Collision Stout

Continuing with my catch up posts. For my next brew I wanted to brew something on the lighter side, that wouldn't be terribly difficult to brew. I decided to go with a dry stout, by light I meant low gravity. Expecting a quick brew night, I was met with adversity right from the beginning. Seems that I have a bit of a problem with spacial recognition, what I thought was a twelve quart pot was actually eight. So here I am at about 8:00 at night with twelve quarts worth of grain and water and not enough pot to mash it all. In the end I ended up with all my grains and mash water in the brew kettle but it's bigger around than my grain bag so it ended up looking more like steeping grains than mashing. In the end I made a pretty damn good stout so I can't complain much, yet another lesson learned.

The beer I ended up with had a solid black color with a deep ruby edge. Muted aroma of roasted barley, bitter sweet chocolate. Flavors are similar, roast and chocolate with an ample bitterness. Mouth feel is rich and creamy, smooth, I could drink a few of these. When I first started drinking this batch there was a weird mineral/metallic off flavor but that cleared out with a little more bottle conditioning and now I have an easy drinking dry stout.

Recipe:
Expected OG: 1.058
Actual OG: ??
Expected FG: 1.012
Actual FG: 1.010
IBU: 53
Boil: 60 minutes
Apparent Attenuation: ??
ABV: ??

Extract/Sugar:
Briess Pilsner DME 4.0 lbs.

Partial Mash Grains:
Maris Otter 2.0 lbs.
Flaked Barley 2.0 lbs.
Roasted Barley (extra crush) 1.0 lbs.

Hops:
60 min. - First Gold, 8.0% 2.0 oz.

Yeast:
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale 1 qt. Starter

Water:
Spring water from Welpman Spring in Morgan County, MO

Partial Mash: In a 8 qt. stock pot, heat 7.5 quarts of water to 162˚, meanwhile preheat 12qt crock pot, add grain bag and grains to preheated pot, then slowly add water and stir. Mash temp should be about 150˚.

After about 30 minutes, heat 5 quarts of water to about 170˚. When mash is done, pull out the grain bag and let it drain for a few minutes. Dump wort into kettle, add bag and heated water back to crock, stir and let sit for 20 minutes to rinse out any remaining sugars. Should end up with around 10+ quarts of wort.

Add 3 gallons water and wort to brew kettle (for a total of around 5.5 gal.), add DME and stir, heat to a boil and add bittering hops. At about 15 min. add a 1 tsp of Irish Moss to help with clarity.

Chill wort to about 80˚ or less, transfer to carboy, aerate, take gravity, pitch decanted yeast starter.

Notes:
Brewed on 9/2/09 by myself.

8/31/09 – made starter with about a quart of water and 4oz of DME.

9/2 - Totally screwed up the mash. Not a 12qt pot. More like 8. Ended up mashing in the brew kettle. Not ideal. Stupid, I am.

9/3/12:45am – Pitched yeast at about 70. Forgot to take gravity reading. Maybe I shouldn't brew at night?

9/8/09 – Primary fermentation is over. I had the carboy in a water bath, pretty sure temps stayed around 70 or lower.

9/24 – Bottling Day. Eleven 22 oz. and twenty-four 12 oz. bottles used 2.8 oz. of corn sugar for about 2 volumes of CO2.

11/23 – Taste comparison with an O'Hara's Irish Stout. Mine was more bitter with more of a bittersweet chocolate versus the sweeter coffee flavor of the O'Hara.

Stout

Irish Ales, Jayhawks, and Irish Stout

Since I won't be able to bar-hop with all the amateurs tomorrow I decided to go ahead and do a little celebrating today while I enjoy another epic battle between the Jayhawks and Texas Longhorns (and another victory). In homage to St. Patrick we'll take a look at three different Irish styled beers, Boulevard's Irish Ale, Free State's Grace O'Malley's Irish Ale, and finally, Murphy's Irish Stout.

