Recipe – Irish Stout

The expression Stout was first mentioned in the late 1600’s as a synonym of strong beers, with a fuller body and mouthfeel, and often a higher ABV. Back then there was a distinction between Stout Ales and Stout Porters.

By the 18th century the name was widely used referring to the stronger version of Porters. Thanks to the technical developments, black malt was invented and widely used in these styles. By the end of the 1800’s Stout emerged as a distinctive style. By then, it was a unique style, with darker malts and stronger hops. Stouts have a pronounced roasted taste, usually with a hint of coffee or chocolate.

They are also Dublin-type Stouts, that are made with a large addition of roasted barley. Nevertheless, there are some balanced versions with some malty sweetness, getting their flavours from chocolate and other specialty malts. Draught versions are very popular, as they are typically poured by nitrogen, thus having a creamy, long-lasting foam and a silky mouthfeel.

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Grain bill

Variety	Quantity	Quantity	Colour EBC	Colour ºL	Ratio
Swaen Ale	3 kg	6.6 lb	8	3.6	67%
Barley Flakes	1 kg	2.2 lb	3	1.7	22%
Black Swaen Barley	0.5 kg	1.1 lb	1100	415	11%

Pale malt should be the base for your grist. You need to add a large proportion of (unmalted) roasted barley. For the creamy textures and dry finish, we recommend to use at least 20% of barley flakes. For the dry mouthfeel your mash shouldn’t exceed 67°C (153 F).

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Hops

Variety	Quantity	Quantity	Duration	Alpha acid	IBU
East Kent Goldings	50 g	1.8 oz	60 min.	4.5%	32

Add hops for bitterness only at the beginning of the boil. Aroma hops are rarely used in this beer.

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Yeast

For the dry finish, choose higher attenuation yeast strains. Ferment at 19-21 °C (66-70 F) for 7-10 days.

Dry examples: Gozdawa British Ale Withbread or Lallemand Nottingham.

Liquid examples: WhiteLabs WLP007 Dry English Ale or Wyeast Irish Ale 1084.

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