Smoked Stout - Barley the Brew Pup's Recipe of the Month
Everyone here at Mr.Beer loves animals... but we have a special place in our hearts for dogs, especially those that come from local shelters. That is why we were thrilled to collaborate with our favorite Instagram dog, Barley the Brew Pup (@barleythebrewpup), for a monthly recipe in which a portion of the proceeds will benefit animals in need.
Each month, we will feature a special Barley Recipe of the Month. Besides getting to see awesome photos of Barley brewing the recipe, if you choose to purchase a Barley recipe, 10% of all proceeds will be donated to the Haven Humane Society of Southern Arizona to help local animals find permanent, loving homes. Barley is also passionate about this cause, as he was rescued from a CA shelter by his beer-loving, homebrewing fanatic dog parents.
So, without further ado, welcome our first ever Barley the Brew Pup recipe!
I Like My Stouts Smoked, Not Stirred
There is nothing I like more then on a cold winter's night, snuggling up next to my favorite four legged friend, sharing a bowl of kibble, and popping open a bottle of delicious smoked stout.
Smoked beers have been around for thousands of years. Before modern technology shaped how we dry malted barley, old world malters used to dry barley over an open flame. This inevitably imparted a smokey flavor and aroma to the base malts which carried over to the beer. Through the years, brewmasters have been stepping away from smoked beers, and it is becoming a lost art. But don't worry my friends, this pup is here to show you an easy extract recipe to bring back a little old-world flavor with the ease and freshness of modern ingredients.
For this recipe, we are using Liquid Smoke Extract. Liquid Smoke is smoke flavor and aroma that has been condensed into liquid form through a very precise heating/cooling process. MMM it's so good! You can add a little to BBQ sauces, gravies, or meatballs to give your food a little kick. Note: Some Liquid Smoke products are vinegar or oil based. You want to steer clear of these and use a Liquid Smoke that has 2 ingredients: smoke and water.)
The Recipe:
Now that I have the big guy to do the work, I'm going to assemble all the ingredients. I like to take this time and read through the instructions (two or three times doesn't hurt) and make sure I have all equipment and ingredients I need BEFORE we get started. Well, ok, maybe I can't technically read, but the upright has that part figured out so he reads and collects everything while I watch. It's a pretty good system we have worked out.
For this brew, we will be using Wrights Liquid smoke, which is pictured below. This is one of my favorite liquid smokes to use, and I highly recommend it.
First, I have my brewing assistant place 6 cups of fresh water into a pot and added the Robust Liquid Malt Extract (LME) to the cool water and stir until dissolved. Note: Place the pouch of Liquid Malt Extract in a bowl of warm water to make it easier to pour. This ooey gooey deliciousness has a mind of its own and likes to drip everywhere, but that's ok, it's my job to clean it up!
Next, put the brew pot on the stove and bring the now wort up to a boil on medium-high. You will want to stir constantly to keep the foam in check. During this time, we prepared the first hop addition by putting the 1/2oz Northern Brewer hops in the hop sack. I kept trying to sneak a hop pellet but the big guy says hops are VERY poisonous to dogs so that was a no go. I mean, I thought I was the boss around here, but oh well…
After the wort has come to a rolling boil, my assistant turned the heat to low and added the hop sack to the brew pot (we either tie it to the handle or clip it to an edge to eliminate scorching the hop sack). The lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult to set a timer, so I instructed the big guy to set a timer for 20 min. Remember, you want to simmer for 20 minutes, NOT boil.
After 20 min, remove your brew pot from the heat and add the remaining ingredients: One can of Mr.Beer Irish Stout Hopped Malt Extract, 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, and .5 Oz of SAAZ Hop Pellets. The wafts of malted barley, two hop additions, and liquid smoke will drive your puppy nose crazy, but trust me, you should refrain from charging the brew pot at all cost!
*Note: Mr.Beer doesn't reccommend boiling their brewing malts, as it cange the hops that are already in the malt, but for this particular recipe, we are making an exception.
I had the big guy use his superior number punching fingers set another timer for 10 min.
After the final 10 min boil, remove your brew pot from the heat. Fill your fermenter with refrigerated tap water up to the 4-quart mark on the back, add your wort, and then top off with more cold water to bring it to the 8.5 liter mark. Mix thoroughly with your sanitized brew spoon.
