AudreyL Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi, I'm kind of new in the homebrewing world. After a couple of by-the-book batches, I'm felling ready to try a stout. My boyfriend is fond of guiness. But me a little less, so is there a way to pump up the sweetness without to munch risk? I'm currently using dextrose. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Welcome to the forum Audrey. Dextrose will ferment out and won't result in any residual sweetness in the beer. Your best bet is to add some more malt which will leave that sweetness. Perhaps steep some crystal malt grains which will add body and some sweetness to the beer but won't really increase the alcohol content. Maybe you could try 200g to 300g of Medium Crystal Malt. Just be careful with it because it is a bit of a balancing act. You want to add a little sweetness without it being sickly or cloyingly sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyL Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Thanks, that looks really simple. So, if I get it right, crystal malt is less digestible for the yeast so it won't be transformed in alcohol like the dextrose. Is there other "sugary" that are more alike to stay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Replace the DEX with DME so if you maybe 800g DME + 300g DEX + a little chocolate malt (200g)... I have a stout I will be doing in a few weeks and this is what I will be doing. (+additional hops and a specialty yeast) I recently brewed a Dark Ale with (from memory) 100g Carapils and 200g Chocolate malt, maybe a little bit of light crystal also.. cant remember... minimal sugar (few hunders grams) and 600-800g DME, and some wheat malt.. one of our friends came round on the weekend with some Store Bought Coopers Dark Ale and said that he preferred mine and found the Coopers Store bought to be 'watery'.. needless to say I almost fell out of my chair. Yob I think you will be amazed if you drop down the DEX (makes for a dryer beer and witha stout you do not want this) and up the DME and add a bit of grains!!!.. ooh and hops[innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I remember reading on here a little while ago that someone was making stouts and hopping them with Galaxy Hops. I can't remember who it was but it sounds interesting. Audrey - perhaps the flavour of the galaxy hops may counter the stout flavour that you don't like. Disclaimer: I disclaim all responsibility if the beer tastes terrible. [innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 galaxy is more for an APA not a stout (traditionally) as far as I know... they are also quite a strong flavoured hop so use sparingly, Personally I would go for something more along the english lines... EKG or Fuggels or both, combined with an english yeast like Windsor. Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Thats a good point, but I didn't say it was true to style just interesting. Home brewing (and commercial brewing in some cases) is also about trying different things. Sometimes you have to throw the BJCP style guidelines out the window (not literally) and try something else. You just have to be prepared to dispose of 20 litres of beer when it doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B5 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi Audrey You could also try using lactose in the wort. Lactose is a non fermentable sugar that will add sweetness to your stout. You might want to check out "milk stout" recipes on the web for some ideas. I've done a few of these with good results. The most recent one was: 1 can Coopers os stout 2kg liquid light malt 250 gm lactose 2 sachets Coopers ale yeast. Brewed at 18c I don't use hops with the coopers stout kits as for my tastes they're are sufficiently hopped at the brewery. Dark malts are also somewhat bitter on their own. One last tip. Try using half to three quarters of a teaspoon of primimg sugar per bottle instead of one teaspoon as you would in a light malt brew. A good stout shouldn't be too fizzy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyL Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 Mmmm...Chocolate. So a general advice, is it a good thing for me to put more then just one type of "sugar". Because I feel that dextrose is producing a beer that feels thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Thats very much so the case Audrey, DEX will certainly thin your beer out. I whole heartedly reccoment using no more than about 300g DEX in any brew (for me anyway) and upping the amount of Dry Malt Extract to give more body to the Brew. I use 3 different kinds in general Wheat Malt Extract (200g) Dry Malt Extract (up to 800g) Dex (300g) this seems to me to produce a beer with good body, a great creamy head and good mouthfeel. I also add grains to most if not all of my brews. Carapils adds Maltodextrin (Mouthfeel and Head Retention) Light Crystal (Flavour and a bit of sweetness) These are my general additions for Pale Beers, anything dark you can add some Chocolate Malt, 150-200g is enough for some fresh flavour) Im also a large advocate of using Specialty Yeast and using the Kit Yeast as Nutrient. (added to the boil when the heat is turned off) And by the way.. brewing for your man? Freakin awesome!! Hope he's "put a ring on that" You Rock Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi' date=' I'm kind of new in the homebrewing world. After a couple of by-the-book batches, I'm felling ready to try a stout. [/quote'] To be honest, what everyone has said here is quite valid. However, the question has not been asked if you feel confident using specialty grain and other adjuncts. If you think you want a bit more experience before travelling down this path then I suggest an easy recipe to start. Something like the one DavidB5 posted above would work well. Or.... another is just get the OS Stout and follow the directions. Unless you have the right equipment you are going to find it hard to produce the same carbonation effect as a Guinness produces anyway. You can come close but it still won't be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien E1 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi' date=' I'm kind of new in the homebrewing world. After a couple of by-the-book batches, I'm felling ready to try a stout. My boyfriend is fond of guiness. But me a little less, so is there a way to pump up the sweetness without to munch risk? I'm currently using dextrose. Thank you.[/quote'] If you're looking to make something with a similar alcohol percentage and flavour to Guinness draught then 1 can of Irish Stout with 1 kilo of LDM made to 23 litres should be about right. It won't be quite the same as Guinness, because Guinness is nitrogen carbonated, not carbon dioxide, but it should produce a very nice beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty A Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I have been thinking about that nitrigen bubble head in homebrew and have decided the only way would be to get sone nitrogen widgets that guiness use. Good thing I will be moving to kegging so I will just have to get a nitrogen and CO2 mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Mmmm...Chocolate If you like chocolate then you may like the following recipe. Chocolate Stout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Guinness is nitrogen carbonated' date=' not carbon dioxide, but it should produce a very nice beer.[/quote'] Guinness is actually carbonated using a mix of Nitrogen (N) and Carbon Dioxide (C02) Good thing I will be moving to kegging so I will just have to get a nitrogen and CO2 mix. You should really justify weighing up how often you want this carbonation as you will also need another regulator. Which aren't really cheap. I have SS Celli taps on order from Craftbrewer which will help me with achieving the creamyness but considering the amount of Stout I drink, I can not justify getting what is really required. If you don't get taps to help with a creamy effect then you can always use the syringe method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty A Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 You should really justify weighing up how often you want this carbonation as you will also need another regulator. Which aren't really cheap. I have SS Celli taps on order from Craftbrewer which will help me with achieving the creamyness but considering the amount of Stout I drink, I can not justify getting what is really required. If you don't get taps to help with a creamy effect then you can always use the syringe method. Good thing that I mainly drink stout. Couldn't I just use the Nitrogen and CO2 mix to carb all of the kegsand not get a plain CO2 one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 You most certainly can, I didn't realize you mainly drink stout. Maybe just get something like a Sodastream bottles for your normal beers then.... hrrrmmm will still need a reg though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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