2 Row Breakfast Stout Recipe

1. Heat strike water

Heat 6.5 gallons of strike water to 168°F (76°C). This target gives a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C) once grain is added.

2. Mash-in

Add all crushed 2-row pale malt, flaked oats, chocolate malt, roasted barley, crystal malt, Carafa (or dark malt) and optional black malt to the mash tun. Pour strike water in while stirring to avoid dough balls until temperature stabilizes at 152°F (67°C).

3. Mash rest

Hold mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. This temperature yields a balanced body — adjust ±2°F if you want drier (higher temp) or more fermentable (lower temp).

4. Mash out

Raise mash temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and make lautering easier.

5. Sparge

Sparge with ~3 gallons of 170°F (77°C) water, collecting wort until you have ~6.5–7 gallons pre-boil volume. Target pre-boil gravity around 1.080–1.090 for an imperial oatmeal stout.

6. Bring to a boil

Bring wort to a vigorous boil. Boil time: 60–90 minutes depending on desired gravity concentration and hop utilization; 60 minutes is sufficient for most recipes.

7. Hop additions

At start of boil (60 minutes remaining) add 1.5 oz Northern Brewer (bittering). With 10 minutes remaining add 1 oz Fuggle or EKG. At flameout you may add 0.5 oz of hops for whirlpool aroma.

8. Lactose addition

Add 1 lb lactose with 10–15 minutes left in the boil so it dissolves completely. Lactose is non-fermentable and will add sweetness and body.

9. Cool & whirlpool

After boil, turn off heat and whirlpool for 10–15 minutes. Allow trub to settle; if using whirlpool hops add them now. Cool wort quickly to yeast-pitching temperature (around 66–68°F / 19–20°C) using a wort chiller.

10. Pitch yeast

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind as much trub as possible. Aerate vigorously (shake, splashing, or oxygenate) and pitch the yeast (use a healthy starter if using liquid yeast or two packs for high-gravity wort).

11. Primary fermentation

Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for 7–10 days or until vigorous fermentation slows and specific gravity drops significantly. For this OG aim for around 1.098–1.110; expected attenuation with this yeast should bring FG around 1.018–1.024 depending on mash and yeast, resulting in ~8–9% ABV.

12. Secondary & adjuncts

After primary slows (5–10 days), rack to secondary if desired and add toasted cocoa nibs (4 oz), split vanilla beans (2 pcs, scraped), and/or cold-brew coffee (8 oz) to taste. Let condition on these additions for 7–14 days. If you prefer no secondary, add these to primary after vigorous fermentation subsides to avoid losing aroma to CO2 scrubbing.

13. Final gravity check

Confirm fermentation has finished by taking two readings 2–3 days apart. Target FG ~1.018–1.024. If FG is stable, proceed to packaging.

14. Bottling or kegging

If bottling: dissolve 4 oz priming sugar in 12 oz boiling water, cool, add to bottling bucket and gently rack beer onto it to mix. Bottle and cap. If kegging: transfer to sanitized keg, carbonate to ~2.2–2.6 vols CO2 (keg or force carbonate).

15. Maturation

Allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature for 2–3 weeks. If kegged, condition at serving temperature for 1–2 weeks. Imperial stouts benefit from some cellaring — store 1–3 months for flavors to meld and harsh roast notes to soften.

16. Sanitize all equipment that contacts cooled wort or finished beer (fermenter, airlock, siphon, bottles, caps, keg). Minimize oxygen pickup after fermentation to preserve roast and chocolate aromas. Taste and adjust adjunct quantities (coffee, vanilla, cocoa nibs) to personal preference; add caution with coffee — start lower and increase in future batches.