Decided to have a go at a stout next. After reading several posts I think I have decided to go with the Coopers.
I was planning on using 1kg of extra dark spray malt with it but have read a few comments of Daabs recommending steeping malts instead.
I was also considering hopping. Again not sure weather to dry hop or boil and steep. Which hops?? are Northdown a good option?
Am I going overboard and best just sticking to the kit?
Just wondered if any of you experts have tried any of these methods and what the results were like.
Stout ideas
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Parp
Northdown are a perfectly good choice.
I've had stouts that've had far to much hop aroma and taste.
McRory's (apparently) Irish Stout - Northumberland brewery.
If you prefer a dry Irish type stout, then it shouldnt matter that much which hops you use as you're only using the hops for bitterness.
On addition of hops into the boil at the very beginning and thats it.
Edit - and as you're using a kit it shouldnt matter. I would use just pale malt extract.
the contents of the kit should supply enough of the dark flavours.
I found Safale S-04 yeast, or Nottingham good for stouts in the past.
I've had stouts that've had far to much hop aroma and taste.
McRory's (apparently) Irish Stout - Northumberland brewery.
If you prefer a dry Irish type stout, then it shouldnt matter that much which hops you use as you're only using the hops for bitterness.
On addition of hops into the boil at the very beginning and thats it.
Edit - and as you're using a kit it shouldnt matter. I would use just pale malt extract.
the contents of the kit should supply enough of the dark flavours.
I found Safale S-04 yeast, or Nottingham good for stouts in the past.
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anomalous_result
Re: Stout ideas
edit: didn't see Parp's edit =p
Also if the kit asks for 1kg of sugar then adding 1kg of the extra dark stuff may be too much, I'm not saying it won't work or taste bad but the kit's probably got a lot if not all the colour it needs in the tin already. The pale or medium may be fine, unless you want it much darker than it is already.
Think that steeping grains is to add colour and flavour. Adding sugar adds to the OG (but it can be thin tasting) and adding spraymalt adds to the OG and the flavour. So if you steep grain instead of adding sugar/spraymalt you'll be a way below the target OG.yeasty wrote:I was planning on using 1kg of extra dark spray malt with it but have read a few comments of Daabs recommending steeping malts instead.
Also if the kit asks for 1kg of sugar then adding 1kg of the extra dark stuff may be too much, I'm not saying it won't work or taste bad but the kit's probably got a lot if not all the colour it needs in the tin already. The pale or medium may be fine, unless you want it much darker than it is already.