Irish Stout: how to brew it

Black, dry and surprisingly light: roasted barley gives coffee and dark chocolate notes, a firm bitterness and a creamy head, at a sessionable strength.

Irish Stout at a glance

Original gravity: 1.036 – 1.044
Final gravity: 1.007 – 1.011
Bitterness (IBU): 25 – 45
Color (SRM): 25 – 40
Alcohol: 3.8 – 5.0%
Carbonation (vol): 2.0 – 2.6

Ranges from the BJCP 2021 style guidelines, category 15B.

A typical recipe

For 20 L (5 gal) at about 1.042: 70 % pale malt, 20 % flaked barley, 10 % roasted barley. Bittering hops only, East Kent Goldings or similar, to about 40 IBU. Irish or English ale yeast, mash at 66 °C (151 °F), ferment at 18–19 °C (64–66 °F).

Brewing tips

Roasted barley is the signature

Unmalted roasted barley gives the dry, coffee-like edge; chocolate malt is softer.

Flaked barley for the head

It adds body and a lasting, creamy foam without sweetness.

Low carbonation, or nitro

Serve it lightly carbonated, or on a nitro tap for the classic cascade.

Brew your own Irish Stout

Start from the style in Mashwerk: it builds a recipe inside the ranges for your equipment, and checks every number as you tweak it.

Start brewing free