Just for giggles I thought I would try to impress a couple of Irish mates and brew some Guinness. The recipe is nothing complicated but the serving as I discovered, is very specific.
Recipe
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 L | 60 min | 45.5 | 41.8 SRM | 1.043 | 1.012 | 4.07 % |
| Actuals | 1.043 | 1.012 | 4.07 % | |||
Style Details
| Name | Cat. | OG Range | FG Range | IBU | SRM | Carb | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Stout | 15 B | 1.036 - 1.044 | 1.007 - 1.011 | 25 - 45 | 25 - 40 | 0 - 0 | 0 - 0 % |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Best Ale Malt | 2.3 kg | 59.74 |
| Barley, Flaked | 1.1 kg | 28.57 |
| Roasted Barley | 450 g | 11.69 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Kent Goldings (EKG) | 68 g | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 4.7 |
Miscs
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) | 2.6 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Epsom Salt (MgSO4) | 2.1 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Gypsum (CaSO4) | 2.2 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Whirlfloc | 1.158 items | 15 min | Boil | Fining |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Ale (1084) | Wyeast Labs | 73% | 16.7°C - 22.2°C |
Mash
| Step | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mash | 66°C | 60 min |
Fermentation
| Step | Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 14 days | 19°C |
| Aging | 0 days | 0°C |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
Dispense
Gas
Luckily my CO2 supplier also had a 70/30 Nitrogen/CO2 mix.
The Nitrogen is at a very much higher pressure than CO2 . At almost 200 Bar or 2900 PSI it feels quite scary. So I chained the cylinder to a wall to prevent any accidents. If this was to fall over and snap off the regulator, I would a have a 20Kg missile flying around the garage.
Regulator
Because of the higher pressure, the Nitrogen mix required a different regulator.
Tap
I found a new Guinness tap and handle on Ebay. This is a rather nice piece of kit – well made and very functional.
Pouring
There a number of things that Guinness teach about how to pull the perfect pint. Most of which seems to be marketing nonsense.
- Tapered Guinness glass
- Hold at 45 degrees
- Pull tap fully towards you and pour until beer reaches the top of harp
- Wait 119.53 secs.
- Push tap away from you to top up the pint until the head creates a dome above the rim