Style: Dry stout—or Irish stout, since the archetypes hail from the Emerald Isle—is a “small” beer with a big, roasty punch. It should be low in alcohol and relatively light in body while accentuating the coffee and chocolate of the dark malts. It needs some bitterness, but not too much; even a touch of astringency can make for a beer that’s grating to drink—the exact opposite of what we want. That’s tricky because what really makes this beer is roasted barley. This recipe also adds a few other touches for a more complete flavor experience.
Ingredients: For a solid base we start with a 3:1 ratio of Maris Otter to flaked barley. Maris brings a bready background flavor—a wonderful base, perfect for this style. The flaked barley, meanwhile, smooths out the texture and flavor—that’s important because it’s about to get a little weird in here. You’ll want a nice portion of roasted barley, between 10 and 15 percent of the grist. If you make this a couple of times and it’s not roasty enough for you, add some pale chocolate malt a pinch at a time until it’s where you want it—but don’t overdo the roasted barley. Meanwhile, a handful of acidulated malt will do two very beneficial things: add a nice, tart zip to the finished beer and help keep your mash pH in check. (Acidulated malt reduces mash pH by about 0.1 per 1 percent of the grist.)
For the hops, I use a 50/50 blend of Fuggles and Glacier in a 40-minute addition, enough to yield 30 IBUs. Fuggles are classic and perfectly appropriate here, with their earthy and woody character. Cutting in the Glacier echoes the woody notes while adding a brighter melon/apricot note. The 40-minute addition makes it easy to get the bitterness while preserving enough of the flavors.