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Recipe: White Elm Fluffaluffagus
Want to get messy with marshmallow? This hefty imperial stout recipe from White Elm Brewing in Lincoln, Nebraska, includes marshmallows in the kettle and coconut toasties in the fermentor.
Photo: Prokopiev Yuri/Shutterstock & courtesy White Elm Brewing
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Courtesy of Kolby Wood at White Elm Brewing in Lincoln, Nebraska, this recipe is based on their popular Fluffaluffagus marshmallow imperial stout, with a couple of tweaks for homebrewers—including the use of marshmallow coconut toasties in secondary. For more, see Special Ingredient: Brewing with Marshmallow.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 75%
OG: 1.144
FG: 1.055
IBUs: 37
ABV: 12%
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Courtesy of Kolby Wood at White Elm Brewing in Lincoln, Nebraska, this recipe is based on their popular Fluffaluffagus marshmallow imperial stout, with a couple of tweaks for homebrewers—including the use of marshmallow coconut toasties in secondary. For more, see Special Ingredient: Brewing with Marshmallow.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 75%
OG: 1.144
FG: 1.055
IBUs: 37
ABV: 12%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
20 lb (9.1 kg) pale ale malt
2 lb (907 g) Thomas Fawcett malted oats
1 lb (454 g) rice hulls
12 oz (340 g) Weyermann Carafa III
6 oz (170 g) Thomas Fawcett Light Crystal I 45L
6 oz (170 g) Thomas Fawcett Dark Crystal I 85L
6 oz (170 g) Thomas Fawcett Dark Crystal II 120L
6 oz (170 g) Patagonia coffee malt
4 oz (113 g) Thomas Fawcett black malt
4 oz (113 g) Thomas Fawcett roasted barley
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
1.4 oz (40 g) Magnum [13.2% AA] at 90 minutes
1 lb (454 g) lactose at 15 minutes
1 lb (454 g) mini marshmallows at 15 minutes
1.7 lb (771 g) marshmallow coconut toasties in secondary
3 Ugandan vanilla beans in secondary
YEAST
Propagate Labs MIP-420 Scotch Ale or other low- to medium-attenuation Scottish ale strain
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains for a thick mash at 150°F (66°C) for 1 hour. Use buffer salts or 5.2 pH stabilizer to maintain a mash pH of 5.2. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, about 15 minutes. Sparge with 168°F (76°C) water, lautering very slowly over about 3 hours; start bringing the wort to boil once the kettle is about 25% full. Once the wort gravity has fallen to 1.115, stop lautering and boil for 3 hours or more, adding hops, lactose, and marshmallows according to the schedule. Chill to 60°F (16°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 62°F (17°C) until fermentation is about 80% complete; raise to 66°F (19°C) until 90% complete; then raise to 68°F (20°F) until finished. Add marshmallow toasties and vanilla beans for 5 days, then cold crash and rack to another vessel. Lager for 7 more days before packaging and carbonating.
BREWER’S NOTES
You’ll need a big yeast starter for this one—big! Be cautious with plate chillers, as marshmallow can gum them up (you might be better off with the old immersion chiller). Keep the fermentation temperature low for the first few days; this yeast can get volcanic and fruity-estery if too warm. Optionally, choose a more neutral yeast with low-to-moderate attenuation. The variety of vanilla makes a difference—Ugandan presents like Breyer’s French Vanilla ice cream, and it’s more “marshmallowy” than others. Soaking the vanilla beans in brandy can also bring out more marshmallow character. The marshmallows in secondary will want to float; you can bag them and add sanitized stainless-steel washers to hold them down in the liquid. Finally, be prepared for a long brew day—and even longer cleanup time!
