Ursa Major Stout

Classification: stout, dry stout, Irish stout, extract

Source: rogerl@Think.COM Issue #101, 3/15/89

This brew is so dark I think the Irish moss may be superfluous. This was the most active brew I've had in a while. Expect to use some sort of blow off method for primary and then rack to secondary with an airlock. Very black! Thick, but not as much as Guinness. Well rounded flavor and smooth with almost no bite. Very dark head. Maybe using less roast barley and a bit more black patent would lighten the head and keep the body from suffering. Everybody who tasted it really like it. I do believe I've found my house stout.

Ingredients:

2 cans, Munton & Fison stout kit
2 pounds, Munton & Fison light dry malt extract
1 pound, crushed pale malt
1 pound, crushed crystal malt
1/2 pound, dextrin malt
2 cups, chocolate malt
2 cups, black patent malt
2 cups, roast barley
2 ounces, Fuggles hops pellets (boil)
1-2 ounce, Willamette leaf hops (finish)
2 packs, M&F stout yeast
1/4 teaspoon, Irish moss
3/4 cup, corn sugar (priming)

Procedure:

Mash grains in 1-2 gallons of water. Sparge with enough water to end with 2-3 gallons in pot. Bring to boil. Stir in extract and bring to boil. Add boiling hops. Boil 40 minutes. Add Irish moss in last 15 minutes. At end of boil, add aromatic hops and steep 15 minutes. Sparge into primary with enough water to make 6 gallons. Cool and pitch yeast. Rack to secondary when initial blow off subsides. Prime and bottle about a month later.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.058
F.G.: 1.016