Yes, I found my old beer journal from 1995! This stout was one of my most successful recipes, originally dated February 27, 1995, when I worked for Joffrey’s. I’ll start with this recipe and post more later. I remember this beer being full-bodied, with a nice hop finish. If you took some time on your first beer, you could taste the chocolate and coffee, though they were in no way overpowering. Ingredients are as follows:

4 lbs. Mountmellick Irish Stout Malt Extract ($10.00 for dented can)
3 cups Munton & Fison amber dried malt extract
G lb. Flaked Barley ($1.95 for 1 lb bag)
J lb. Black Patent Malt ($1.75 for 1 lb)
1 oz. Fuggles; H for boiling and H for flavoring ($1.25)
4 oz. Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
H lb. Joffrey’s Estate Java toddy
1 package wYeast #1084 Irish Stout
I cup Dextrose for bottling

Made toddy the night before and allowed to steep overnight in the refrigerator (tastes excellent). Began steeping grains at 10:20 am at 160°. The grains smell great: chocolate and toasty. Kept a close eye on temperature: maintained an average of 157° for 45 minutes. Mashed the grains into bucket and poured a gallon of 170° water on top of the grains to finish mash. Returned wort to pot to begin the boil. Added malt extract just before boil (170°): wort began boiling at 11:52 am. Added dried malt extract after 10 minutes into boil (12:02). (Very feisty wort ‚Äî it won‚Äôt be happy until it boils over and destroys my kitchen). Added boiling hops after 15 minutes (12:12), and added cocoa and finishing hops after 50 minutes (12:42). Turned heat off after an hour (12:52), removed pot from heat, and poured in toddy. Poured into carboy on top of 3 gallons of cold water (I used store-bought, spring water this time), pitched yeast at 77°, and aerated well.

Comments: With the expected failure of beer #1, I took extra precautions with this one. I sanitized the hell out of everything and I used spring water from the store. The carboy soaked in bleach overnight — as did everything else really. The color is black and thick, though not as thick as I would have liked, evident by the gravity. Stupid me pitched the yeast before taking a gravity — I don’t know if this will have any deleterious effects, I hope not. That’s really the only mess up — so far. I’m not going to say whether or not I think this one will turn out well—that seems to be bad beer karma — but I will say it was fun to brew and I remain optimistic.

February 28: Well the yeast is up and away in less than 24 hours. The little beasties are having a blast. This beer also does not have the odor of a smelly cheeser.

March 1, 1995: The yeast has settled down — in only one day — and I removed the overflow hose and put the airlock in. There is none of that sour smell that I had with #1; I’m taking that as a good sign.

March 5: Ready to bottle. It smells great and looks nice and black. There is no pungent aroma like #1 (well, I have a cold, so I don’t really smell anything). I’m a bit disappointed in the final gravity (only 4% alcohol).

O.G.: 1.040
F.G.: 1.010

Final Output: Purchased bottle caps ($1.95), carboy ($9.95), brush ($1.95), extra air lock ($1.95); total ingredients: $30.75 or ($ .07 a bottle for 45) $.74 a bottle.