TasunkaWitko
Well-Known Member
Root Beer Stout from Hop Hero - Tips and Advice
Last night, 15 February 2015, I brewed a 1-gallon batch of Root Beer Stout, using a pre-packaged mix from Hop Hero.
I will say this right up front: I have never used a mix from Hop Hero before, and my wife had accidentally thrown away the instructions, so I went ahead with the brew using the method that I always use for brewing. By the time I was into the mash, I was concerned that I might have inadvertently screwed a couple of things up; however, I am confident that - in the end - I will have very decent, very drinkable beer. Any faults with this brew will be mine alone, and not the fault of Hop Heros product or instructions. Or, everything could be just fine in the end, with no measurable differences. More on this later.
Here is Hop Heros website: http://hophero.com/
Here is the link to the Root Beer Stout: http://hophero.com/recipe-kits/all-grain/hop-hero-recipes/1-gallon-recipe/root-beer-stout.html
Here is the description of Root Beer Stout, from Hop Hero:
The instructions included several useful stats, but as I said they were accidentally thrown away; however, the website provides these stats:
The contents of the pre-packaged mix include:
First impressions: I really like this guys enthusiasm, his creativity with the various recipes and the helpful tone of the website. There is definitely something for everyone there, including some grains and equipment, as well as his own all-grain starter kits for various-sized batches of beer. Along with the Root Beer Stout, I purchased an American Cream Ale for my dad, and the Irish Stout for my son. Im looking forward to seeing how all three turn out.
As far as the brew itself, I believe it went fairly well, all things considered. Lacking the instructions, I went with what I was familiar with and followed the procedure shown in this video from Brooklyn Brew Shop:
[ame]https://vimeo.com/11354805[/ame]
The only real issue that I encountered was during the sparge; because of the amount of gains (about 3.4 pounds), I had some trouble recirculating the runnings through the strainer; however, I didnt spill any, and although the going was slow, we got there. The rest of the brew was without incident, and I ended up with just a little over a gallon of wort. I pitched the S04 as usual, and noticed this morning that fermentation is indeed beginning. Success! (I hope .)
Per my usual procedure, Ill remove the blowoff tube at BrewDay+3, and replace it with an airlock. On BrewDay+7, I will add the Root Beer Extract.
As always, comments, feedback, suggestions etc. are always appreciated.
More as it happens, etc. &c .
Ron
Last night, 15 February 2015, I brewed a 1-gallon batch of Root Beer Stout, using a pre-packaged mix from Hop Hero.
I will say this right up front: I have never used a mix from Hop Hero before, and my wife had accidentally thrown away the instructions, so I went ahead with the brew using the method that I always use for brewing. By the time I was into the mash, I was concerned that I might have inadvertently screwed a couple of things up; however, I am confident that - in the end - I will have very decent, very drinkable beer. Any faults with this brew will be mine alone, and not the fault of Hop Heros product or instructions. Or, everything could be just fine in the end, with no measurable differences. More on this later.
Here is Hop Heros website: http://hophero.com/
Here is the link to the Root Beer Stout: http://hophero.com/recipe-kits/all-grain/hop-hero-recipes/1-gallon-recipe/root-beer-stout.html
Here is the description of Root Beer Stout, from Hop Hero:
This Stout is perfectly balanced with a nice flavorful classic Root Beer soda flavor. The dark roasted malts combined nicely with the richness of the Root Beer, creating a refreshing stout that goes fast at parties! It's also awesome poured over a some vanilla ice cream!
The instructions included several useful stats, but as I said they were accidentally thrown away; however, the website provides these stats:
- ABV - 6%
- IBUs - 20
The contents of the pre-packaged mix include:
- A bag of milled pre-mixed grains for the stout; about 3.4 pounds
- 0.23 oz of Magnum hops (12.5 AA), to be added at 60 minutes
- 0.25 oz of Willamette hops (5 AA) to be added at 5 minutes
- A sealed packet of Safale 04 yeast
- A sealed packet of Root Beer extract, to be added 7 days into fermentation
First impressions: I really like this guys enthusiasm, his creativity with the various recipes and the helpful tone of the website. There is definitely something for everyone there, including some grains and equipment, as well as his own all-grain starter kits for various-sized batches of beer. Along with the Root Beer Stout, I purchased an American Cream Ale for my dad, and the Irish Stout for my son. Im looking forward to seeing how all three turn out.
As far as the brew itself, I believe it went fairly well, all things considered. Lacking the instructions, I went with what I was familiar with and followed the procedure shown in this video from Brooklyn Brew Shop:
[ame]https://vimeo.com/11354805[/ame]
The only real issue that I encountered was during the sparge; because of the amount of gains (about 3.4 pounds), I had some trouble recirculating the runnings through the strainer; however, I didnt spill any, and although the going was slow, we got there. The rest of the brew was without incident, and I ended up with just a little over a gallon of wort. I pitched the S04 as usual, and noticed this morning that fermentation is indeed beginning. Success! (I hope .)
Per my usual procedure, Ill remove the blowoff tube at BrewDay+3, and replace it with an airlock. On BrewDay+7, I will add the Root Beer Extract.
As always, comments, feedback, suggestions etc. are always appreciated.
More as it happens, etc. &c .
Ron