Question about a Stout

[ArcLight]

In "Brewing Classic Styles" page 282 is a recipe for an Imeprial Stout (the
Black Forest Stout) that interests me:

14# Pale Ale malt
.75# Roasted Barley
.5 Chocolate malt
5 oz Crystal 40
5 oz Crystal 80
plus 49 or 98 ounces of Cherry Puree.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/cherry-vintner-s-harvest-fruit-puree.html

For a SQ of 1.071 and FG 1.018

2 oz East Kent Goldings

The problem for me is I don't like high alcohol beers.

Do you think I could just cut down the base malt (Pale Ale) to say 10 pounds?
Or do I also have to scale everything else?
So instead of 5 ounces of C40 use 5 * (5/7) = 3.5 oz, etc.

 

[chickypad]

I would just leave the other grains as is. If you cut just the base to 10 lbs I get 10.5% total for your roasted malts and 5.2% crystal, both of which are fine IMO. If you're going to cut anything maybe the roasted barley a tad. You probably do want to drop your IBU's though.

 

[sptaylor70]

Right now, you're at 6.8 ABV. If you cut down your pale malt to 10 lbs., and do nothing else, your OG will be 1053, resulting in an ABV of 5.2. The crystal malts started at 7% of your grain, and would only be 9% afterward, so that should be fine.

To echo Chickypad above, of greater concern is the roasted barley and the hops. With 14 lbs. of pale, the roasted barley is just under 5%. After the reduction, it's just over 6% and will be more noticeable. If you reduced the amount of roasted barley to 0.5 lbs., then it would then be at about 4% again. The OG then will be 1052.

With the original amount of pale, and assuming a full 60-minute boil for the Goldings hops, you'd have 32 IBU, which is nicely balanced. After the reduction, you're at 37 IBU (I don't really understand why), which is pretty hoppy. If you cut the hops down to 1.5 oz., then you're down to 27 IBU, which returns it to balanced.

 

[chickypad]

The crystal malts started at 7% of your grain, and would only be 9% afterward, so that should be fine.

I think you've got the chocolate lumped in with the crystal there. But sounds like we've basically got the same advice.

 

[volks_r_us]

I would use this recipe instead. Lighter beer I am sure it would pair well with your cherry
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/o-flannagain-standard-41072/

 

[ArcLight]

Let me clarify one thing - this is the Cherry Puree, it's 49 ounces, so thats a bit of sugar. In fact, the recipe calls for 2 cans

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/cherry-vintner-s-harvest-fruit-puree.html

This must have impact on the final ABV.

 

[chickypad]

According to this it doesn't really impact ABV much because you are also adding water with the fruit.

 

[ArcLight]

According to this it doesn't really impact ABV much because you are also adding water with the fruit.

Thanks for the link.

It's fruit puree, not juice, so I think its rather concentrated. But maybe it won't be greater than the current malt.

 

[ArcLight]

One other question - the recipe calls for 98 ounces of puree (2 cans). That's 3 quarts. Will that be too strong a cherry taste?

Or is that needed for big beers with lots of roasted barley?

 

[ArcLight]

One other question - the recipe calls for 98 ounces of puree (2 cans). That's 3 quarts. Will that be too strong a cherry taste?

Or is that needed for big beers with lots of roasted barley?

 

[chickypad]

I've used that much peach puree before in a lighter base (american wheat) but I think cherries are supposed to be more potent. Like you said, it might be needed with that recipe. Hopefully someone else will chime in with direct experience.