Home Brew - clone of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Having had enough of the kits, today I am trying the close recipe for Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Sout from Clone Brews (2nd ed.) by Tess and Mark Szamatulski.

Due to ingredient issues I have to make a few substitutions, but hopefully nothing that will have to meaningful an impact. (This beer is excellent if you have never had it).

So here goes:

Step 1: toast 8oz flaked oats at 300 degrees (F).

Step 2: steep the oats in 1 gallon of water at 150 (F) with 8oz 55L British crysta malt (now, here is sub number 1. I didn't have 55L, so I am using a mix of 40L and 70/80L), 8 oz British Chocolate malt (again, I don't have quite enough chocolate malt so I am also using a mix of chocolate malt, darker black malt and lighter malt) and 3oz roasted barley. (The recipe also calls for rice hulls, but this seems a pointless addition).

Step 3: Having steeped and sparged the above, I have added water to 1.5 gallons and bring to a boil.

Step 4: added 2.6kg (5.75 lbs) light dry malt extract, and 2 oz East Kent Goldings hop pellets (recipe called for 4.25% AA, but these are 5.2% AA, so it will be slightly more bitter than the recipe result).

Step 5: add enough water to make 10 litres, and boil for 50 minutes

Step 6: add 1 tsp Irish Moss, boil 10 minutes

Step 7: add enough water to make 5 gallons, cool to 70 degrees, pitch the yeast (Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale)

I will post again after I have racked and bottled it...

NP article

http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/02/27/hapy-hour-stout-to-tail/

Ahhh stout. In fact, shortly I will be brewing my next batch of beer - oatmeal stout. Until then...

Good G&M article

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/beppi-crosariol/enough-with-the-tiny-type-sexist-sales-pitches-and-huge-wine-lists/article1951750/

Amen to his points on beer (except maybe the champagne stopper point. I am drinking a Maudite right now which comes that way, and I simply cannot speak ill of Unibroue). But his point about boring beers on tap is (sadly) bang on

Road to 1,000 - Number 900

Hit number 900 tonight beer fans. Wild Rose Altbier - one of the seasonals by the always good Wild Rose Brewery

"Using a multi-step mash process, our brewers have created a mahogany coloured beer with amazing body and mouthfeel. This brew is cool fermented and cold conditioned resulting in a refreshing, clean tasting ale."

http://www.wildrosebrewery.com/beer/canadian-beer.html

I expect to hit 1,000 sometime this year. Stay tuned!

Homebrewing tips

Thanks to iRob for spotting this one:

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/02/homebrewing-tips-tricks-how-to-pick-a-homebrew-recipe.html

Stout story from the National Post

http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/02/27/hapy-hour-stout-to-tail/

Molson M - a Canadian by any other name...

Molson M won the Canadian Brewing Awards 2010 gold medal for "North American Style Premium Lager". Now I have to admit, upon reading this I was sceptical that any big brewery beer could win gold.

My scepticism was well founded. I saw M available for the first time in my local liquor store this afternoon, so I picked up a can. Are you seriously trying to tell me this isn't just Canadian in a new can and twice the price? If so, I don't believe you. How this typical, mass produced, nothing-to-write-home about brew won anything is beyond me. Try it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.