Weird Beard Brew Co.’s Black Perle Coffee Milk Stout clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.025 IBU = 50 SRM = 44 ABV = 4%

Black Perle is one of the first beers Weird Beard produced commercially and still forms part of their core range in bottles and traditional cask. It takes its name from German Perle with which it is single-hopped. It’s a sweet stout with a rich coffee backbone.

Ingredients

7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt (2.8 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.52 kg) caramel malt (120 °L)
0.7 lb. (0.32 kg) roasted barley (525 °L)
0.6 lb. (0.28 kg) flaked oats
0.5 lb. (0.22 kg) chocolate malt (330 °L)
0.2 lb. (0.1 kg) torrified wheat
0.2 lb. (0.1 kg) lactose sugar (30 min.)
0.4 lb. (0.2 kg) lactose sugar (15 min.)
5.6 AAU Perle hops (first wort hop) (0.7 oz./20 g at 8% alpha acids)
11.2 AAU Perle hops (20 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 8% alpha acids)
5.6 AAU Perle hops (5 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 8% alpha acids)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (10 min.)
0.8 oz. (23 g) roasted whole coffee beans (secondary) Safale US-05 American Ale or Lallemand BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.2 quarts of strike water to 1 pound of grain (2.5 L/kg) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Sparge slowly with 171 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until pre-boil kettle volume is 6 gallons (23 L). Add the first wort hops during the sparging process.

Total boil time is 60 minutes, adding the hops and the lactose sugar as indicated. Add Whirlfloc with 10 minutes left in the boil.

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch the yeast and let the temperature free rise to 72 °F (22 °C). When fermentation is two-thirds complete, let the temperature free rise again to 75 °F (24 °C). At approximately 2 points away from final gravity, add the coffee beans to the fermenter. Keep it at 75 °F (24 °C) for 2 days and then cool to 41 °F (5 °C) for around 5 days. Carbonate the beer to around 2.1 volumes of CO2 and allow time for the beer to condition fully.

Weird Beard Brew Co.’s Black Perle Coffee Milk Stout clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.025 IBU = 50 SRM = 44 ABV = 4%

Ingredients

3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Muntons light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt (2.8 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.52 kg) caramel malt (120 °L)
0.7 lb. (0.32 kg) roasted barley (525 °L)
0.6 lb. (0.28 kg) flaked oats
0.5 lb. (0.22 kg) chocolate malt (330 °L)
0.2 lb. (0.1 kg) torrified wheat
0.2 lb. (0.1 kg) lactose sugar (30 min.)
0.4 lb. (0.2 kg) lactose sugar (15 min.)
5.6 AAU Perle hops (first wort hop) (0.7 oz./20 g at 8% alpha acids)
11.2 AAU Perle hops (20 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 8% alpha acids)
5.6 AAU Perle hops (5 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 8% alpha acids)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (10 min.)
0.8 oz. (23 g) roasted whole coffee beans (secondary)
Safale US-05 American Ale or Lallemand BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed pale ale malt along with flaked oats and torrified wheat in a grain bag. Submerge the grains in 5 quarts of water that has been heated to 164 °F (73 °C). The mash should rest at a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) for about 45 minutes then submerge in a second bag the remaining grains. Hold for 15 minutes. Remove both bags and wash with 1 gallon (4 L) hot water. Stir in the dried malt extract and top off with water to 6 gallons (23 L). Add the first wort hops.

Total boil time is 60 minutes, adding the hops and the lactose sugar as indicated. Add Whirlfloc with 10 minutes left in the boil.

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch the yeast and let the temperature free rise to 72 °F (22 °C). When fermentation is two-thirds complete, let the temperature free rise again to 75 °F (24 °C). At approximately 2 points away from final gravity, add the coffee beans to the fermenter. Keep it at 75 °F (24 °C) for 2 days and then cool to 41 °F (5 °C) for around 5 days. Carbonate the beer to around 2.1 volumes of CO2 and allow time for the beer to condition fully.