One of my personal favourite styles of beer, many years honing my various stout recipes have come together for this, in my opinion, superb Dry Stout.

This delicious beer begins with a simple grain bill of Irish Pale Malt, Flaked Barley and Oats. The water here is totally lacking in mineral content, it's perfect for brewing as it's a blank canvas to blend with various minerals to create water profiles suited to various styles of beer from around the world. There's more to it than simply adjusting pH as many factors futher along the brewing, and drinking, process are affected by the water right at the very start.

So, in this case, carefully calculated quantities of minerals are added to the brewing water (we brewers call our brewing water liquor) to closely replicate the waters of Dublin, Ireland, the birthland of the Dry Stout. Stouts also developed from Porters in England in the 18th century but that's another story and a different beer.

After the mash is done and the starches in the grains have converted into fermentable sugars, a large proportion of heavily roasted barley is added to the mush tun. The sugary sweet liquid or wort, as it's known, is recirculated through the grains to begin to pick up the roasted flavours and dark colours of the roasted barley.

Adding the roasted barley after the primary mash avoids the risk of pulling unpleasant and unwanted astringency from the dark grains. After recirculating the wort is pumped over to the brewing kettle and, along with the Target hops for bitterness, is vigourously boiled for an hour.

The boiled wort is then rapidly cooled as it transfers to the fermenting tank, yeast is added and the wort ferments into this wonderful beer. The finished beer is purposely very lightly carbonated, it's not flat (contrary to what fizz lovers might say) but gently conditioned before packaging. Kegs are pressurised with a mix of co2 and Nitrogen, so you can experience the full creamflow effect on tap here at the brewery. Smooooooth.

The canned Stout is carbonated in the simpler traditional manner, again only lightly, this is not a fizzy beer but as I lack access to a sub-zero liquid nitrogen injection system to force the nitro into the Stout right at the moment it's canned and sealed, supplying the good old Widget Smoothflow cans aren't within my reach.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, the name Dorchadas is Irish Gaellic for Darkness. Apt for this impenetrably dark beer.

If you have any questions, are holding an event or you are a Bar Owner Wanting Keg Beer please do get in touch with me, Steve.