WalesAles wrote:tazzymutt wrote:
PS: WalesAles, did you try a doubled up version? I've been waiting for news reports of a large part of the country covered by a blanket of strangely good smelling foam...
Hello Tazzy,
I was going to order the gear last night but it was all becoming a bit expensive! Maybe some other time. I`m going to stick with the `3 Gall stout`instead. Going to try Extra Dark DME instead of using Dark. I will have to rename it then because it is slightly off Ditch`s recipe!
WA
I suspect that civilisation may be safer for your decision
As for renaming it; I have never dared to call my brew a Ditches Stout. If the Master has not touched it, it is not the real thing; so I have always referred to my brew as a “Ditchesque” stout. I strive to duplicate the one true process, but know that it will never be exactly as it should. To be honest, I don’t care; it tastes great and that’s good enough for me.
One of my friends recently decided to make his own variant. Instead of 1Kg of dried spray malt he used 2 x 650g jars of Potters Malt Extract (purchased from Holland and Barrett on a buy one get second half price deal)*. First tests suggest that this is sweeter than Ditches recipe, perhaps a little sweet for my tastes, though the sweetness may disappear with age (if it lasts long enough). I am mulling over the idea of making my next brew with 500g of spray malt, one 650 jar of malt extract and 300g of raw cane sugar. The way my friends brew ages will help me to decide. In the meantime I need to transfer my current batch from the FV into a barrel this evening, it did not make it last night.
Happy brewing
Ian.
* That’s the pure malt extract, not the one with added cod liver oil, nor the one with cod liver oil and butterscotch
