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Rogue Ales & Spirits brewmaster Joel Shields and his team share this scaled-down recipe for their flagship stout, which is virtually always served nitrogenated these days for a creamier mouthfeel. You can do the same, if you have the equipment, or just package with your usual methods and enjoy.
“Brewed with a heavy dose of Cascade hops,” the brewery says in its description of the beer. “Bitter and sweet balance each other with a nice, creamy oatmeal finish.”
For more on the thinking and approach behind this foundational beer, see Ask the Pros: Brewing Oatmeal Stout in the Style of Rogue.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.061
FG: 1.017
IBUs: 60
ABV: 5.7%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
8.1 lb (3.7 kg) pale two-row
1.35 lb (612 g) crystal/caramel 120
1.35 lb (612 g) chocolate malt
1.1 lb (500 g) flaked oats
8 oz (227 g) rice hulls
6 oz (170 g) roasted barley
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
2.4 oz (68 g) Cascade at 60 minutes [54 IBUs]
1 tsp (5 ml) yeast nutrient at 10 minutes
1.5 oz (43 g) Cascade at whirlpool [6 IBUs]
YEAST
Wyeast 1764 Pacman, Imperial A18 Joystick, or White Labs WLP051 California V Ale
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains, except the flaked oats and rice hulls. Add the oats and mash at 148°F (64°C) for 50 minutes, then add the rice hulls, raise the temperature to 172°F (78°C), and mash out. Recirculate until the runnings are clear of particles (8–10 minutes), and run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops and yeast nutrient according to the schedule. After the boil, do a whirlpool step: Stir or recirculate to create a vortex; if possible, cool to 180°F (82°C), add the whirlpool hops, and allow 20 minutes to settle. Chill to about 60°F (16°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Once fermentation is complete, cap the fermentor and rest 3 days. Then crash to 33°F (1°C), package, and carbonate.
BREWER’S NOTES
Carbonation: We currently nitrogenate all our Shakespeare stout. (Editor’s note: If you want to do the same, see How to Serve Beer on Nitro.) If you don’t have the equipment to nitrogenate, don’t worry. Just carbonate this beer on the lower end. Shoot for no more than 2.2 volumes of CO2.