Looking for critique on my first stout

[Yakman619]

This will be my first stout and I can use some input. I'm looking to make something that is velvety, balanced and easy drinking. Your sage advice will be greatly appreciated!

Grain Bill:
7.50 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter
2.0 pounds flaked oats
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt
0.25 lb Roasted Barley
0.25 lb Carafa III
1.00 lb Lactose (added last 10 min of boil)

Hops
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 14.8 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (30 min) Hops 11.4 IBU

Yeast
English Ale Yeast WLP002 (fermented at 68 degrees)


Step time: 75 min (6 gallons)
Step temp: 152

Batch sparge: 1 gallon @ 170 degrees

[ScottyB-Brewing]

Looks solid to me, if you want it to be darker without adding astringency you might wanna replace and double the amount of the Carafa 3 with Black Prinz or dehusked Carafa 3.

I think you'll get a dark brown the way you have it but not black, I like my stouts black myself. Great recipe though chief, it's gonna come out great.

[dmtaylor]

Looks like a great base recipe for your first stout. Too much lactose though -- unless you want it very thick and sweet. Otherwise bring that down to 0.75 lb maximum. Also not quite dark enough in my humble opinion. If you brought up the Carafa and roasted barley to 6 oz each, you'll hit the mark squarely for sure.

Oh yeah, one more thing... 1 gallon isn't much of a sparge. Cut back on your first water addition and sparge with 3 gallons. This will improve your efficiency in a big big way.

Hope you enjoy it.

[Raoul_Duke_PhD]

Looks like a good start. I would add a late addition of a higher alpha acid hop; something along the lines of a cascade or centennial. Other than that, it looks good.

[GilesTH]

Looks like a good start. I would add a late addition of a higher alpha acid hop; something along the lines of a cascade or centennial. Other than that, it looks good.

I would avoid that if you're going for a sweet stout (which is what it looks like) as it will add too much american character to the stout and would clash mightily with the EKG.

Personally, I think the lactose looks good. That's what JZ uses in his milk stout for a five gallon batch, and I've used that recipe with great success, but that's my opinion. If you want smooth and creamy mouthfeel, though, I'd cut the lactose out completely, use flaked oats with a 90 minute mash, and cut the crystal to .25 lb. Then cut out the carafa III completely and .1 to .2 lb of black malt (or black patent) for your color. It'll be so dark with all that chocolate and roast malt you won't be able to tell the difference without a lab.

Let us know how it works out! If you can, maybe check your water supply for effective hardness and consider adjusting (according to John Palmer's residual alkalinity guide) to make sure it's within the range. It could keep it from tasting astringent or ashy.

[dmtaylor]

Looks like a good start. I would add a late addition of a higher alpha acid hop; something along the lines of a cascade or centennial. Other than that, it looks good.

I disagree. I'm more with Giles on this:

I would avoid that if you're going for a sweet stout (which is what it looks like) as it will add too much american character to the stout and would clash mightily with the EKG.

And this:

If you can, maybe check your water supply for effective hardness and consider adjusting (according to John Palmer's residual alkalinity guide) to make sure it's within the range. It could keep it from tasting astringent or ashy.

Typically I have to add a small dash of baking soda (like, 1/2 teaspoon) to my stouts to keep the mash from being too acidic. Ideal pH is 5.3. Measure to find out. Baking soda takes it up, and other calcium salts take the pH down.

[BDawg]

If you can, maybe check your water supply for effective hardness and consider adjusting (according to John Palmer's residual alkalinity guide) to make sure it's within the range. It could keep it from tasting astringent or ashy.

Typically I have to add a small dash of baking soda (like, 1/2 teaspoon) to my stouts to keep the mash from being too acidic. Ideal pH is 5.3. Measure to find out. Baking soda takes it up, and other calcium salts take the pH down.

Just to be clear, Dave is agreeing with Giles here, but what works for him MAY OR MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU.
HIS water is such that his pH gets too low so he adds baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to raise it back into range.
You really should get a water report of your own water (see http://www.wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/default.aspx You want the "5A - Brewing Test"). It's something like 27.50 for the test itself but they sell a kit which contains a prepaid shipping label and a water bottle, etc, for $39.60. You'd end up paying about the same amount to get a new clean bottle and shipping it, so this is a much easier/more convenient deal.

Then you need to check YOUR mash with strips or a pH meter and adjust it using what is appropriate to your water, which is the gist of what Giles is saying.

HTH-

[dmtaylor]

Yup. Thanks, BDawg.