Thoughts on Great Lakes Blackout Stout

[AK616]

So I would like to try to brew a clone of GL Blackout Stout and think I may have a recipe for something close. I got most of the information here (Blackout Stout) and tried to figure it out from there.

Here it is:
Great Lakes Blackout Stout (Partial Mash)
Recipe Type: Partial Mash
Yeast: WLP001
Yeast Starter: Stir Plate
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.092
Final Gravity: 1.022
IBU: 31.6
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
ABV: 9.3%

5.75 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
6.00 lb Dry Malt Extract
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (They specify 77L but I couldn't find it easily)
0.75 lb American Black Patent
0.75 lb Black Roasted Barley

0.5 oz Simcoe (60 min)
0.5 oz Northern Brewer (10 min)


Thoughts? Opinions?

Look forward to the replies.

 

[GuldTuborg]

My thoughts are it's a damned good beer to clone...very tasty. It's been a while since I've had one, so I'm posting mostly to keep up with how this works out for you.

Here are a few thoughts, though:

GL uses Wyeast 1028 as their house yeast. It's a bit distinctive, so I'd definitely use it over the 001.

The "crystal 77" tells me they're probably using a British crystal malt. All maltsters make different tasting crystal malts, but the British ones taste different than the American versions. Still, they all (from what I can tell) taste different from each other, too, so perhaps it's a futile effort. Crisp makes a malt they advertize at 77L, so perhaps it's that one. Who knows?

I'd also get those IBUs up. GL shows 50, you have 31. MOAR HOPS IS MOAR BETTER! I'm surprised they get away with just 50 in a beer like this.

Keep us posted if you decide to brew this. Good luck!

 

[AK616]

Thanks for the tips. I will certainly use the 1028 instead of the 001. And about the IBUs... This is why I should not read computer screens without my glasses. Apparently, according to my awesome eyes, 30 is the same as 50. I'm thinking about brewing this next month—I have to find a way to bring home to Miami and this seems to be a logical way to do so—and will certainly let you guys know how it goes.

 

[AK616]

So I decided to brew this today. I used the recipe in the original post (with slight modifications) and added all of the DME late. However, I couldn't get my hands on 1028 and LHBS only had WLP007 so that is what I went with. I will be making this again with 1028 and will compare the differences. I should note that I completely screwed up the mash...I had my temperature set at 151 and then realized that I had only added half of the grains (trying to do too many things at once). As a result I had to add more water to get the temp up and really have no clue what the grain to water ratio was. I do know that I was able to collect 15 quarts 3 cups from the initial runoff. I then sparged and collected 12 more quarts for a preboil volume of 6.9 gallons (which was surprisingly where I wanted to be).

The preboil SG was 1.040 and after everything was done I hit an OG of 1.092. Per Guld's advice, I added 1 oz of Simcoe @ 60 and 1 oz of US Northern Brewer @ 10 to get the IBU's in the 60s. This is a bit more than what GL's calls for but I figured it would be a bit sweet and was hoping to balance it out a bit (thanks again Guld). The bit that I tested tasted pretty good; it was sweet with chocolate, carmel, and coffee notes. Admittedly, it has been a while since I have had a "real" one (I HATE LIVING IN MIAMI) but will have the family send me some when it is released and will be doing a side by side test. I pitched a decanted 2.33 L starter (per MrMalty) and there appears to be a bit of activity already (6 hours after finished). I have my fermentation chamber set at 62 and will keep it there a couple of days and begin to gradually raise the temp over the next week or so. I plan to keep it in primary for one month, bottle, and allow it to sit for a while to age.

Here is an updated recipe:

Original Gravity: 1.092
Final Gravity: 1.022
IBU: 62.08
Boil (Minutes): 60
ABV: 9.3%

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
6.50 lb Light Dry Malt Extract (all late addition)
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal 77
0.75 lb black malt
0.75 lb Black Roasted Barley

1 oz Simcoe (60 min)
1 oz Northern Brewer (10 min)

Mash at 151 for 60 minutes

If anyone has any questions let me know. I will keep this updated as I continue with the process.

 

[orangemen5]

Looking forward to your results. Love this beer also.

 

[AK616]

Quick update: If you have never used WLP007 you should know it ferments quite vigorously. My primary is a 7.9 gallon bucket and I put around 5.5 gallons of wort into it. Today, for the first time, I had had to remove my airlock and use a blowoff. 27 hours after pitching it sounds like a kid blowing bubbles in milk. The fermentation chamber holds around 61 and the temperature from the insulated probe on the outside of the bucket is about 66.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Sounds like things worked out OK despite the mash issues at the beginning. Of course, the irony here is this will be your best beer yet, and you'll never know how to mash it again to replicate! Life's unfair sometimes.

It sounds like it chugging along very nicely, so I hope it keeps up. Keep us posted with the progress. There's no replacing 1028, it's just too unique, I think, but the 007 should make a very tasty beer.

 

[LostMyFilm]

And I gotta ask, how did it turn out. Thinking of cloning it myself soon!

 

[AK616]

Sorry to have disappeared... Finishing Grad School really destroyed all of my fun. I brewed it and it turned out pretty good. Somehow, the fermentation got a little excited and ran hot for a day (I blame it on WLP007—I wasn't able to get 1028). As a result, the beer, when young, had a distinct alcohol taste that did die down over a long time (>9 months). Unfortunately, I was unable to get a hold of any of the original stuff so I didn't get to do a side by side. Until, I am able, which should be sometime this year, I can't speak to how close it actually was. Going off of memory and what my sister said, it was pretty close.

Again, sorry for vanishing... Grad School sucks.

 

[LostMyFilm]

Ah, no worries, and I have to give an immense thank you for your reply! I'm basically going to copy your recipe with the 102 yeast soon!

And yeah, grad classes suck, but they'll be worth it in the long run! Hopefully you'll score that dream job and have the free time you want. Best of luck to you, and thanks again!

 

[AK616]

Please let me know what you think about how it turns out. I am curious to see what others think. I do think that with the proper yeast (and perhaps more hops) it will be better.

Can't wait to see how it goes for you.

 

[LostMyFilm]

So far, I've brewed an all grain batch of it with WLP013 yeast and it's been super energetic. Lost a gallon at this point.

The pre-boil wort tasted a lot like GLBCs beer, but I miscalculated and instead of a 9% ABV beer, I'm looking at 14%...