Mike Riddle’s Tricentennial Stout

Mike Riddle’s Tricentennial Stout

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.100 (23.8 °P)  FG = 1.037 (9.2 °P)
IBU = 100 SRM = 100 ABV = 8.5%

Many consider Mike Riddle one of the best brewers of this style. He has won many best of show awards with this recipe.

Ingredients
8 lb. (3.63 kg) Maris Otter or similar pale English liquid malt extract
2.6 lb. (1.18 kg) wheat liquid malt extract (2 °L)
2.25 lb. (1 kg) Great Western chocolate malt (475 °L or similar)
2.25 lb. (1 kg) Great Western roasted barley (575 °L or similar)
0.75 lb. (340 g) Great Western crystal malt (120 °L or similar)
13.97 AAU Northern Brewer hops (2.15 oz./61 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (60 min.)
10.73 AAU Northern Brewer hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (30 min.)
5.46 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0.84 oz./24 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
12.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (2.5 oz./71 g at 5% alpha acids) (3 min.)
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (dry hop)
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) or Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) yeast

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1.5 gallons (~6 liters) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 °C) for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 liters) and a gravity of 1.085 (20.5 °P). Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

The total wort boil time is 60 minutes. Add the bittering hops as soon as the wort begins to boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil and the remaining hop additions according to the hops schedule. Chill the wort to 70 °F (21 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 17 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, about 4 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 6.3-liter starter.

Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C) until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Transfer to secondary and add dry hops. Allow it to finish fermenting until completely settled, about seven additional days. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes. Once carbonated, store the beer in a cool, dark place and allow to age. The beer will improve over time and should mature one to three years before drinking.

Mike Riddle’s Tricentennial Stout

(5 gallons/19 L, all grain)
OG = 1.100 (23.8 °P) FG = 1.037 (9.2 °P)
IBU = 100 SRM = 100 ABV = 8.5%

Ingredients
14 lb. (6.35 kg) Crisp British pale ale malt (3 °L or similar)
2.25 lb. (1 kg) Great Western chocolate malt (475 °L or similar)
2.25 lb. (1 kg) Great Western roasted barley (575 °L or similar)
1.88 lb (850 g) Great Western wheat malt (2 °L or simliar)
0.75 lb. (340 g) Great Western crystal malt 120 °L or similar
13.97 AAU Northern Brewer hops (2.15 oz./61 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (60 min.)
10.73 AAU Northern Brewer hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (30 min.)
5.46 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0.84 oz./24 g at 6.5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
12.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (2.5 oz./71 g at 5% alpha acids) (3 min.)
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (dry hop)
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) or Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) yeast

Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash thickness that will enable your system to achieve the necessary pre-boil volume and gravity. Hold the mash at 149 °F (65 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (25 L) and the gravity is 1.078 (18.8 °P). If your system loses efficiency on big beers, start with an additional 4 to 5 lbs. (2 kg) of base malt or make sure you have a couple of pounds (1 kg) or more of malt extract on hand to make up any deficiency in efficiency.

The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 70 °F (21 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 17 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, about 4 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 6.3-liter starter.

Follow the remainder of the extract with grains recipe.