" Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

[bullseye]

Ditch, its a cracking pint mate. Funny thing is i have always loved a Guinness, but now you can't buy one in a pub that isn't extra cold! At first we had a choice normal or cold, now you only get cold here, i don't drink Guinness in pubs anymore and have turned more to real ales now.

I enjoy a beer with a slight chill, so i take my bottles out the fridge and leave them on the side for 30/40 minutes to warm up a touch. I brew all my beers and wines at room temperature, i guess it depends on where you live, here in Kent its very mild, and there is no need for brew belts or heating of any kind. I guess what i'm saying is my slight chill is room temperature somewhere up north.

[Ditch]

Yeah I once had a pint of Guinness in a pub in the village 'the other way' from where I go. It was served without condensation on the outside of the glass. And it took my breath away! I had to make a point of thanking the landlord for keeping such a fine cellar.

In my local town though ....? Well, it's just pretty much the same story all over Eire now. Country's run by f**kin' mafias and cartels, from top to bottom.

Don't know how that one guy's defied the Guinness KGB and got his above freezing? Just a bloody shame he's a £20 taxi trip away in the wrong direction.

[bullseye]

I grew up in Camden Town, and nearly every pub was run by an Irishman at the time, and they certainly knew how to keep and serve a pint of the black stuff.

One pub even had Guinness, Murphy's and Beamish all on tap and served a pint at the correct temprature, today is just a joke with pubs serving Guinness as cold as a lager.

What can you do? Brew your own!

[Ditch]

Today is just a joke with pubs serving Guinness as cold as a lager.

What can you do? Brew your own!

F**kin' A' to That! Only; We now know how to do it better than them, and at a fraction of their completely inflated prices

F**k 'em!

[bullseye]

Today is just a joke with pubs serving Guinness as cold as a lager.

What can you do? Brew your own!

F**kin' A' to That! Only; We now know how to do it better than them, and at a fraction of their completely inflated prices

F**k 'em!

Too right mate, i've only been brewing for less than a year and i can't believe how good you can make beer at home, and sticking it to the tax man feels good.

I don't know if you have heard of Micheal Jackson 'The Beer Hunter'? There is a whole series of video's of him tasting and reviewing beers from around the world. One caught my eye of him checking out beers in Belgium, us home brewers can get obsessed by cleaniness whilst brewing, well check out how they make Lambic beers!

http://youtu.be/cCZEqHkeQts

[Fohat]

That was great. Cobwebs, wild yeast, excellent.

[Ditch]

Damn. I can't watch You Tube. I'd love to see what that was all about.

I remember reading some mention of " Lambic Beers " on here at some point though. Seem to vaguely remember a shiver running up my spine about some aspect of them. I'm quite sure I decided, there and then, that sort of thing wasn't for me.

[christet]

Im thinking of doing a stout brew next! Ive only ever done ale/bitter and one batch of larger once.

Reading it seems the same process.

One question in regard to spray malt/sugar.

I guess my options are regular caster sugar, spray malt, brown (demerara sugar) and cane sugar?

So what recommended? a mix? I guess its preference but each will produce different flavours? Ive heard people use medium, dark and even choc spray malt/cocoa?

[Ditch]

1 Kg of malt powder (Medium or Dark) and a mug or two of sugar. I happen to use raw cane, simply because that's what the shop sells. It wasn't a conscious decision.

Obviously, I can't advise on cocoa and such things as other people might do. I've never done them. Nor have I any true idea of the results they might have achieved.

Bottom line is; I can only really stand by what I've said here. Do anything differently and it no longer has anything to do with me.

That said? Experiment all ye like with my own, basic premise. Even I'm not such a stick in the mud that I intend Never to try some choccy malt in it, some time

[Flannelmeister]

Wish I had found this forum, and this thread a few days earlier!

Have just done a coopers stout with 1kg of dark spraymalt, 500g of beer kit enhancer I had in my cupboard and I threw a 454g tin of Tate and Lyles black treacle in too.

Not exactly the tried and tested Ditch recipe but was tasting pretty good when I "tested" a half out of the FV when I kegged it this morning!

[Ditch]

I threw a 454g tin of Tate and Lyles black treacle in too.

God almighty! Ye must like the taste of treacle?

I once put a Teaspoon of Blackstrap Molasses in a pint of stout ..... Then threw it down the drain!

[Flannelmeister]

I was a bit worried in retrospect, but the yeasties (bless 'em) have devoured it and there isn't a treacle taste as such, it seems to have added to the bitterness and sort of licorice kinda aftertaste - and that is straight from FV!

Looking forward to seeing how it is after a bit of time in the keg.

[Ditch]

the yeasties (bless 'em) have devoured it and there isn't a treacle taste as such

Nice one! Cheers for the heads up

[Wonky]

Just a quick post to say thanks for this "recipe" Ditch. Just cracked the barrel after 1 week and have to say it is very good. I have just had a second pint to confirm the first was no fluke. The only maybe is that this weekend is the beer festival at my village pub and have had a couple in there so may have to repeat tasting tomorrow.

[Ditch]

may have to repeat tasting tomorrow.

Ummmm ..... That could be highly recommended