Watson's Alementary Stout

Classification: stout, Irish stout, dry stout, Murphy's, extract

Source: James Durham (js_durham@pnlg.pnl.gov) Issue #949, 8/17/92

Here is my favorite stout recipe, which I was given by Tom Bellinger, owner of "Jim's Homebrew Supply" in Spokane, WA.

This recipe produces a full-flavored stout beer that will mask any off- flavors, including infection, O-rings on soda canisters, etc. When kegged and kept at a pressure of 25 psi, it resembles Guinness stout (the Irish version) when poured into a glass. It's taste, however, it somewhat sweeter than Guinness, more reminiscent of Murphy's Stout (another popular stout served in Ireland). This beer is the closest thing to a true Irish stout that I have encountered in this country.

Ingredients:

6 pounds, dark dry malt extract
1 pound, crystal malt
3/4 pound, roasted barley
1/4 pound, black patent malt
2 ounces, Galena hop pellets (30 minute boil)
1 ounce, Cluster hop flowers (1 minute boil)
Edme ale yeast
3/4 cup, corn sugar (prime)

Procedure:

Add cracked crystal malt, roasted barley, and black patent malt to 1-- 1/2 gallons cold water. Bring slowly to a boil. Remove spent grains and sparge with 2 quarts hottest tap water. Add dry extract and return to boil. Add 1 ounce Galena hop pellets and boil 30 minutes. Add second ounce Galena hop pellets and boil another 29 minutes. Add cluster hop flowers and boil 1 minute. I cool the wort with an immersion wort chiller, then pour the wort through a wire strainer and sparge with 2 quarts boiling water. Pitch yeast (EDME works very well) when wort is at 75F. Ferment out completely (about 1 week), prime (3/4 cup corn sugar), and bottle. Ready to drink in 1 more week, but improves steadily until it's all gone (usually about 3 months if I ration it).