Anna Livia Irish Stout

Story: After being underwhelmed by a can of Guinness Draught on St. Patrick’s Day 2013, I decided to brew a more flavorful Irish dry stout in time for Bloomsday (June 16). Coincidentally I got this in the keg at about the same time my son was born. After nine months of monk-like beer abstinence (Zen monk, not Belgian monk) my wife took to this stout with a thirst one can only describe as “post-partum”. Nursing mothers were once advised by doctors to drink stout with claims that it supported breast milk production. Although these claims have largely been debunked, we figured it sure as hell couldn’t hurt.

The grain bill was modified from a recipe in Brewing Classic Styles. Fans of Guinness may have noticed the legendary sour bite in Guinness which is apparently achieved by adding 3% soured beer from a previous batch to each new batch. I use acidulated malt to simulate this flavor. While barely noticeable to many, the tang does add complexity that has been noticeably absent from the early versions of this fruity, roasty dry stout that I made without acidulated malt.

The name is an homage to Anna Livia Plurabelle from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake.

Style: 15B Dry Stout

Grist:

• 6 lbs 14 oz Irish pale malt (Malting Co. of Ireland Stout Malt)
• 2 oz Acid Malt (for a lactic tart hint; the notorious “Guinness tang”)
• 2 lbs Flaked Barley
• 1 lb Black Roasted Barley (ground very fine in espresso grinder)

Hops:

• 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings (7.2% AA) @ 60 minutes

Yeast: White Labs WLP 004 Irish Ale Yeast

Mash Temp: 149°F

OG: 1.049

FG: 1.012

IBU: 42.2

SRM: 34

ABV: 4.9%