I have been looking at brewing up the Sweet Stout extract kit they have here but I would like to add some molasses to it. I want more then just a hint of molasses but nothing even close to overpowering. Something along the lines of a nice but quickly fading after taste… more or less.
The question is how much, what type and when. I have seen everything from 4 1/2 pounds for a full boil to 6 ounces in the secondary. It looks like most add it either at flame out or within the last 15 min and even then the amount varies from a pound to 1/2 of a cup. Then there is the question on which type of molasses, light, dark, black strap and so on.
I am also under the impression that the molasses will thin out the stout so maybe a partial mash (mash in a bag?) of rolled oats might help??? Will steeping the oats work or do they need to be mashed?
Thanks in advance for the help.
It’s been a good while since I’ve brewed with molasses, but when I did, a half pound in the boil came out quite noticeable in the finished brew. Personally, I would use no more than 1 pound at the most…definitely not 4 1/2! I used just regular unsulfured molasses. Black Treacle works out really good too.
As with adding any sugars, it will thin the body, but using such small amounts like a half pound, I wouldn’t worry about it much. It should be minimal. You could add a little lactose or maltodextrine to boost the body some if you wanted to.
Oats need to be mashed.
I really think it depends on the molasses you are using. Some of them can have a bitterness, others not so much. I do think erring on the low side is wise, just enough to give a slight twang in the aftertaste. I also think the oatmeal for body is a good idea, although if you’re just adding a pound or less then it won’t make a huge change to the body. You can assume the molasses is about the same moisture as LME, so lb is 0.8lb of sugar. Thats just 36 points/5gal= 7pts/gal, and probably less than that since a lot of those sugars are liable to be crosslinked and nonfermentable.
I used 4 oz of dark molasses in the kotbusser recipe from Radical Brewing, and it was very noticeable. Honestly, it was a bit too noticeable at first, though it mellowed out considerably with a bit of aging.