One you have ensured your cooled wort is between 66-68 degrees Fahrenheit, take a hydrometer sample (using a sanitized hydrometer sample tube) and pitch your pack of Safale S-04 yeast. You might need some doggles to read the hydrometer.
Lastly, and quite possibly the most important step in the ENTIRE brewing process, is once you have tucked your fermenter away in a cool, dark, dry location, and washed all of your brewing equipment, you need to sit down and crack open a nice cold homebrew. Get yourself a brewing journal and jot down any memorable notes from your brew day as every brew is unique and a great learning experience. Also, while enjoying your homebrew, take a look on MrBeer.Com and start planning your next brew. You have to keep the pipeline going!
Disclaimer:
- 1 can of Mr.Beer St. Patricks Irish Stout HME
- 1 bag of Mr.Beer BrewMax Robust LME Soft Pack
- 1/2 Oz Northern Brewer Hops
- 1/2 oz Us Saaz Hops
- 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke (We are using Wrights all natural Hickory Liquid Smoke)
- 1 pack Safale S-04 Yeast
- 1 muslin hop sack
- 1 packet No-Rinse cleanser
Now that I have the big guy to do the work, I'm going to assemble all the ingredients. I like to take this time and read through the instructions (two or three times doesn't hurt) and make sure I have all equipment and ingredients I need BEFORE we get started. Well, ok, maybe I can't technically read, but the upright has that part figured out so he reads and collects everything while I watch. It's a pretty good system we have worked out.
For this brew, we will be using Wrights Liquid smoke, which is pictured below. This is one of my favorite liquid smokes to use, and I highly recommend it.
First, I have my brewing assistant place 6 cups of fresh water into a pot and added the Robust Liquid Malt Extract (LME) to the cool water and stir until dissolved. Note: Place the pouch of Liquid Malt Extract in a bowl of warm water to make it easier to pour. This ooey gooey deliciousness has a mind of its own and likes to drip everywhere, but that's ok, it's my job to clean it up!
Next, put the brew pot on the stove and bring the now wort up to a boil on medium-high. You will want to stir constantly to keep the foam in check. During this time, we prepared the first hop addition by putting the 1/2oz Northern Brewer hops in the hop sack. I kept trying to sneak a hop pellet but the big guy says hops are VERY poisonous to dogs so that was a no go. I mean, I thought I was the boss around here, but oh well…
After the wort has come to a rolling boil, my assistant turned the heat to low and added the hop sack to the brew pot (we either tie it to the handle or clip it to an edge to eliminate scorching the hop sack). The lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult to set a timer, so I instructed the big guy to set a timer for 20 min. Remember, you want to simmer for 20 minutes, NOT boil.
After 20 min, remove your brew pot from the heat and add the remaining ingredients: One can of Mr.Beer Irish Stout Hopped Malt Extract, 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, and .5 Oz of SAAZ Hop Pellets. The wafts of malted barley, two hop additions, and liquid smoke will drive your puppy nose crazy, but trust me, you should refrain from charging the brew pot at all cost!
*Note: Mr.Beer doesn't reccommend boiling their brewing malts, as it cange the hops that are already in the malt, but for this particular recipe, we are making an exception.
I had the big guy use his superior number punching fingers set another timer for 10 min.
After the final 10 min boil, remove your brew pot from the heat. Fill your fermenter with refrigerated tap water up to the 4-quart mark on the back, add your wort, and then top off with more cold water to bring it to the 8.5 liter mark. Mix thoroughly with your sanitized brew spoon.
One you have ensured your cooled wort is between 66-68 degrees Fahrenheit, take a hydrometer sample (using a sanitized hydrometer sample tube) and pitch your pack of Safale S-04 yeast. You might need some doggles to read the hydrometer.
Lastly, and quite possibly the most important step in the ENTIRE brewing process, is once you have tucked your fermenter away in a cool, dark, dry location, and washed all of your brewing equipment, you need to sit down and crack open a nice cold homebrew. Get yourself a brewing journal and jot down any memorable notes from your brew day as every brew is unique and a great learning experience. Also, while enjoying your homebrew, take a look on MrBeer.Com and start planning your next brew. You have to keep the pipeline going!
Disclaimer:
- Don't give your pups beer…WE DONT! Everything you see here is staged for entertainment purposes.
- Sanitization is very important to us and we recommend following all of Mr.Beer's recommended sanitization process. A much more thorough write up, including sanitization practices, can be found online on the Smoked Stout recipe page.
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