Traditional Irish Stout (Beginner Homebrew Recipe)
This traditional Irish stout is dark, roasty, and smooth with a creamy head. It’s a good place to start if you’re brewing beer at home for the first time.
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Equipment
- 5-Gallon Fermenter with airlock
- Brew Kettle at least 5 gallons
- Strainer or mesh bag
- Thermometer
- Hydrometer to measure alcohol content
- Auto-Siphon & Tubing
- Bottling Bucket with spigot
- 50 Bottles we like the ones with the ceramic caps attached
- Sanitizer
Ingredients
Grains & Malts:
- 6.6 lbs Light Dry Malt Extract
- 8 lbs Pale Malt (if doing all-grain)
- 1 lb Roasted Barley
- 0.5 lb Chocolate Malt
- 0.5 lb Flaked Barley
Hops & Yeast:
- 1 oz East Kent Goldings Hops
- 1 oz Fuggle Hops
- 1 packet Irish Ale Yeast Wyeast 1084 or Safale S-04
Other Additions:
- 5 gallons Water filtered
- ¾ cup Priming Sugar for bottling
- 1 Whirlfloc Tablet optional
Instructions
- Sanitize anything that will touch the beer. This step prevents contamination and keeps unwanted bacteria out of your batch. Use a no-rinse sanitizer and make sure your fermenter, spoon, and siphoning equipment are completely clean before starting.
- In a large brew kettle, heat 3 gallons of water to about 160°F. Add the roasted barley, chocolate malt, and flaked barley in a mesh bag. Let them steep for about 20 minutes so the grains release their color and roasted flavor. Remove the grains and let them drain into the pot before discarding them.1 lb Roasted Barley, 0.5 lb Chocolate Malt, 0.5 lb Flaked Barley
- Increase the heat and bring the water to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and stir in the dry malt extract (DME) until fully dissolved.6.6 lbs Light Dry Malt Extract
- Return the mixture to a boil. Be careful. Boilovers can happen fast.
- At 60 minutes: Add 1 oz East Kent Goldings hops for bitterness.1 oz East Kent Goldings Hops
- At 15 minutes: Add 1 oz Fuggle hops for aroma.1 oz Fuggle Hops
- At 10 minutes: If using, add a whirlfloc tablet to help with clarity.1 Whirlfloc Tablet
- After the 60-minute boil, remove the pot from heat. Cool the wort (unfermented beer) as quickly as possible using an ice bath or wort chiller. The goal is to get it down to about 70°F.
- Pour the cooled wort into a sanitized fermenter. Add enough cool water to reach 5 gallons. Use a sanitized hydrometer to take an initial gravity reading.
- Add the yeast (called pitching the yeast), close the fermenter, and attach the airlock.1 packet Irish Ale Yeast
- Place the fermenter in a dark, cool space (around 65-70°F) and let it ferment for at least 2 weeks. You'll notice bubbling in the airlock within the first 24 hours, signaling active fermentation.
- After fermentation slows and bubbling has mostly stopped (usually around two weeks), dissolve the priming sugar in 2 cups of boiling water. Cool and mix with the beer in a bottling bucket.3/4 cup Priming Sugar
- Siphon into bottles, cap them, and store in a dark place at room temperature for 2 weeks to carbonate.
Notes
- Store bottled stout in a cool, dark place for up to six months.
- Once the beer is fully carbonated (after about two weeks), store bottles in the refrigerator.
- For the best texture, serve stout slightly chilled at about 45–50°F in a pint glass.
Servings: 50 bottles
Cost: $50