2 questions - Admiral's Reserve / Stout

[canuck]

I have 2 questions:

1. I am going to be making a Woodefordes Admirals Reserve this weekend. From what I have noticed from my Wherry and read that the kits never reach the ABV % that that they claim. Wherry they list at 4.5% but following their instructions exactly its hard to reach this.

So I would like my Admirals to reach at least 4.5 or up to 5%abv.

If I decrease the water from 23L to 20L will this be enough? Or should I add some spray malt as well?

Anyone have experience with this kit? Of course I don't want to ruin the taste of this kit.

2. After the Admirals Reserve I would like to make a Stout. What is the difference between Coopers Stout and the Coopers Brewmaster Irish Stout? - I am thinking the brewmaster is theoretically better tasting??
Also I was wanting to give the Stout a strong chocolate taste - would adding cocoa or chocolate to the ferment do anything to hep this? I also read of someone putting in a teaspoon of cocoa when bottling? Would the cocoa replace the priming sugar?

thanks

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Also I was wanting to give the Stout a strong chocolate taste

How do you know the kit isn't going to be chocolately enough for you?

- would adding cocoa or chocolate to the ferment do anything to hep this? I also read of someone putting in a teaspoon of cocoa when bottling?

You could do that but there's another way. Assuming that you're familiar with the base taste of the kit and you can calculate how much you want alter the flavour,, a better way IMO would be to boil up some chocolate malt and use the resulting liquor as your boiling water.

Would the cocoa replace the priming sugar?

thanks

No. It's not fermentable so you'll still need priming sugar.

[canuck]

I just had a request to try and make a stout similar to Young's Double Chocolate Stout, which is very 'chocolate' in taste.
Anyone tried to clone this using a coopers stout?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

To be honest if you're aiming to produce a specific clone you'd probably be better off doing an extract brew. You don't need much more equipment that for kits. I can definitely see the appeal of chocolate stouts. I may do one myself if I can find a decent recipe