Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Mill your grains (if not pre-milled). Heat 18 liters of water to about 74 °C (165 °F) to account for temperature drop when mashing.

Mill and Heat

Mash-in: Add milled grains to the water to reach a mash temperature of 66 °C (150 °F). Stir thoroughly to eliminate dough balls and ensure even temperature.

Protein rest and conversion: Hold the mash at 66 °C (150 °F) for 60 minutes. This produces a balanced stout body—enough dextrins for mouthfeel and some fermentable sugars for the targeted 7.5% ABV.

Mash-out: Raise the mash temperature to 76 °C (169 °F) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort run-off.

Sparge: Sparge with enough water at ~75 °C (167 °F) to collect ~26 liters of pre-boil wort (target pre-boil volume accounts for hops/trub loss and evaporation).

Bring the pre-boil wort to a rolling boil and start a 60-minute timer.

Add Target hops (20 g) at 60 minutes remaining for bittering. This will deliver the bulk of the IBUs (target ~28–33 IBU; adjust hop alpha and weights if necessary).

Bittering Addition

Add East Kent Goldings (28 g) with 15 minutes remaining in the boil for flavor development.

Flavor Addition

Add Irish Moss or Whirlfloc (1 tsp) at 15 minutes left. Add East Kent Goldings late addition (15 g) at 5 minutes for fresh aroma.

Finings & Late Aroma

If using lactose: Add lactose (250 g) with 10 minutes remaining so it fully dissolves. Lactose is non-fermentable and adds sweetness and body appropriate for an export stout.

After 60 minutes, shut off the heat and begin wort cooling. Remove hop and trub material from the kettle as best as possible during transfer to the fermenter.

Cool the wort rapidly to yeast-pitching temperature (18–20 °C for English ale yeast; for a higher attenuation and cleaner profile you may prefer 18–20 °C but you can ferment warmer for more esters). Aim to chill to 18–20 °C within 30–60 minutes using an immersion chiller or plate chiller.

Aerate the wort by vigorous shaking, splashing, or use sterile oxygen. Add yeast nutrient (1 tsp) at this point. If using dry yeast, rehydrate per manufacturer's instructions or pitch directly if recommended. Pitch one pack of yeast (or appropriate slurry/starter) to achieve a healthy cell count for 7.5% ABV.

Ferment: Primary fermentation at 18–20 °C for 5–7 days until vigorous activity subsides. For a stronger finish and cleaner profile, allow temperature to rise slightly to 20–22 °C for a couple of days mid-fermentation (diacetyl rest).

Secondary (optional): Rack to secondary for conditioning for 7–14 days at 12–15 °C to allow flavors to meld and for yeast to clear. This helps with clarity but is optional if you intend to keg or package directly from primary.

Measure final gravity. Target original gravity for this grain bill should be around 1.080–1.086 to achieve ~7.5% ABV depending on efficiency; expect final gravity near 1.016–1.020 if lactose used (if fully attenuated may be lower). Ensure fermentation is complete (stable gravity over 2–3 days).

If bottling: Prepare priming sugar (140 g corn sugar) dissolved in 200 ml boiling water, cool, and add to sanitized bottling bucket. Rack beer gently onto priming solution and fill bottles. Cap and condition at 18–20 °C for 2–3 weeks to carbonate.

If kegging: Transfer to keg, carbonate to ~1.8–2.4 volumes CO2 (stout typically lower carbonation) and condition for 1–2 weeks at serving temperature.

Cold crash and carbonate: For the best clarity and a smooth mouthfeel, cold crash to 2–4 °C for 48–72 hours prior to serving when possible.

Serve slightly cool (8–12 °C). Expect a roasty, slightly chocolate and coffee-forward profile from roasted barley and chocolate malt, a soft fullness from flaked barley and lactose, and restrained English hop character around 31 IBUs. Enjoy.

Maris Otter Pale Malt (2-row substitute)

Flaked Barley

Roasted Barley

Chocolate Malt (450L)

Caramel/Crystal 80L

Dark Munich Malt

Lactose (optional, for sweetness & mouthfeel)

East Kent Goldings (or English aroma hop)

Target (or high-alpha bittering hop)

East Kent Goldings (for late aroma)

Dry English Ale Yeast (e.g., Safale S-04) or Wyeast 1098/White Labs WLP002

Yeast Nutrient

Brewing Water (adjusted to moderate chloride/sulfate for malt-forward profile)

Campden Tablet (optional, for chlorine removal)

Irish Moss or Whirlfloc (for clarity)

Priming Sugar (corn sugar) for bottling

Trade War Export

Make Trade War Export Recipe in just 24h . Stout 7.5 % Alcohol by Volume 31 IBUs

Trade War Export

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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