This is a straight clone of Brewdog’s Jet Black Heart of which I am a big fan. The name ‘Jet Black Hat’ is in line with my computer related naming convention (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hat). This recipe was taken from DIY Dog 2017 which has no added vanilla, unlike the the current version used in this comparison.
Appearance wise they are identical, both black and totally opaque. The foam retention was also remarkably similar. I carbonated mine for 2 days at 20 psi which turned out to be a good guess.
The two beers did differ significantly in aroma and taste. It was clear that Jet Black Heart has a lot of vanilla aroma and especially flavour. My Jet Black Hat had no vanilla whatsoever, which was for the better in my opinion. I felt the vanilla was too overpowering and I ended up preferring my more traditional stout. It was smooth to the taste and finished with a pleasant and slightly bitter aftertaste.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the vanilla flavour is not for the best. I really prefer the original version without vanilla. This is probably the best beer I’ve made to date and will certainly be revisiting it soon. Perhaps with a chili kick in the summer.
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 L | 60 min | 43.2 IBUs | 74.1 EBC | 1.071 | 1.023 | 6.3 % |
| Actuals | 1.046 | 1.01 | 4.7 % | |||
Style Details
| Name | Cat. | OG Range | FG Range | IBU | SRM | Carb | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Stout | 16 A | 1.044 - 1.06 | 1.012 - 1.024 | 20 - 40 | 59.1 - 78.8 | 2 - 2.7 | 4 - 6 % |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pale Malt, Maris Otter | 4.55 kg | 60.76 |
| Pale Crystal Malt | 640 g | 8.55 |
| Brown Malt (Crisp) | 442.2 g | 5.9 |
| Oats, Flaked | 442.2 g | 5.9 |
| Wheat, Malt (Simpsons) | 290.9 g | 3.88 |
| Black (Crisp) | 221.1 g | 2.95 |
| Carafa I | 221.1 g | 2.95 |
| Crystal Dark - 77L (Crisp) | 221.1 g | 2.95 |
| Milk Sugar (Lactose) | 460 g | 6.14 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnum | 24.1 g | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 12 |
| Sorachi Ace | 12.6 g | 30 min | Boil | Pellet | 13 |
Miscs
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking Soda | 4.00 g | 60 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Calcium Chloride | 4.00 g | 60 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Epsom Salt (MgSO4) | 4.00 g | 60 min | Mash | Water Agent |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Ale (1056) | Wyeast Labs | 75% | 15.56°C - 22.22°C |
Mash
| Step | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mash In | 67.78°C | 75 min |
Fermentation
| Step | Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 14 days | 19.44°C |
| Aging | 30 days | 18.33°C |
Notes
| Final Adjusted Water Final Calcium (ppm) 61 Final Magnesium (ppm) 19 Final Total Alkalinity as CaCO3 149 Final Sulfate (ppm) 76 Final Chloride (ppm) 70 Final Sodium (ppm) 54 Final Residual Alkalinity as CaCO3 94 Final Sulfate to Chloride Ratio 1.1 |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |