Looking to brew the perfect Irish Stout? You’ve come to the right place; in this post, we are going to provide you with an exclusive Irish Stout Recipe and guide you step by step through the steps of brewing this rich and flavorful beer. We’ve meticulously developed and tested this recipe to ensure it captures the authentic essence of Ireland’s famed stout. Whether you’re a seasoned brewer or a newbie, this Irish Stout Recipe will be your go-to guide for creating a delectable, deep-flavored stout that embodies the heart of Ireland’s brewing heritage.
The key ingredients in crafting a perfect Irish stout are roasted and flaked barley, which serve as the foundation for this classic beverage. To achieve the right balance, it’s essential to use pale malt as the base grain as well as ensuring the mash pH is in check.
With precise measurements, strict adherence to brewing instructions, and a little patience, you’ll soon be enjoying your very own homemade Irish stout.
Definition of Irish Stout
Irish Stout, also known as Dry Stout, is a type of dark beer that originated in the British Isles. It is part of the larger stout family, which includes other varieties such as Oatmeal Stout, Milk Stout, Sweet Stout, and Imperial Stout, among others. However, Irish Stout stands out with its distinctive coffee-like roastiness, medium hop bitterness, and smooth mouthfeel.
The history of Irish Stout can be traced back to the early 1730s in London. The term “stout” has been used in brewing since at least 1677, when it was synonymous with strong beer. Over time, Irish Stout gained popularity in Great Britain and Ireland, eventually becoming the internationally recognized style it is today.
One characteristic that sets Irish Stouts apart from other stout styles is their color. The beer is typically black or extremely dark brown, with a range of 35-200 SRM (Standard Reference Method). This dark hue is mainly attributable to the use of roasted barley, a key ingredient in Irish Stout recipes. Roasted barley imparts the unique dry, coffee-like flavor and white foam head associated with this beer style.
Although Irish Stout can be compared to certain Porters, it is essential to differentiate between the two. Porters are generally less roasty and tend to have a sweeter, more caramel-like flavor profile. In contrast, an Irish Stout versus a Porter is characterized by their dry, roasted taste and balanced bitterness.
Other noteworthy stout styles include American Stout, which typically exhibits a more prominent hop presence and sometimes chocolate or caramel flavors, and an Oatmeal Stout recipe is known for its addition of oats, which impart a creamy and smooth texture. Milk Stout beers or Sweet Stouts are brewed with lactose, resulting in a sweeter and fuller-bodied beer, while Imperial Stout recipes are characterized by their higher alcohol content and more robust flavors.
Irish Stout Recipe 
The following is a 5 gallon Irish Stout Recipe you can use to brew up a batch of your own…
Ingredients:
Malt:
– 8 lbs Pale Malt (base malt)
– 1 lb Roasted Barley (for dark color and coffee-like taste)
– 1 lb Flaked Barley (to add body and texture)
– 0.5 lb Chocolate Malt (for additional flavor, optional)
– 0.5 lb Caramel Malt (for a hint of sweetness)
Hops:
– 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings Hops (bittering)
– 0.5 oz Fuggle Hops (aroma)
Yeast:
– 1 packet Irish Ale Yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1084 or Safale S-04)
Additional Ingredients:
– 1 tsp Irish Moss (for clarity, added during the last 15 minutes of the boil)
– Priming sugar (if bottling)
Equipment:
– Brewing kettle
– Fermenter
– Airlock
– Hydrometer
– Thermometer
– Stirring spoon
– Strainer
– Bottling equipment (if bottling)
Brewing Process:
1) Mashing:
– Heat 3.5 gallons of water to 155°F (68°C).
– Add all malts to the water and maintain the temperature at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes to allow the grains to steep.
2) Lautering and Sparging:
– Separate the wort from the grains using a strainer.
– Sparge the grains with 2 gallons of water at 170°F (77°C) to extract remaining sugars.
3) Boiling:
– Bring the wort to a boil.
– Add 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings hops and boil for 60 minutes.
– With 15 minutes remaining, add the Irish Moss.
– Add 0.5 oz Fuggle Hops in the last 5 minutes for aroma.
4) Cooling and Fermentation:
– Cool the wort quickly to 68°F (20°C).
– Transfer to a fermenter and pitch the Irish Ale Yeast.
– Ferment for about two weeks or until fermentation signs cease.
