Hi all, I had an opportunity a couple of years ago, to go head to head with a corny keg of my Irish stout and a keg of Guinness. A brewing friend of mine, Mike, owned an art gallery and put on a show for a group of water color artists returning from a painting trip to Ireland. Several of the Artists are Irish. I had a keg of stout ready to drink and went to the affair CO2 bottle and all. What Mike and I didn't know was the Tour-groups leader had sprung for a keg of Guinness. There was no contest, I won hands down! At the end of the evening the tour leader came over and congratulated my on my Stout. Mine had more body, flavor and was much smoother. It really is a fantastic beer, if I may say so myself!---and I may! Here it is.... Kiwi's all grain stout
My tap water is very hard and ideal for a stout. Used 3pints of water/1lb of grain. 7lbs pale malt,1lb flaked barley, 1lb crystal malt, 1 lb roasted barley. 10 lb total:- pitched into 3 3/4 gals water at 170f stabilized at 155f held for 1 1/2 hours, starch tested, sparged with 2gal water at 170f, boiled wort for 1 hour with 1oz of Bullion and 3oz Northern Brewer. 1 tsp of Irish moss at 45 mins. Yeast is White Labs WPL004 Irish. Ferment slowed after 6 days at regular room temp, racked into secondary for three days and kegged. Sat in brew fridge on 25lbs CO2/nitro mix, for three days before first drinking. I used Line and Papazian for the model for this. Cheers Kiwi