Black Spot - Foreign Extra Stout

The story of The Black Spot come from the days of the Pirates when one pirate would give another pirate a page from the Bible with a black spot drawn in the center, meaning they were marked for Death. My experience with sour stouts is very limited, in that I have only tasted one. The Madruga Obscura from Jolly Pumpkin is a Belgian inspired Imperial Stout at 8% abv, and is one of the best sours I have ever tasted. The surprising thing about the beer is how smooth it is even though 12% of the grist bill is quoted by Ron Jeffries to be roasted barley.

In a quest to learn more about the process of sour stouts I decided to start off on a more conservative approach to a sour stout and brew a Belgian inspired Foreign Extra Stout because the standard grist bill seems a little better suited for the souring process. As we all know, sour a bitter do not mix very well in most cases. My grist bill is designed to have a more reserved roasted flavor and go for the more tropical fruit flavors with debittered black malt and more crystal malt. I will be fermenting with  White Labs 550  before aging on a full range of bacteria and wild yeast..



Recipe Specifics

Batch Size: 2 (calculated at 2.5 for equipment lose)
Total Grain: 5 lbs
Anticipated OG: 1.065
Anticipated SRM: 35
Calculated IBU: 25
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85%
Wort Boil Time: 90 min
 
Grain

  78%    4 lbs Pilsner
4.3 % .22 lbs Crystal 80L
4.3%  .22 lbs Crystal 120L
4.3%  .22 lbs Chocolate Malt
4.3%  .22 lbs Briess Midnight Wheat

Hops

  .5 oz Crystal (4.7% AA) 60 min

Yeast 

White Labs 550 Belgian Ale

Extras

.25 tsp Yeast Nutrient
   1 tsp Irish Moss

Mash Schedule

No Sparge
 
Mash For 90 min at 147-149 degrees F  w/ 1.88 gallons

Add 1.95 gallons 170 degrees F and recirculate

Mash Calculations done with Brew365 Mash and Sparge Calculator

All water is filtered tap water