Quite acrid and biting.
So I just left it in there and haven't really touched it since.
Anyway... I've been a bit lax recently and it's pretty much all I have left except for wine and cider... so I had a couple the other night.
It's mellowed really well even straight from a tap.
I think through the beer engine this would be fabulous. I plan on trying that over christmas.
I think I'll do this again in a few months and I'll go with a more traditional flaked barley recipe and use US05.
In short.... it's good, just give it a few months!

[Garth]

good result Richard, you have some patience, mine would have been drunk or chucked by now...