The Science of Stout (October-November 2022)

From our Love Handles files on beer bars we love: In Glasgow, Scotland, Shilling supplements a few house-brewed ales with more than two dozen rotating taps, plus pizzas that might feature haggis or black pudding.

From our Love Handles files on beer bars we love: In Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stillwell is a pioneering bluenose beer bar with cask, craft, and unusual grub.

A splash of stout for deglazing the pan leaves some for you to drink while preparing this hearty (yet meatless) flatbread, great for sharing or a late-night snack.

From our Love Handles files on beer bars we love: A huge assortment of Pittsburgh beers are on offer alongside sizzling steaks at Mike’s Beer Bar, right next to the Pirates ballpark.

A dry Irish-style stout is ideal for pairing with shepherd’s pie—and a splash or two also finds its way into this moderately spicy version with ground bison, a dish sure to keep you warm while waiting for spring.

This highly complex yet super-drinkable, dry-hopped, mixed-culture, gin barrel–aged golden ale combines the expertise of the two authors and cofounders at Sapwood Cellars—and it went on to become one of our Best 20 Beers in 2022.

Historically, this beer was delivered and consumed when it was young, so feel free to do the same. It should drink well right out of the gate, given its simple flavor profile and cool, clean fermentation.

For brewers who read and sponge all the info they can find, it may be hard to believe: The authors of two of the most influential brewing books of the past decade run a brewery together. In suburban Baltimore, Scott Janish and Michael Tonsmeire are experimenting at Sapwood Cellars.

Another one for brewing on the road: Here is a portable dark mild recipe that makes use of a sous vide bath, a French press, a mini-keg, and a spunding valve, and is ready to drink in a week.

There are many shades of black, and there are many stripes of porter and stout. If Guinness Draught remains widely popular yet barrel-aged beasts are what excite the geeks today, what do the brewers themselves prefer? Here are five pro picks.

Quick, tart, and highly portable, here’s a recipe for a hibiscus gose whose kit and ingredients will easily fit into your suitcase.

A method for quick, portable brewing that we can try when visiting the relatives or chilling at a resort? Sign us up! Don’t forget to pack your ingredients, a few small pieces of basic gear, and a toothbrush.

Fermenting under pressure is all the rage, whether to reduce ester production at warmer (faster) temperatures or to grab beautifully tight, natural carbonation from your yeast pitch’s last exhale.

We’re grateful to head brewer Alex Albers and the team at Destihl Brewing for sharing this homebrew-scale recipe for their pickle beer—a kettle-soured gose blended with a customized version of SuckerPunch’s flavorful brine.

So, pickle beers are happening. What’s the big dill?

The processes that create beer’s deepest colors and flavors are incredibly complex—a Lovibond rating doesn’t begin to describe what you might get. Here, Randy Mosher digs into the science of those processes, makes the case for evaluating your malts firsthand—and shares a simple way to do it yourself.

One of the most accomplished brewmasters in America and founder of the Pink Boots Society, dedicated to supporting women in the beer industry, Teri Fahrendorf shares six beers and memories from a career of defying expectations. Although recently retired from brewing, she’s not done with Pink Boots or with continuing to leave her mark on beer.

Danyangju is a strong makgeolli made from a simple, single-step fermentation process—ideal for beginners to try at home.

SB stands for “stout base.” With thanks to Bluewood Brewing owner-brewer Cam Lund, this is a homebrew-scale recipe for one of five base imperial stouts that they use for their blending stock.

In St. Louis, a city spoiled by acclaimed imperial stouts, Bluewood has raised eyebrows with a few that reach heights up to 22 percent ABV. Brewer and cofounder Cam Lund explains their approach, detailing their chaptalization-like process for kicking up the strength of a few rare beasts.

Courtesy of Carol Pak at Sool, here is a homebrew version of their lighter makgeolli recipe using glutinous (sticky) rice.

In Korea, a new generation has revived a folk drink made from rice and mixed-culture fermentation. Now, two small-batch producers are making makgeolli on American shores, celebrating their heritage while introducing many more to its depth of flavors.

Inspired by Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, the base here is English-style yet robust, with a taste of the Pacific Northwest. Use fresh oyster shells, when in season, with an eye toward adjusting the type and quantity of shells in future batches.

While not for vegetarians, oyster stout has the power to raise eyebrows with its sheer oddity and unlikely compatibility of flavors. The stout base is ideal for brewers with any level of experience—but are you ready to play the shell game?

The first and most established traditional Norwegian-style heimabrygg in the Western Hemisphere is a beer called L’Oeil du Mouton, brewed since 2016 in Saint-André-de-Kamouraska, Quebec, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. At the Microbrasserie Tête d’Allumette, owner-brewer Martin Desautels explains their methods and inspiration.

Long to mash and boil yet quick to ferment, these robust, juniper-tinged, barleywine-strength ales represent a farmhouse tradition worth celebrating—and you can raise a glass just a few days after brewing.

With thanks to the team at Shades Brewing, here’s a homebrew-scale recipe for their award-winning sour ale that gets a mix of farmhouse yeast and lactic bacteria, and also serves as the base for multiple medal-winning beers.

In South Salt Lake, Utah, the team at Shades Brewing has transformed a proprietary yeast culture and a dash of bad luck into brewery magic.

Josh Weikert pulled some levers and turned some dials on his own American stout, and this is the result. This version uses cold-steeped, cracked coffee beans to complement the complex roasted malt and pine notes.

When it comes to building a recipe—and then making adjustments to get exactly the flavors you want—there is no family of beers as complex and as rewarding as stouts. Here are the levers and dials you need to know.

From books on Brussels beer and brewing with hemp to a handmade bottle-pouring cradle, here are a few recent editors’ picks that could also work as gift ideas.

Among the many takeaways of the pandemic: Drinking beer at home can be a real pleasure. Here, our Gearhead considers some of the gadgets, equipment, and other improvements that can help make your beer-house a beer-home.

Need an impressive dessert for that holiday gathering? These truffles are richly flavored and easy to make. For best results, use high-quality chocolate and a delicious milk stout.

From Hammer & Stich Brewing in Portland, Oregon, comes this classically shaped American porter balancing darker malts with Pacific Northwest hops.

Adjuncts and oak are nothing new to the world’s darkest beers, whose twists and turns over the past three centuries tell a story of constant—and ongoing—reinvention.

Where are your hops grown? To put the hop-growing regions in their global context, here’s a comparative look at the production in various countries.

Kelly Montgomery, head brewer and co-owner at Third Eye in Cincinnati, shares this homebrew-scale recipe for their GABF gold medal–winning milk stout.

Kelly Montgomery of Third Eye Brewing won four straight GABF gold medals for milk stout—and he did it at two different breweries, using two different recipes. We sent David Nilsen to get the insights on how.

Here we take a simple grist, often a single hop, and a long fermentation process, and we turn it into a classically grainy, floral lager. You’ll be glad to have this one on tap.