The Infamous El Guapo

The Infamous El Guapo
1.062 - 1.0??
29 IBU
?.?% ABV

Brewed at The Southern Brewing Company, Athens Georgia. 

The Big Idea: Brian said he wanted something experimental, which is a departure for a traditionalist like myself.  After racking my brain for uncommon ingredients, I decided on Mexican mole since it comes with so many flavors (chocolate, raisins, chiles). Though I usually do not care for chile pepper beer, those that are more restrained can be good. My idea was to make a beer that is very heavy in the caramel flavor department, and to use the mole as a late addition much as one wold use flavor hops, and since the mole has a lot more than chile heat going on, the flavor would not be dominated by that one aspect. I am concerned about the oil that is part of the chocolate and nuts that are in the mole, which could inhibit head retention. I am combating that fear with wheat and flaked oats to add a fluffier mouthfeel and body, a higher mash temperature, and a protein rest at the start of the mash.

The Malts:

14 lbs Two-Row

3.5 lbs Wheat Malt

3 lbs Flaked Oats

2.5 lbs 40L Crystal Malt

2.5 lbs 60L Crystal Malt

1.5 lbs 120L Crystal Malt

The Hops:

2 oz Fuggles (5.3% AA) - 60 minutes

1 oz Fuggles (5.3% AA) - 30 minutes

Other Ingredients:

8oz Mole (from the top of the butcher counter (not the generic jar stuff)) - 5 minutes

Yeast:

Dry S-04 (one packet per fermenter)

Mole essence on top of the boil. Since this seemed to contain a lot of the oils, I scooped it out.

Beer stuck at 1.022 for nearly three weeks. On 5.10.16 I added the dregs of one bottle of Orval to each fermenter.