5) Bottling:
– Prime with sugar and bottle. Allow to condition for at least two weeks.
Tips:
– Water Profile: Stout benefits from a water profile with a higher mineral content, especially carbonate.
– Fermentation Temperature: Keep the fermentation temperature steady around 68°F (20°C) for the best flavor profile.
– Tasting Notes: Expect a deep, dark beer with a rich creamy head, notes of coffee, chocolate, and a subtle sweetness balanced by hop bitterness.
Create Your Own Irish Stout Recipe
If you want to create your own Irish Stout Recipe, you can either modify the one we provided or develop your own from scratch, when so doing, the following guidelines will help you make an authentic Irish Stout Recipe…
Malts
In an Irish Stout recipe, the primary malt used is pale malt. Roasted barley and flaked barley are also essential ingredients, which give the beer its classic dry, coffee-like flavor, deep dark color, and rich texture. Some breweries may use other specialty malts like chocolate malt or caramel malt to add complexity and unique character. You may also come across black patent malt, or dextrin malts, which add depth to the flavor profile.
– Pale malt: base malt
– Roasted barley: dark color, coffee-like taste
– Flaked barley: adds body and texture
– Chocolate malt: some breweries use for additional flavor
– Caramel malt: helps in providing a hint of sweetness
Hops
The hops used in the Irish Stout recipe should be subtle and not overpowering. Common hop varieties used for this style include East Kent Golding and Fuggle. These varieties contribute to a clean bitter finish and balance out the maltiness. You can also use Willamette as an alternative hop that offers similar characteristics.
| Hop Variety | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| East Kent Golding | Balance, subtle bitterness |
| Fuggle | Balance, earthy notes |
| Willamette | Alternative choice |
Yeast
For the yeast in Irish Stout, it is essential to select a British ale yeast or Irish ale yeast that produces fewer fruity esters. This choice complements the malt-forward flavors of the stout, resulting in a dry finish. One popular option is the Danstar Nottingham dry yeast.
– British or Irish ale yeast: fewer fruity esters, dry finish
– Danstar Nottingham: a popular choice for fermenting Irish Stout
Additional Ingredients
Mashing at a specific temperature, usually 152°F (66°C), helps convert the grains’ starches into fermentable sugars. Keep the ABV (alcohol by volume) of your Irish Stout relatively low, ranging from 4.0-5.5%, making it sessionable.
Some recipes may call for additional ingredients, such as black malt, wheat, or acidulated malt. Black malt and wheat can add complexity and head retention, while acidulated malt can help with adjusting the pH of your mash if required.
The Brewing Process
Mashing
To begin the brewing process for your Irish stout recipe, you need to properly mash the grains. Start by heating your water and maintaining a mash temperature between 140°F and 150°F (60°C – 65°C). This will ensure the most beta-amylase activity, which converts complex sugars into simpler ones that can be fermented out. Carefully submerge your grains in a mesh straining bag, ensuring the bag doesn’t rest on the bottom of the brew pot.
Boiling
Once you have completed the mashing process, it’s time to move on to boiling. Fill your brew kettle with 3-4 gallons of water and apply high heat using a floor burner. Bring the water to a boil and add your hops, following your particular Irish stout recipe’s hop schedule. Remember to maintain a rolling boil throughout the process and adjust the heat as necessary to prevent boil-overs. Boiling the wort is essential for extracting the bitterness and flavors from the hops as well as sterilizing your wort.
Fermentation
After boiling, it’s time for fermentation. Carefully cool the wort down to your preferred yeast’s ideal fermentation temperature, which is typically around 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C) for ale yeasts. Transfer the wort into a sanitized fermentation vessel and pitch your yeast, ensuring everything is properly aerated. Keep an eye on the original gravity (OG) of your wort and monitor its progress throughout fermentation. Watch for signs of fermentation such as bubbling in the airlock and a foamy layer known as “krausen” forming on the top of the wort. Fermentation will typically take 1 to 2 weeks, depending on your yeast strain and fermentation temperature.
Conditioning
Once the fermentation is complete, and the final gravity (FG) is stable, it’s time to condition your beer. This step is crucial for refining the beer’s flavors, carbonation, and mouthfeel. You can either opt for bottle conditioning or keg conditioning.
For bottle conditioning, transfer your beer to sanitized bottles with a small amount of priming sugar added to create natural carbonation. Seal the bottles with caps, and then allow them to condition in a cool, dark place for at least 2-3 weeks.
