Breakfast Stout clone recipe
Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids was nearly bankrupt when Breakfast Stout saved them. Released seasonally each fall, it's a benchmark for the coffee oatmeal stout style — rich, roasty, viscous, with assertive coffee and chocolate. The recipe is widely cloned because Founders has been semi-public about the grist and process.
About this beer
Breakfast Stout pours like motor oil — opaque, viscous, mahogany-black. The aroma is fresh-ground coffee over dark chocolate; the flavor adds bittersweet roast, oat creaminess, and a hint of imperial stout warming on the finish. At 8.3% it's bigger than it tastes — the coffee and roast hide the alcohol almost completely. Best drunk within 6 months of bottling.
Grain bill (5-gallon batch)
| Grain | Weight | % | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-row pale malt | 12 lb | 68% | Big grain bill for the big OG. |
| Flaked oats | 1.75 lb | 10% | The 'oatmeal' part — silky body, head retention. |
| Munich malt | 1.0 lb | 6% | Adds maltiness and complexity to the base. |
| Caramel/Crystal 60L | 0.75 lb | 4% | Sweetness, body, color. |
| Chocolate malt | 1.0 lb | 6% | Bitter chocolate notes. |
| Roasted barley | 0.75 lb | 4% | Sharp coffee bitterness, dark color. |
| Black malt (debittered) | 0.4 lb | 2% | Color, smooth roast. |
Hop schedule
| Hop | Amount | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nugget | 1.0 oz | 60 min boil | Bittering |
| Willamette | 0.5 oz | 15 min boil | Flavor |
| Willamette | 0.5 oz | Flameout | Subtle aroma |
Special ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount (5 gal) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee (cold brewed) | 1 quart cold brew concentrate | Founders uses Sumatran and Kona-blend cold brew added after fermentation. Don't boil coffee — bitter tannins. Cold brew preserves the bright fruit/chocolate notes. |
| Bittersweet chocolate / cocoa nibs | 8 oz cocoa nibs | Soaked in vodka for 1 week to extract, then added to secondary fermentation. |
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 / White Labs WLP001 / Safale US-05
Clean American Ale yeast lets the grain and adjuncts speak. Ferment at 66–68°F. Some clones use English ale yeast — both work.
Water profile
Carbonate-rich water for the dark grains. Target moderate alkalinity to prevent acrid roast.
Process notes
- Mash at 154°F for 60 min — full body needed for the style
- Boil 90 min — long boil helps with the high gravity and color development
- Cold-brew coffee for 12+ hours, add to secondary fermentation after primary completes
- Cocoa nibs soaked in vodka for 1 week, then added to secondary (rack the beer onto them)
- Total fermentation: ~14 days primary + 7 days secondary with adjuncts
- Carbonate to 2.2 volumes — slightly lower than IPA to let the body show
Why it tastes like that
The interesting part of a clone recipe is understanding why each ingredient choice matters. Here's what each element of the recipe contributes:
- Five dark grains (chocolate, roasted barley, black, plus crystal and Munich) layer the complexity — each contributes a different note, preventing the 'one-dimensional roasted' character of single-grain stouts.
- Oats at 10% give the silky creamy body that's specifically NOT what regular stouts have — this is what makes it an 'oatmeal' stout.
- Cold-brewed coffee preserves the bright, fruity coffee notes that would be destroyed by boiling. The choice of bean matters — Founders has used Sumatran for the earthy depth.
- Cocoa nibs in vodka tincture extracts cocoa essence without adding any cocoa fat to the beer (which would affect head and mouthfeel).
- Black malt debittered (also called Carafa) reduces the harsh roast — important at this grain bill to keep the beer drinkable rather than acrid.
Sources & references
- Founders Brewing — Breakfast Stout foundersbrewing.com
- BYO: Breakfast Stout clone byo.com