Chocolate “Stimulus Stout”
Malt 1: 6 lbs. Dark LME
Grain 1: .5 lb 60L
Grain 2: .5 lb Roasted Barley
Grain 3: .5 lb Two-Row
Grain 4: .5 lb Chocolate
Hop 1: 1 oz Cluster
Yeast: Used - 1318 London Ale III
Suggested – Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale
Adjunct 1: 2 oz. Vanilla Extract
Adjunct 2: 8 oz. 100% bakers cocoa powder
Adjunct 3: 1 lb of lactose powder
Boiling Schedule:
Steep grains at 155°F for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil. Remove water from heat and mix LME and lactose until dissolved @ 90 minutes. Bring water back to a boil and add Hop 1 @ 90 minutes. With 10 minutes left mix 8 oz of baker cocoa until dissolved.
Notes:
Transfer to secondary fermenter after ~7 days or begin taking daily hydrometer readings – when hydrometer readings are the same on consecutive days, primary fermentation is complete. Proceed to bottling or secondary fermentation and add vanilla extract. Bottle with .75 cups of corn sugar. Bottle condition for up to 3 weeks.
I pulled the trigger on a good priced stout extract kit (the “Depot’s Stimulus Stout”) at the Homebrewing Depot. I’m going to use it as a base to my first stout and furthermore my first chocolate stout. I made the decision to go chocolate after Kel and I tried a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. It was good but not as chocolate tasting as I anticipated. I was assuming chocolate beer with a name like that. I did some research in addition to finishing Charlie Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Home Brewing. I decided to add 100% cocoa powder, vanilla extract and lactose to my stout base recipe. My OG was 1.052.
Today I racked my beer to its secondary vessel. It had a pretty vigourous fermentation for about 4 days. I took a gravity reading on the 4th day and it was 1.011. It started slowing down on the 6th day to about one bubble out of the airlock every 50 seconds. Today made it 8 days in the primary with final gravity of 1.010. That would give it an attenuation of about 80% and an ABV of 6.7% with my original gravity of 1.060. It had a much darker hue than I expected but the Biere de Garde color range is pretty broad so there isn’t too much of a clear cut rule. I’ll now leave it in the secondary for a couple weeks then prepare for bottling.
The only concern I had was the water temp of my carboy bath, which was to provide a warmer and more buffered temperature and environment, was that it was about 75°-76°. I know that it is supposed to be fermented as a warmer ale, even though it is a lager yeast. I’m hoping it isn’t to fruity tasting, as I’ve read it can when warm temps are involved. Maybe the “cellaring” will diminish this.
Bière de Garde
Northern Homebrewer, St. Paul, MN
Malt 1: 7 lbs. Pilsen DME
Grain 1: .5 lbs Dingeman’s Aromatic
Grain 2: .5 lbs Gambrinus Honey Malt
Hop 1: 1 oz Styrian Goldings
Yeast: Used – Saflager S-23 (65-75)
Also available – Wyeast 2112 California Lager Yeast (58-68)
Biere de Garde should be brew at warmer ale temps and cold stored at colder temps.
Boiling Schedule:
After the water reaches 155°F add the bag full of grain to the water in the kettle and steep like a tea bag as the water continues to heat. Remove water from heat and mix 3 lbs. of DME until dissolved @ 90 minutes. Bring water back to a boil and add Hop 1 @ 90 minutes. With 15 minutes left mix 4 lbs of remaining DME until dissolved @ 15 minutes left in the boil.
Notes:
Transfer to secondary fermenter after 14 days or begin taking daily hydrometer readings – when hydrometer readings are the same on consecutive days, primary fermentation is complete. Proceed to bottling or secondary fermentation. Bottle with 1.25 cups of wheat DME or .75 cups of corn sugar. Bottle condition and store for up to 3 months.
From Northern Brewer:
O.G: 1063 / Ready: 3 months
Bière de Garde is a beer that has its origins in the northern region of France known as Nord-Pas de Calais. This style is intended to be cellared for many months, and is brewed relatively strong. Bronze in color, this beer has clean fermentation properties and a caramelly profile from a longer-than-usual boil. Our Bière de Garde kit is intended to be fermented ’steam style’, by a lager yeast fermented at warmer ale temperatures. To enhance the cleanliness, this beer should be cold-conditioned in the bottle for two months before serving.
