Brewing Stout With Extract + Spec Grains

Hello guys, I planning my first batch of extract + steeping specialty grains and I am thinking about brewing some dry stout. Since I don't have any experience with specialty grains I would really appreciate some advice. More concretely, which specialty grains should I be steeping, chocolate, carafa, crystal and to what extent? Also, should I use dark or pale extract? I' m going for 3gal/4.5ABV but I am rather skeptical when it comes to reaching the right color with pale extract. Perhaps stout is too ambitious for my first steeping?

Thanks in advance.

I would suggest purchasing the Dry Irish Stout extract kit, with steeping grains, from Northern brewer for your first. It is a great tasting stout and you will have a complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions to guide you.
Ignore the part about racking to a secondary. Leave the beer in the primary for three weeks.
This is for 5 gallons in the fermentor, but a partial boil of 2.5 gallons.

Here are two charts which will help you in the future.
http://beersmith.com/grain-list/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart

Many thanks!

I just brewed a stout that turned out great. Here's the recipe:

4 oz crystal 60
6 oz chocolate malt
9 oz roasted barley
6 lb Amber DME

1 oz Target (11.4%) for 60 mins
.25 oz East Kent Goldings (6.5%) for 15 mins

Wyeast 1098 (fermented at 66F for 8 days)

3 gal boil for a 5 gal batch

OG 1.045
FG 1.010
IBU: 33(calculated)
SRM: 40 (est) 29(calculated)

The color was definitely black, so I don't know what was going on with the low calculated SRM. I think 40 is a low estimate.

It turned out with a noticeable coffee flavor. I enjoyed it, but my wife thought it was a bit much. Certainly not strong, but as she's not a coffee drinker for some strange reason, it stood out to her. I didn't even notice it until she said something. Next time I'm going to dial the chocolate malt back to 4 oz.

You can use pretty much any Irish or most British yeast and get similar results. I want to brew it again, but use Wyeast 1084.

If you're going to use pale malt extract, make sure to boil as large a volume as you can, ideally a full volume boil. Top off water dilutes color and bitterness. If not possible, try to add a an oz or so more of roasted barley.

I use extra light DME for almost all brews. You can achieve almost any color or flavor with speciality grains. The only thing I have trouble with is that complex malt character in British bitters.

I use dark and amber dme in my stout with oatmeal, 60L, roasted barley, chocolate.

My favorite brew.

Try the AHS Dry Stout kit. It is really good.