Most of us can remember building a snowman in our parents’ front yard with our siblings or neighbors once upon a time. Living in Wisconsin we are privileged to truly have all four seasons of the year. If you are a winter enthusiast, then building a snowman is tradition unlike any other. Enjoying a stout in the colder months of the year is a decadent treat.

A fun fact. In 1969 Maury Laws, music director for the television production company Videocraft International (now known as Rankin/Bass), conducted and scored music for a number of animated features including “Frosty the Snowman.” Maury resides in Appleton, WI, which is a long distance snowball throw 30 miles east of Chilton. Source: Wikipedia

Rolling into our dark malt portfolio, showcasing our Chocolate, Midnight Wheat and to a certain extent Caramel 80L were set to shine. Some unusual brewing adjuncts added to this homebrew provide a sweet and smooth stout. Briess Full Pint brought its A-game, once again providing a clean, sweet, mild & malty characteristic to stabilize the base malt for this beer.

Briess Victory Malt, Midnight Wheat Malt, Caramel Malt 80L and Chocolate Malt. Crumbled graham crackers, cocoa powder and brown sugar. (all optional)

Roasted S’mores Stout recipe

Makes 6 gallons (22.71L)

  • 75.5% — Briess Full Pint Brewers Malt (milled)
  • 5.7% — Briess Midnight Wheat Malt (milled)
  • 5.7% — Briess Caramel Malt 80L (milled)
  • 5.7% — Briess Victory® Malt (milled)
  • 3.8% — Briess Chocolate Malt (milled)
  • 3.6% — Brown Sugar
  • 2 oz (56.69g) Northern Brewer — 8.2% A.A. at 30 minutes at boil
  • Wyeast British Ale 1098

Additional Ingredients:

  • 1 lb crushed graham crackers (in mash)
  • 6 oz roasted/whole large marshmallows (optional)
  • 4 oz. cocoa powder (optional)
  • 1 whole vanilla bean — 5 days in primary fermentation (optional)
  • Wow, did the home brewery smell great!

Directions:

Mash at 155° F (68° C) for 60 minutes. Add 1 lb of crushed graham crackers and 2oz. cocoa powder.

Lauter/sparge to collect 6 gal. (22.7 L) of wort, boil 60 minutes. Add 2oz. Northern Brewer (bittering) hop addition 30 minutes into boil. Addition of 6oz. roasted/whole large marshmallows (optional). Turn off heat source. Begin to cool wort.

Burnt sugar notes went to work in a unique way with lighting marshmallows on fire and adding them directly into the boil.

Cool wort to 68° F (20° C), pitch yeast and oxygenate. Add one whole vanilla bean in primary fermenter for 7 days. Ferment 2 weeks, then bottle or keg according to your homebrew set up.

  • On brew day it’s wasn’t snowing in fact raining, so this was my assistant for the day!

Build the snowman, catch snowflakes on your tongue, make the s’mores (maybe indoors) and partake in a Roasted S’mores Stout this winter.

Cheers!