With the berry sensory notes that Sundew Ale (OYL-401) produces, it naturally fits many pale, fruity styles. I wanted to see how the yeast pairs with the flavors of a dark beer (dark chocolate, dried fruit, toffee, coffee, and roasty goodness!) and settled on a stout. By design, this recipe sits in the middle of various stout subclasses and with a few simple adjustments can be tailored to the personal tastes of the brewer. For example, mash with less grain at 148°F for higher attenuation and a drier finish to make a dry Irish stout, or increase the amount of oats to 10-20% to make an oatmeal stout.

The higher mash temperature gives body without being overly sweet, the dehusked and debittered Carafa III adds beautiful roasted color without the astringency, and the flaked oats help with a nice stable head. You may substitute Maris Otter for the Golden Promise. Other possible substitutions include honey malt or a medium crystal malt for the Golden Naked Oats (or whatever you prefer – it is your beer!)

First Gold reflects the more traditional English hop character and also adds some fruity character with a touch of spice. The Ariana hop choice brings a higher alpha acid percentage to the recipe, and also lends some blackcurrant notes. When added to the whirlpool, the hops don’t make the beer overly bitter or overpower the other aromas. For a more traditional English take, I’ve always been a fan of East Kent Golding or Fuggles.

Recipe
STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.016
ABV: 5.48%
IBU: 29
SRM: 38

FERMENTABLES (5 Gallon Batch):
10 lbs: Golden Promise (77%)
1.2 lbs: Chocolate Malt (9.2%)
0.4 lbs: Carafa III (3.1%)
0.7 lbs: Flaked Oats (5.4%)
0.7 lbs: Golden Naked Oats (5.4%)

HOPS:
1 oz: First Gold, Type: Pellet, A.A.: 7.5, Use: Boil for 60 min
1 oz: First Gold, Type: Pellet, A.A.: 7.5, Use: Boil for 5 min
1 oz: Ariana, Type: Pellet, A.A.: 11, Use: Whirlpool

MASH GUIDELINES:
Infusion, Temp: 154°F, Time: 60 min
Boil for 90 minutes

YEAST
OYL-401 Sundew. The temperature range is relatively broad, from 64-78°F. We recommend slight overpitching or a fresh starter for more berry notes. Sundew will shine at fermentation temperatures in the mid-70s.

Even though the boil is 90 minutes, add the first hops at the 60 minute mark. I prefer this method, so that I open a 1 oz packet of hops and dump it into the kettle as opposed to weighing it out or ending up with partial packets lying around.