For keg conditioning, simply transfer your beer into a sanitized keg. Add the appropriate amount of priming sugar dissolved in water or use forced CO2 for carbonation. Once your desired carbonation level is reached, store the keg at a serving temperature, and your Irish stout will be ready to enjoy.
The Water Profile for an Irish Stout Recipe
The water profile plays a significant role in brewing an Irish stout. To achieve an authentic taste, you can create a water profile similar to the one used in Ireland. This will provide the perfect foundation for the distinct flavors found in an Irish stout.
Start with reverse osmosis filtered water or distilled water as your base. This allows you to build your water profile from scratch, ensuring you have complete control over the mineral content. For an Irish stout, you will want to target a soft, low alkalinity water profile. The Wicklow Mountain water profile is a good example.
Keep in mind that the roasted malts in an Irish stout recipe have an acidifying effect on the mash, so it’s important to monitor and maintain the pH level. Aim for a mash pH in the range of 5.40 to 5.50. You might need to add a pH buffer, such as acid malt, to prevent the pH from dropping too low. However, be cautious with the amount of acid malt added; too much can result in off-flavors.
When adjusting your water profile, focus on obtaining the following characteristics:
– Calcium: 50-150 ppm
– Magnesium: 10-30 ppm
– Sodium: 0-150 ppm
– Sulfate: 50-350 ppm
– Chloride: 0-250 ppm
– Bicarbonate: 0-250 ppm
These parameters will ensure your Irish stout has a balanced mineral content, allowing the distinct dry, roasty, and slightly bitter flavors to shine through.
By taking the time to fine-tune your water profile, you can create a truly authentic Irish stout that pays homage to the rich brewing traditions of Ireland.
Irish Stout Recipe FAQs
What are the key ingredients for an Irish stout?
For a traditional Irish stout, you need pale malt, flaked barley, and roasted barley. The proportions usually involve around 2.7 kg of pale malt, 0.9 kg of flaked barley, and 0.5 kg of roasted barley for a 5-gallon batch.
How does an Irish stout differ from an English stout?
Irish stouts generally have a dryer and more roasted character compared to English stouts. The flavor profile of an Irish stout often includes coffee-like roastiness with medium hop bitterness, while English stouts may have more chocolate and caramel notes. Irish stouts also tend to have a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) compared to English stouts.
What hops are commonly used in Irish stouts?
Willamette hops are a popular choice for Irish stout recipes, providing a mild and spicy aroma with a balanced bitterness. Other options include Fuggle, East Kent Goldings, and Northdown hops. You’ll typically add around 2 oz (57 g) of hops during a 60-minute boil for a 5-gallon batch.
What is the process of making an Irish stout?
The process begins with mashing the grains, usually at a temperature of 152°F (66°C ) for 60 minutes. This step is crucial for converting complex sugars into simple sugars that can be fermented. After the mash, you’ll need to sparge and collect the wort. Bring the wort to a boil, then add your hops according to the recipe and boil for 60 minutes.
After boiling, cool the wort and transfer it to a fermentation vessel. Pitch your yeast and ferment the beer at a temperature of about 68°F (20°C) for 7-14 days. Finally, you’ll transfer the beer to a secondary vessel or directly to a keg or bottles for conditioning before enjoying your Irish stout.
How does Guinness compare to other Irish stouts?
There is a difference between the Guinness extra stout vs draught. Guinness draught is the most famous and widely recognized Irish stout and the one people think of when they are talking about Guinness. Its flavor profile and mouthfeel are similar to other traditional Irish stouts, as it exhibits a coffee-like roastiness, silky smooth texture, and medium hop bitterness. However, original Guinness is often nitrogenated, which gives it a creamier head and smoother mouthfeel compared to other Irish stouts that are carbonated with carbon dioxide.
What variations can be found within Irish stout recipes?
Irish stout recipes can vary in terms of malt and hop profiles, as well as the overall balance between roastiness and bitterness. Some recipes may include additional specialty grains, such as chocolate malt or caramel malt, to add more complexity to the flavor. Additionally, experimentation with different hop varieties and yeast strains can also yield unique variations of the classic Irish stout style.
P.S. Be sure to grab our top 5 favorite beer recipes, including our favorite Irish Stout Recipe; details are on the side or bottom of the blog. Cheers!