18.6.10

Stout from scratch


To make home brewed stout; take one 1930's recipe book and the following ingredients -


Scratch your head and ponder what *Spanish* is. Ask your Northern other half who informs you that it is liquorice (which apparently is what they call it 'up there'). Wonder where to get *black malt* and decide to replace it with chocolate malt. Realise that 'in those days' they had bigger pans but manage to cobble it together with a variety jugs and pots. Weigh the chocolate malt.


Weigh the
Fuggles hops.


Weigh the dark brown sugar.


Using your biggest pan, boil up some water, add the hops and malt. The kitchen becomes infused with the intense aroma of strong, black coffee.




Add *one pennyworth of black Spanish* - bought from
a traditional sweet shop. Briefly wonder what *one pennyworth* looks like and hazard that it is probably an ounce. Read the recipe and find no mention whatsoever of when to add the BS but bung it in anyway.


Pour the bitter melange of chocolaty boiling glop onto the dark brown sugar in a brewing bucket and top up with cold water to three and a half gallons. Add ale yeast and leave overnight. Return to find it is doing very little so chuck in a tablespoon of baker's yeast which does the trick.



Three days later, strain and keg up, adding half a pound more sugar and making a phenomenal amount of mess in the kitchen in the process, not having a funnel or large enough jelly bag. After a few more days, tentatively tap off a glass and be very surprised when it actually comes out looking like a 'real' glass of stout, tasting deliciously of coffee and dark chocolate. Even better chilled.


Alcohol content unknown. Read the inscription in the recipe book and whole heartily agree;



18 comments:

Rosie said...

That looks delicious.

Janet Metzger, Artist said...

I'm smiling as I picture the total mess you are making in your tiny kitchen...your cottage will smell like chocolate malt for a long time...thanks for a Saturday chuckle ;-)
Janet

PS...I'll take an icy cold glass please!

rossichka said...

The whole process was obviously full of excitement,bustling and joy for your... nose! The stout looks tempting and I suppose it's much more delicious than all the other kinds of beers just because it was made at home!:0)

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

You are always full of surprises and FUN !
Happy that your deadlines are over and you can do a bit of relaxing.
(())

jfidz said...

Far, far better than mass-produced, chemically enhanced stuff I'll bet! Gretel's Old Peculiar - the finest brew for miles around.

Caroline B said...

You lost me a bit towards the end with the 'scummy' picture, but that final glass looks absolutely delicious! What is chocolate malt by the way?

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Wow. I don't think I would have had the nerve to try!

Anonymous said...

I asked Malcolm what 'Spanish' is (he's from Northumberland) and he promptly said liquorice - the hard shiny stuff we got as children that looked like an oar! I'll leave you to enjoy your stout - I just don't like beer - but if you were to make wine .......

PussDaddy said...

My dad once made homemade beer and some of the bottles exploded in the night waking us all up. It was funny. There was beer all over, dripping from the ceiling.

PussDaddy

Anonymous said...

I can smell it and taste it...the wonderfulness of it all! What fun.
Need I mention the time that the "beer" blew up in my house...nah, I think not.
Sip and enjoy.
ellen kelley

Chrissie said...

That Peggy certainly knows her stuff - the finished product looks very drinkable! I was a bit worried about how much a 'pennyworth' might be.

Rima Staines said...

Utterly splendid! I want some! :) x

L said...

Mmmmm!!!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

That looks like a good nourishing glassful !

Anonymous said...

That glassful looks very inviting indeed! I shall be trawling through my old cookbooks now! :-))

Acornmoon said...

it all looks very nutritious and good for the soul.

Yarrow said...

Fantastic, I'm totally sold on this :) When I've finished with the eldeflowers, I'm going to have a go. Mind you, the liquorice would have a hard time surviving as I'm a total pig with it :)

Unknown said...

I'm boiling a batch now, although I added Kyle's black treacle instead of liquorice. I've also thrown in a pound of pumpkin that I baked the other day. Should be a treat for Christmas over here in Union Missouri.