The Boulevard Irish Ale is a clear, rich amber colored ale with an off-white head. The aroma is an enticing mix of caramel sweetness, fruity yeast esters, and a crisp, citric hops smell. Flavors are pretty much the same with a lightly bitter finish and a pine-like aftertaste. Mouth feel is medium-light with proper carbonation, Overall, a tasty example of the style with perhaps a little more of a hop profile than some, but I like it. Look for this beer on tap while you're out and about on Monday.

Meanwhile the Free State version is a richer maltier version of the style. Almost the same color with a rich malty aroma mixed with some fruity esters from the yeast. The flavors start off with a caramel and biscuit-like sweetness followed by a quick fruitiness and then a light, toasty finish. Not as bitter as the Boulevard but richer in the mouth with an excellent malt heavy flavor. Both would be an excellent choice, but I'm going to go with Boulevard as my favorite right now.

Finally, Murphy's Irish Stout is an InBev owned beer (the A-B of Europe) that is widely available in 16oz cans that have that nifty widget in them that allows us to get that creamy nitrogen infused pour. Color is black with a dark ruby highlight and a thick, creamy, dirty white head that lingers...and lingers. Aromas and flavors are mild at best. A slight milk chocolate aroma then some roasted flavors show up in the mouth to help give it a dry finish with a chalky aftertaste. Mouth feel is velvety smooth, a little watery at the end. Overall, a notch above Guinness in the flavor department but not as good as the other dry stouts I've reviewed (Avery, Boulevard, & North Coast).

Avery Out of Bounds Stout

I have one last stout rolling around in the fridge and I figured since its cold, today is a good day to review it. Avery Brewing Company's Out of Bounds Stout is a 5.1% ABV, 51 IBU Irish Dry Stout. It pours jet black with with a tan head that settles into a light film with moderate lacing on the sides of the glass. Mild aromas of milky coffee and chocolate with hints of fruit and roasted malts. Flavor has more roasted and bitter chocolate than the nose. The taste never seems to blend together like I'd like it to. Finish is dry and chalky with lingering bitterness. There is plenty of carbonation and a medium mouth feel that is a bit on the light side. Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with this stout. While it had more flavor that the Boulevard it wasn't as balanced and the North Coast was definitely a better stout.

Bell's Expedition Stout

Since this is the last day in February (at least it was when I started this post), I figured I should finally get around to reviewing that Bell's Expedition Stout I've had sitting in my beer fridge for about a month and a half. This is a big Russian Imperial Stout with 10.5% ABV. This is the first bottle from a rather expansive six-pack that I picked up at the Lukas Liquor Superstore in Kansas City, MO. I was thinking about hanging on to the other five for awhile to see how they change over time.

Bell's website has a handy feature where you can enter in the batch number located on the back of a bottle and find out what day the beer your drinking was bottled on. While it'd be even better if they'd just put the date right on the bottle, a batch number is infinitely better than having no idea how old a beer is. It surprises me that so many craft breweries have no bottled on or best by date on their products, I mean even Budweiser dates their swill, you'd think a small craft brewery that cared about the quality of their product would go to the trouble and expense of dating their bottles. Okay, I'll stop my ranting now and get on with the review.

There's no doubt that this is an imperial stout. It pours like heavy whipping cream only its the complete opposite in color, black as night. The thick, creamy, dark brown head slowly settles into a dense film. An appealing start. The aroma was a little softer than I thought it would be. Notes of roasted malt, and chocolate cappuccino are underpinned by a light molasses sweetness. Occasionally I pick up a faint fruitiness but I can't nail it down.

The flavor starts out with a sweet mix of caramel and toffee that fades into a mild dark chocolate with a roasty and slightly bitter finish. The thickness of this brew coupled with a moderate carbonation allows the chocolaty bitterness to really linger around. Alcohol is not noticed at all in the mouth, but at 10.5% it does slowly warm you up.

Overall, a really tasty stout. It could use a little more carbonation which should help the aroma pop a little more. I like how the alcohol is very subdued and the overall balance of sweet and bitter is spot on. According to the website this bottle was packaged on September 14, 2007. That makes it about five and a half months old. Based on my tasting tonight I don't know if the other five will age much longer.

