Stout
2 lb. patent black malt- 2 lb. crystal malt
- 1 lb. black treacle
- 3 lb. white sugar
- 4 oz. hops
- teaspoonful salt
- 1 oz. citric acid - yeast - nutrient
Bring seven quarts water to 150°F. Pour this into the polythene pail and add the malts at once. Put in the immersion heater, cover the vessel with polythene as directed and wrap in a blanket to conserve warmth. Switch on the heater and keep the mash at 145°-150°F for eight hours. You may carry out the starch test at this stage if you want to.
Strain the mash into the boiler and add two ounces of hops and the salt. Boil rapidly for one minute and then simmer for forty minutes. Then add remaining hops and simmer for a further ten minutes.
Put the sugar, treacle and citric acid in the fermenting vessel and strain the mash on to it. Make up to four gallons with boiling water. Allow to cool to 65°-70°F and then add yeast and nutrient. Cover as already directed and leave in a warm place for six-seven days.
If using hydrometer, take readings after five days until reading has dropped to 1.005 and then bottle as already advised. If hydrometer is not in use, allow fermentation to go on until stout goes ‘flat’, and then prime - add sugar to restart fermentation - and bottle. Some people like this as a draught stout; if you think you would like it, there will be no need to use the hydrometer or to prime the stout. Merely let it ferment right out and then bottle.
Note. Stouts are usually sweeter than ordinary ales and beers. If sweetening is needed, add a little lactose as already suggested. This will improve after a few weeks in bottle, but may be used after two weeks.