CBC 4/2010: 13D. Foreign Extra Stout

[James P]

We have confirmed a date with The Twisted Hop to hold the second CBC on 24th April 2010 from 3:30pm until 6pm in the No 8 room. Of course we encourage you to try some of the Hops fine ales whilst judging is undertaken, not that you haven't already!

 

The style for this round is 13D Foreign Extra Stout as this is the closest to “Easter Bunny Chocolate Stout” you can get, please note the "Chocolate" is preferred over a tropical version.

 

13D. Foreign Extra Stout

 

Aroma: Roasted grain aromas moderate to high, and can have coffee, chocolate and/or lightly burnt notes. Fruitiness medium to high. Some versions may have a sweet aroma, or molasses, licorice, dried fruit, and/or vinous aromatics. Stronger versions can have the aroma of alcohol (never sharp, hot, or solventy). Hop aroma low to none. Diacetyl low to none.

 

Appearance: Very deep brown to black in color. Clarity usually obscured by deep color (if not opaque, should be clear). Large tan to brown head with good retention.

 

Flavor: Tropical versions can be quite sweet without much roast or bitterness, while export versions can be moderately dry (reflecting impression of a scaled-up version of either sweet stout or dry stout). Roasted grain and malt character can be moderate to high, although sharpness of dry stout will not be present in any example. Tropical versions can have high fruity esters, smooth dark grain flavors, and restrained bitterness; they often have a sweet, rum-like quality. Export versions tend to have lower esters, more assertive roast flavors, and higher bitterness. The roasted flavors of either version may taste of coffee, chocolate, or lightly burnt grain. Little to no hop flavor. Very low to no diacetyl.

 

Mouthfeel: Medium-full to full body, often with a smooth, creamy character. May give a warming (but never hot) impression from alcohol presence. Moderate to moderately-high carbonation.

 

Overall Impression: A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.

 

Comments: A rather broad class of stouts, these can be either fruity and sweet, dry and bitter, or even tinged with Brettanomyces (e.g., Guinness Foreign Extra Stout; this type of beer is best entered as a Specialty Beer – Category 23). Think of the style as either a scaled-up dry and/or sweet stout, or a scaled-down Imperial stout without the late hops. Highly bitter and hoppy versions are best entered as American-style Stouts (13E).

 

History: Originally high-gravity stouts brewed for tropical markets (and hence, sometimes known as “Tropical Stouts”). Some bottled export (i.e., stronger) versions of dry or sweet stout also fit this profile. Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has been made since the early 1800s.

 

Ingredients: Similar to dry or sweet stout, but with more gravity. Pale and dark roasted malts and grains. Hops mostly for bitterness. May use adjuncts and sugar to boost gravity. Ale yeast (although some tropical stouts are brewed with lager yeast).

 

Vital Statistics:

OG: 1.056 – 1.075

IBUs: 30 – 70

FG: 1.010 – 1.018

SRM: 30 – 40

ABV: 5.5 – 8%

 

Commercial Examples: Export-Type: Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottled, not sold in the US), Ridgeway of Oxfordshire Foreign Extra Stout, Coopers Best Extra Stout, Elysian Dragonstooth Stout

 

 

[Ron]

Hi James
Nice work, looking forward to the next round.
I have those labels for you, for labeling the competition samples.
See you soon.

[James P]

Great thanks Ron, maybe an excuse to catch up for a pint! :)

[Nick T]

Luckily this almost matches the brew I am about to pour into the fermenter! (well, almost, anyway.....) Looking forward to it!

[Alelover]

Hi you guys! I made a trial brew a few weeks ago, without knowing the exact spec, but it is close to what I have made. I have split conditioned some with cacao nibs and some without so time will tell on taste difference if any. Unfortunately my father is ill in the UK and requires heart surgury so i'm off back there in the next week or so and wont be back until Easter. This means that my trial brew will now be my competition brew so fingers crossed! Good luck to all!

[James P]

Hey Dave, hope your Dad's surgery goes well!

[Alelover]

Thanks James, im being optomistic, hes a strong sort so should be fine!

[James P]

Well it looks like I'll be choosing the next round's style lads.... how can you make a chocolate stout without chocolate malt?

I can tell you it's easy to forget to add the chocolate malt to the mash... especially when you find the grain under your little girls "tent" she made in the brewery (garage) while helping Dad brew his beer last Sunday.... Four days into the ferment when I found it cleaning up for my poker game this week. One good thing is that I must have totally nailed my efficiency as I was a couple points up on the OG even without the 250grams of chocolate...

[Dale]

So you recon I should start practice on a good pilsner now James?

[James P]

I'm not sure you have to practice too much more, but it's getting close to that time of year to start considering pilsners if you don't have temperature control! :)

[MrC]

I can tell you it's easy to forget to add the chocolate malt to the mash
It's not too late James. You can steep it, cool it and add it to the fermenter now. There's bugger all fermentable sugars in Chocolate malt so it won't really affect the fermentation and will add back the missing choc flavours. I did it with a fruit beer once where I split a mash and added a additional steeped crystal with the fruit after primary.

[jt]

You can steep it, cool it and add it to the fermenter now.

Boil first ?

[MrC]

Oops, well done jt. Definately boil first!!!

- Steep for 30min @ 70c
- Remove grain
- Boil for 15min
- Cool to wort temp
- Add to fermenter