Boulevard Dry Stout

Today we'll take at look at another local brewery, Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO. To me, Boulevard's brewing philosophy seems to be brewing simple, flavorful, low ABV beers that one could enjoy over a long drinking session (I'm referring to their regular lineup here, not the new Smokestack Series). Their strongest year-round beer, Bully Porter, is only 5.4% ABV. The Dry Stout weighs in at a mere 4.9% and 28 IBUs, but does it have enough flavor to stay interesting for multiple servings?

Pours black with a light brown head. Mellow aromas of milk chocolate and creamy coffee, not as intense or complex as other stouts, but still a pleasing aroma. Flavor has more chocolate and roasted coffee flavors. Swallow is smooth with a subtle dry and earthy aftertaste. Not the greatest stout ever made, but I would easily pick it over a Guinness. While not as interesting as their porter, which I almost never see on tap, I could easily drink several pints and be perfectly happy with my choice. I'll go ahead and give it a B-minus.

Vintage Owd Mac Imperial Stout

This past weekend the great Free State Brewing Company officially turned nineteen years old. Earlier this month they held a beer banquet to commemorate their anniversary. This weekend was a little more low-key. Friday through Sunday they served up some of everybody's favorite specials from the last year, like their awesome tuna tartar. And of course, they busted out the beer, and plenty of it. They had several seasonal beers on tap including Bowersock Bock, Fireside Imperial Pilsner, Coeur de Saison (The Wife's favorite), and Old Backus Barleywine. But the real star of the weekend was the 2005 vintage Owd Mac's Imperial Stout.

Owd Mac is a big, burly stout that is aged in oak whiskey barrels from McCormick Distilling Co. in Weston, MO. It's also the inspiration for the first part of my name (owd is an old english way of saying old and Müller is the correct spelling of my family name, in case you were wondering). The very first time I tried this beast was back in '01 or '02, I ordered it to with a burger during a work lunch. Oops, little did I know that I was about to try my first oak aged beer, and probably the strongest beer I'd ever had...during lunch...with coworkers. Luckily I made it through the rest of the day, and headed back for more. Owd Mac was the most unusual and unique beer I had ever had, I was a big fan.

Now that I have a little more seasoning and a more experienced palette, I couldn't wait to taste a four year old sample. The appearance is a thick murky black liquid with no head, none. Big nose is full of dark treacle, vanilla, oak, hints of raisins and bourbon. The longer you sit and sniff it the more flavors you can pick out. The first taste is molasses and caramel accompanied by vanilla and traces of burnt oak. Mellow and complex at the same time. The finish is fairly dry with lingering raisin and licorice flavors, alcohol is barley noted. The mouth feel is like a watered down syrup. There is no carbonation which gives it a very unbeer like feel. Alcohol slowly warms the belly. An acquired taste, but very good. While I admire Free State for serving this on cask, I think it could benefit from a touch of forced carbonation to give it a livelier feel in the mouth and really bring out all the flavors. A few bubbles short of an A-plus.

Look at the geek taking notes at the table

Old No. 38 Stout Keeps on Rollin'

Now that I'm finally over my head cold and I can smell again, its time for another stout review. Today we'll take a look at North Coast Brewing Co.'s Old No. 38 Stout. Opened in 1988 in Fort Bragg, California, North Coast is one of the early west coast micros. The late, great Michael Jackson once said that it was "possibly the best stout made in America." Pretty big billing for a little 5.5%, 53 IBU Irish Dry Stout.

Pours nearly black with a ruby edge and a frothy tan head. Aroma has hints of coffee, cocoa, and some citric hops. Not an overwhelming nose, but a pleasant one. Dry roasted notes with a touch of figs and chocolate in the middle that leads into a dry finish with touch of a citric tanginess to it. Flavor fades fast with little to no aftertaste. There's enough carbonation to to give a creamy mouth feel thats a little on the light side.

Best stout in America? Probably not, but this is a good sipping stout that would make a nice session beer. Grades out at a solid B-plus. Now, I wonder if I can find this on tap somewhere?

