Kiuchi Brewery’s Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout clone

Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout clone

(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.049 FG = 1.019
IBU = 16 SRM = 41 ABV = 3.8%

Ingredients
6.0 lbs. (2.7 kg) 2-row pale malt
0.50 lbs. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
1.0 lbs. (0. 45 kg) crystal malt (55 °L )
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) roasted barley
1.0 lbs. (0. 45 kg) lactose (15 mins)
4.1 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 mins)(0.75 oz./21 g of 5.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1099 (Whitbread Ale) yeast

Step by Step
Mash at 153 °F (67 °C) in 10 qts. (9.4 L) of water. Boil wort for 60 minutes. Add lactose for the final 15 minutes of the boil. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).

Countertop partial mash option:
Reduce amount of pale malt to 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) and add 2.75 lbs. (1.3 kg) Coopers Light liquid malt extract.

Begin by heating 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of soft or distilled water to 164 °F (73 °C) in a large kitchen pot. Stir 1⁄2 tsp. calcium sulfate (gypsum) or calcium chloride into this water. In another pot, heat 2.0 qts (1.9 L) of soft water to around 164 °F (73 °C). Stir 1 tsp. calcium carbonate (chalk) or 1⁄2 tsp. sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) into this water. In your brewpot, begin heating a half-gallon (~2 L) of water to around 170 °F (77 °C). Place crushed pale, wheat and crystal malts in one grain bag and place in cooler. Put remaining roasted barley (crushed) in the other bag. Add the 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of water to the grains in the cooler and stir it in. Let this mash, starting at 154 °F (68 °C), for 45 minutes. Likewise, steep the specialty grains in the pot of carbonate-rich water for 45 minutes (around 153 °F/67 °C), although this exact temperature is not critical. While grains mash and steep, heat about 8.0 qts. (7.6 L) of water to 180 °F (82 °C). When mashing and steeping is complete, scoop 1 qt. (~1 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water from your brewpot (you can use a large measuring cup for this). Lift the specialty grains out of their steeping pot and place in a colander over your brewpot. Pour the “grain tea” through the grain bag (to strain out any large bits of grain) and then rinse the grains with the water pulled from your brewpot. Start heating this “grain tea” while you collect the wort from the cooler. To collect wort from mash, recirculate about 2.5 qts. (2.4 L) of wort, then add 180 °F (82 °C) water to cooler until it is full. Draw off wort and add to brewpot until the liquid level in the cooler is just above the grain bed. Add 180 °F (82 °C) water again. Repeat this process until you have collected 2.0 gallons/8 qts. (7.6 L) of wort. Bring wort to a boil. (Don’t add extract now.) Add first dose of hops and boil for 60 minutes.

Add hops at times indicated in the ingredient list. Stir in liquid malt extract and lactose for the final 15 minutes of the boil. Cool wort, in sink or with wort chiller, to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer to fermenter. Add water to top up to 5 gallons (19 L), aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).