[crummydo]

Hey guys, my wife said I can't buy any more ingredients until I use what I have. I know right? I have a lot of pale 2 row and a few different specialty malts around. With what I have of the extras, I put together this Stout recipe.

All grain.
2 gallons

4 lbs US 2 row pale malt
4 oz crushed chocolate malt
6 oz carapils
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Honey malt
1 oz EKG for 60 min
1 oz EKG for 30 min
Safale American ale yeast  US-05

OG est. 1.085
FG est. 1.018
ABV 8.85
IBU 72.5
SRM 32.8

Thoughts?

[HoosierBrew]

Hey guys, my wife said I can't buy any more ingredients until I use what I have. I know right? I have a lot of pale 2 row and a few different specialty malts around. With what I have of the extras, I put together this Stout recipe.

All grain.
2 gallons

4 lbs US 2 row pale malt
4 oz crushed chocolate malt
6 oz carapils
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Honey malt
1 oz EKG for 60 min
1 oz EKG for 30 min
Safale American ale yeast  US-05

OG est. 1.085
FG est. 1.018
ABV 8.85
IBU 72.5
SRM 32.8

Thoughts?

I get the 'use up what you have thing'. I do that sometimes. But only having 4 oz of chocolate as the sole roast malt (even in 2 gallons) just won't get you to stout. Right now what I'm seeing equates more to a sweet Brown Porter or sweet American Brown (with the high IBU) that will finish with a high FG. Personally, I'd back the crystal and honey to 4 oz each, to not step out so far ahead of the 4 oz of chocolate. And would probably drop the carapils as well. Then I'd back the IBU accordingly to the appropriate range for either Brown Porter or American Brown and go with it. It wouldn't use up all your malt in one shot, but you'll end up with a more balanced  beer IMO. And those few oz of leftover malt could accidently end up in the trash so you could buy more.   Good luck.

[crummydo]

Okay I wasn't sure if to try to hit it as a stout or as a porter or brown ale. I wish I could drop the carapils but its in the same bag as the chocolate. I will definitely dial back everything else you recommended though. As far as the Hops goes, I have the EKG as mentioned in the recipe but I also have plenty of:

Lemon Drop
Denali
Hull Melon
Mandarina Bavaria
Zythos
Fuggles

This will be my first attempt at a recipe like this out of my head.

[HoosierBrew]

Okay I wasn't sure if to try to hit it as a stout or as a porter or brown ale. I wish I could drop the carapils but its in the same bag as the chocolate. I will definitely dial back everything else you recommended though. As far as the Hops goes, I have the EKG as mentioned in the recipe but I also have plenty of:

Lemon Drop
Denali
Hull Melon
Mandarina Bavaria
Zythos
Fuggles

This will be my first attempt at a recipe like this out of my head.

FWIW, the EKG would do well in a porter with 35 -40 ish IBU, and the Zythos would work well in an American Brown, with 35- 40ish IBU, or substantially higher in a Janet's Brown type beer (which I love). Just my $0.02. .