Hunting Yeti

Saturday, while out shopping in big box land on the south side of town, The Wife and I stopped in at Mass Beverage to pick up some provisions for the weekend. Mass Beverage has the best beer selection in town, it's a shame it's located so far away from the converted garage we're forced to call home (it's nice, but really, really small).

They have a bunch of shelves in the back with a large selection of single bottles for mix-and-match six packs and also plenty of bombers, 750ml bottles, and imports of various size to chose from. There is also a large cooler section with more six packs and bombers. I settle on a six pack of North Coast Brewing Co.'s Old No. 38 Stout for daytime activities and a bomber of Great Divide Brewing Co.'s Yeti Imperial Stout for my Saturday nightcap.

After enjoying a closer-than-it-should-have-been victory by the hometown Jayhawks and a dramatic victory by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Budweiser Shootout in the evening I was ready to get down to business.

Yeti is a year-round offering from Great Divide that comes bottled in 22 oz. bombers. It's brewed in the Russian Imperial Stout style. Basically a high alcohol, highly hopped version of a regular stout. It was originally brewed by British brewers for export to Russian Czarina, Catherine the Great who had a healthy appetite for stout. Yeti weighs in at 9.5% ABV with a hefty 75 IBUs, not the biggest stout on the block but, this mythical beast will be more than enough to send me off to dreamland.

Hugo says: "Drink more stout or I'll eat you!"

The pour is a thick, black color with a dark, frothy head that looks like chocolate mousse. Initial aromas are of sweet molasses, you should really let this stout warm up to around 50-55°F before pouring - I skipped this step. After warming, the complex malt bill began to reveal aromas of milk chocolate, creamed coffee, and a touch of roasted malts. The hop additions revealed themselves as mostly piney, earthy aromas, but also a hint of fruity citrus aromas.

The first sip brings the roasted malts more to the fore, also some semi-dark chocolate and a touch of caramel sweetness. The mouth feel is rich and full with enough carbonation to give it a velvety smoothness. The swallow finishes dry with lingering bits of slightly burnt pine needles and dark chocolate flavors. Also, a slight warming effect from the alcohol.

Overall, I give it an A grade. A big, bold beer, you'll need to take your time and sip it slowly. I definitely enjoyed it, and I'll buy more, but I'd recommend sharing it with a friend, 22 oz. was a bit much for me.

Bumble likes to eat cookies with his stout.

Obovoid Empirical Stout

I'm on my way home from work and I have orders form The Wife to stop and pick up a bottle of wine, and of course that means I'm also grabbing some beer. So, I pull into Smitty's Wine and Spirits at Antioch and College Blvd., my goto spot on the way home from work (yeah, I work in the Magical Land of Blah, aka Johnson County). I've decided that February, my first month of blogging, is going to be all about stouts. I have a bottle of the huge Bell's Expedition Stout waiting in the beer fridge and I wanted to warm up with something a little tamer. I settle on a bottle of Obovoid Empirical Stout from Boulder Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado and a bottle of pinot noir. After a light supper consisting of some bland, Target salmon and some tasty cumin coated roasted carrots, it's time to get down to business.

Obovoid is a oak aged oatmeal stout weighing in at 7.5% ABV. This is the 8th release in Boulder Beer's Looking Glass Series of extreme brews. To date, I've been pretty impressed with the Looking Glass Series, Hazed and Infused is a most try. Tonight will be my first dance with Obovoid.


Obovoid pours a dark, thich brown with a frothy mocha colored head. Oak and damp earth mixed with chocolate and just a touch smoke provide a delicate and inviting aroma. The flavor starts off with a brief, malty sweetness that quickly fades into a mix of toasted oak and dark chocolate with some earthy hops dancing around the edges. The swallow leaves a lingering taste of bitter chocolate and a woody dryness. This stout is medium bodied and very smooth, the alcohol is completely hidden and unnoticed.

Overall I give it an A-minus grade. This is a smooth, quick drinking stout. I like how the oak from the barrel aging is mellow and subdued, I'm not sure if the oatmeal contributes to this or not, but it is a good introduction to wood aged beer. Next I'll have to kick it up a notch to a slightly bigger, bolder stout.