Beer Recipe: Swig's Summer Stout

By Greg 'Swig' Johnson

When most people think summer they usually don't think dark beer, but I do. So today I'm going to talk about my aptly-named Summer Stout. At 4.8% alcohol with a dry and roasty yet silky finish (from the oats), this is a great beer for nights around the fire or for hanging out on the back deck. Sessionable by nature, this stout provides a spectrum of flavors rarely found in traditional summer beers.

I originally brewed 10 gallons of this beer and split the batch in two for experimentation. I wanted five gallons for a straight, dry, oatmeal stout and the other five to be modeled (but not copied) after my absolute favorite Founders beer, Frangelic Stout. To this end, I put 1/4 pound of Frangelica coffee from Ferris Nut & Coffee in a nylon grain sock and left it in the keg for a full four days. The Frangelico is the more delicious version in my opinion, though the unflavored version has its merits too. For the recipe, see below (partial mash and all-grain formulas included).

Partial Mash Formula*

Malts:

• 5.00# - Briess Light LME
• 1.00# - Briess Flaked Oats
• 1.00# - Briess Pale 2-Row
• 0.45# - Briess Roasted Barely
• 0.25# - Briess Black Malt
• 0.25# - Briess Chocolate Malt

Hops:

• 1.0oz - West Golding Variety (W.G.V.) @ 60min
• 1.1oz – West Golding Variety (W.G.V.) @ 20min

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1056: Chico/American Ale Yeast

Optional:

• 0.25# Frangelica coffee, in keg (use a nylon grain sock)

*The inclusion of oats means that a mash must occur; the extract/specialty-grain method of brewing cannot be utilized. For partial mash instructions, contact Siciliano's and one of our employees will gladly assist you.

All-grain Formula

(calculated for 75% efficiency)

Malts:

• 7.25# - Briess 2-Row Pale
• 1.00# - Briess Flaked Oats
• 0.50# - Briess Roasted Barley
• 0.25# - Briess Black Malt
• 0.25# - Briess Chocolate Malt

Mash @ 153*F for 60min, fly sparge at 168 for 90min

Hops:

• 1.0oz - West Golding Variety (W.G.V.) @ 60min
• 1.1oz – West Golding Variety (W.G.V.) @ 20min

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1056: Chico/American Ale Yeast

Optional:

• 0.25# Frangelica coffee, in keg (use nylon bag)

This stout is truly a summer evening treat and a beer to be enjoyed by many. It also reinforces the old adage: never judge a beer by it's color.

Siciliano's staffer Greg 'Swig' Johnson lives on the west side of Grand Rapids, MI, where no matter the time of year, a good oatmeal stout is always in season.