Better Organic than Never (my late post for Beer Blog Friday)

I had planned on participating in the first ever Beer Blogging Friday Session last Friday but travel, family obligations, and lots of beer-related adventures (which I’ll be posting about soon) kept me away from my computer for several days in a row. It was quite nice actually.

But I felt kind of silly having promised twice to post during this experimental group blogging thing and then not doing it, so for those of you who were eagerly awaiting my post, here’s a recipe for Organic Irish Stout from Seven Bridges.

ORGANIC IRISH STOUT

Description
This is a partial mash brew producing a dry stout with a rich roasted malt character and a moderate hop bitterness.

Ingredients
4.4 lb. Organic pale malt extract
1 3/4 lb. Briess organic pale 2-row malt
3/4 lb. Briess organic roasted barley
1/4 lb. Briess organic Caramel 120 oL
1/2 lb. Weyermann Carafa III malt
1/4 lb. Organic barley flakes
1/2 oz New Zealand Hallertaur hops- bittering (24 IBU)
1/2 oz German Hallertaur Tradition hop pellets- flavor (8 IBU)
1/2 oz German Spalt Select hops- finishing
Ale Yeast: Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale or White Labs #004 Irish Ale
For bottling: 1 1/4 cups Organic Dry Malt Extract (DME) {or 1 cup organic malt extract, or 3/4 cup corn sugar, or kraeusen with 1 quart of unfermented organic beer}
Optional ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

Specs
International Bittering Units (IBU’s): 32
Original Gravity (O.G.): 1.044- 1.048
Final Gravity (F.G.): 1.012-1.018
Average alcohol content (% by volume): 4.3%

Brewing Instructions
1a: Heat 1 3/4 to 2 gallons of water to 160- 165 oF, then turn the heat off. Add the grains (or grain bag with grains in it) and stir well. The temperature should be 150 oF. Adjust the temperature if necessary by adding heat, hot water, or cold water.
1b: Allow the grains to soak for 40 to 60 minutes at 150 oF. Do a starch test to see if the mash is done.
2a: Heat 1 to 1 1/2 gallons of water to 170 oF in a separate pot. Sparge the grains with this water when the mash is complete.
2b: Add water to the liquid collected from the grains to make up to 5 1/4 gallons.
3. Heat the water to almost boiling and then turn the heat off. Add the malt extract and dissolve the extract completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil.
4. Once the wort has reached a rolling boil add 1/2 oz. NZ Hallertaur hops (bittering) and boil for 40 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 oz. German Hallertaur Tradition hops (flavoring). If desired, add the Irish Moss flakes. Boil for 15 minutes more.
6. Add 1/2 oz. German Spalt Select hops (aroma), boil 5 more minutes, & turn the heat off.
7. Cool the wort to 65- 75 oF.
8. Transfer the chilled wort into your sanitized primary fermenting vessel.
9. Shake or stir (with a sanitized spoon!) the unfermented beer vigorously to add oxygen.
10. Add the yeast and ferment in a cool dark place for 4-6 days at 60- 70 oF in the primary fermenter.
11. If you have a secondary fermenter, transfer the beer to it when fermentation activity has subsided (after 4-6 days). This step is optional.
12. Ferment for an additional 7- 14 days, or until fermentation is complete.
13. Clean and sanitize enough bottles for your batch.
14. Sanitize your bottle caps.
15. Boil your bottling sugar in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes.
16. Cool the sugar solution to 70 oF and pour into a sanitized carboy or bottling bucket. Transfer your beer into the same container and mix slowly. You can also pour the sugar solution into the same fermenter with the beer instead of transferring.
17. Use a racking cane and siphon tubing with a bottle filling tip attached to fill your bottles. Cap immediately after filling the bottles to prevent contamination.
18. Store the beer at room temperature (about 70 oF) for the first few days, then in a cool dark place
(55- 65 oF) for 1-3 weeks. Your beer is ready to drink when it is clear and nicely carbonated.
19. Relax and enjoy your organic beer!

You can buy all the ingredients for this Organic Irish Stout from Seven Bridges here. There are also all-extract and all-grain kits available for this beer. Plus, there are also kits for Oatmeal Stout, Robust Porter, and Nut Brown.