The Brewer

Foreign Extra Stout Brewing Guide: The Tropical Stout

Foreign Extra Stout: The Traveler

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Arthur Guinness needed to ship his porter to the far corners of the British Empire—the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. To ensure the beer survived the long, hot sea voyages, he brewed it stronger (more alcohol = preservative) and hoppier (more hops = preservative). The result was Foreign Extra Stout (FES). Today, paradoxically, this heavy, dark beer is incredibly popular in hot, tropical climates like Nigeria, Jamaica, and Singapore.

1. The Flavor Profile

  • ABV: 6.5% – 8.0%.
  • Roast: Intense. Coffee, espresso, dark chocolate.
  • Fruitiness: Unlike dry Irish stouts, FES has significant fruity esters (dark berries, rum, dried fruit).
  • Bitterness: Very high (50–70 IBU), but hidden by the massive malt body.

2. Ingredients

The Malt

  • Base: Pale Malt (Maris Otter or regular 2-Row).
  • Roast: You need a lot.
    • Roasted Barley: The signature ingredient (10%).
    • Black Malt: For sharpness.
  • Adjuncts: In the tropics, brewers use local sugars. Cane sugar, molasses, or sorghum. These lighten the body and add rummy flavors.

The Hops

  • English Hops: Target, Challenger, or Northdown.
  • Quantity: You need a solid bittering charge to balance the high gravity. Aroma hops are optional.

The Yeast

  • Irish Ale Yeast: Wyeast 1084 (Guinness strain).
  • Temperature: Ferment slightly warm (20°C–22°C) to encourage ester production.

3. The “Guinness Tang”

Authentic FES often has a slight lactic sourness or “tang.”

  • History: Guinness blends a small portion of soured beer into the fresh batch.
  • Homebrew Hack: Add 2-3% Acidulated Malt to the mash, or just add 5ml of Lactic Acid to the finished beer at packaging. It brightens the roast profile.

4. Recipe: “Lion’s Roar” FES

  • Batch Size: 5 Gallons (19 Liters)
  • OG: 1.072
  • FG: 1.018
  • ABV: 7.1%
  • IBU: 60
  • SRM: 45

Grain Bill

  • 4.5 kg (10 lbs) Pale Ale Malt
  • 0.45 kg (1 lb) Roasted Barley
  • 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) Black Patent Malt
  • 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) Crystal 60L
  • 0.45 kg (1 lb) Raw Cane Sugar (Turbinado) - Add at boil

Hops

  • 50g (1.75 oz) Target (11% AA) @ 60 min
  • 30g (1 oz) East Kent Goldings (5% AA) @ 10 min

Yeast

  • Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale

Instructions

  1. Mash: 66°C (151°F).
  2. Boil: 60 minutes. Add sugar with 10 mins left.
  3. Ferment: 21°C (70°F).
  4. Condition: This beer is robust. It can be drunk fresh, but 2-3 months of age will smooth out the alcohol heat.

5. Food Pairing

FES is a beast with food.

  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken: The sweetness and roast stand up to the fiery scotch bonnet peppers.
  • Rich Chocolate Desserts: A brownie doesn’t stand a chance against a dry stout, but matches FES perfectly.
  • Cigar: If you smoke, this is the pairing.

Conclusion

Foreign Extra Stout is a beer of history and contradiction. It is a cold-weather style that thrives in the heat. It is an English invention perfected in Africa and the Caribbean. It is arguably the most complex of the stout family.