12 replies to this topic

[MoreAmmoPlz]

This stout was brewed a little over a week ago and last night when I transferred it to secondary I pulled off a glass and noticed that the color seems a bit off. You can see it in the pic below and I know it's a crappy pic but to my eye this "stout" looks more like a really dark brown ale. When I was sparging and draining the boil kettle I thought the color was off then too. According to BeerSmith the color was supposed to be 28 SRM, which to me looks black. On to eliminating the usual suspects. The grains were weighed at the homebrew shop and I re-weighed them at home to make sure that the weights were accurate. Volume in the boil kettle at the end of the boil was correct and the gravity was spot on. The roasted barley looked like roasted barley and smelled like roasted barley (mash made the whole garage smell like coffee) so I think the homebrew shop gave me the right grains. Besides I can't think of what other grain they could have given me.So do you think my eyes are off and the color is correct? Or are my eyes correct and the color is off? If so, what could have happened???Here is the recipe:Batch Size: 11.00 galEst Color: 28.6 SRMAmount Item Type % or IBU 20.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 75.47 % 4.00 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 15.09 % 2.50 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 9.43 % Here is a pic of the beer:

[BrewerGeorge]

It does look a little light. How's it taste?I put about twice as much roasted as this in a dry stout, though.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

It does look a little light. How's it taste?I put about twice as much roasted as this in a dry stout, though.

It tastes pretty good, I think. It's always hard for me to tell when it's warm and flat.

[Thirsty]

I think the 28 SRM seems accurate. That really shouldnt be black. An American brown has the acceptable range of 18-35 SRM, 35 definitely being the very darkest of brown, however I think 28 will still be in a brown spectrum, not the black you intended. 40-45 is usually a desired target for stout. My guess is you brewed that beer perfect.

[3rd party JKor]

I don't know. 28 SRM is purdy dark IMO. I think it's a little hard to tell, though, because of how you held it up to the light.Also, where did you get 300 SRM for the RB? RB is usually 500+, unless I'm misinterpreting what they mean by SRM, I'm assuming SRM = °L.SRM is kinda tough to judge sometimes, but just in terms of recipe, I'd expect 2.5lbs of RB in 11 gallons to be darker than that.

Edited by JKoravos, 23 September 2009 - 09:51 AM.

[Patrick C.]

Is there still a lot of yeast suspended in it or some other haze? That can give it more of a chocloate milk look, but you'd probably be able to tell it was there. If it tastes roasty enough, then that's all that matters. IMO 10% roasted barley with no other black grains is fine for a dry stout. Maybe on the low end, but still good. If you just want it darker, throw in a couple ounces of Carafa III next time.

[Slainte]

Also, where did you get 300 SRM for the RB? RB is usually 500+, unless I'm misinterpreting what they mean by SRM, I'm assuming SRM = °L.

Some of the American roasted barleys are around 300 L. I know Briess is.And that is definitely why this beer is too light. 10% roasted barley is just about right for a dry stout. The problem is, OprFilth used the wrong kind. You want around 500+ L.

[ColdAssHonky]

Some of the American roasted barleys are around 300 L. I know Briess is.And that is definitely why this beer is too light. 10% roasted barley is just about right for a dry stout. The problem is, OprFilth used the wrong kind. You want around 500+ L.

I've sometimes seen the 300L RB listed as Light Roasted Barley and other times listed as straight up Roasted Barley. Can be hard to know exactly what you're getting if they are listing the L.

[BarelyBrews]

One of the last stouts i made Looks exactly that color, I too used the 300 lovibond Roasted Barley.I think that is all they have at my LHBS also. My Color was OFF too, looks like yours . I am calling it Mudslide stout, looks like a mud puddle-tastes like good beer.

[drewseslu]

Try the Crisp RB next time, it usually clocks in around 680L, Simpsons is in the 600 range, too.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

Thanks for the input guys. Next time I make this I think I'm going to swap out a pound of the flaked barley (almost stuck mash) and bump up the roasted to 4 lbs.

[Rick]

Something that you may also want to try is grinding your RB to a powder in a coffee grinder. I like to do this to really shred up the husks to get that nice roasted/dark coffee kick in my dry stouts. Your recipe is almost identical to mine. I go 70% Maris Otter, 20% flaked barley, 10% RB and 35 IBU EKG 60 min addition. Carb that bad boy up to about 1.5 volumes