tlhammond

Recipes 

Happy Holidays Home Brewers!!

Brewing a Irish Stout extract kit I received for Xmas from Midwest Supplies.

I would like to doctor the recipe up a bit, maybe make more of a night cap type of beer. This is my 10th extract kit and for the most part I have stuck to the recipes. I was thinking of adding chocolate and cherries and perhaps some vanilla. When should I add these additions or if ya have any suggestions on what to add I would be interested in hearing your experiences!

Thanks and Cheers!

Reedkellough

Recipes 

I actually have done this exact kit, turned out fairly good. Basically a Guiness clone, but it was only my second batch so I stuck to the recipe, now of course because I always wonder what could have changed or I could have done better. After brewing 5 batches 2 of which I have greatly changed variations from the recipe and so far so good I have thought of a few things I may have done differently with this stout.
1. Its Irish, make it Irish - get 4 oz dark oak chips/cubes and soak in 6-8 oz jameson whiskey for 5-7 days You can then drain off the whiskey, rack the beer on top of the oak and let ferment in secondary for 2-3 weeks. At time of bottling you can add back in the jameson whiskey you removed to taste or into only specific bottles..you can also leave the jameson in secondary let it go for 3-4 weeks and bottle.
2. at time of bottling you can mess with various extracts - vanilla, chocolate, or others to add to a few of the bottles to see variations.
3. I would also probably throw in 8-12 oz DME (golden to not change much else of beer) and if your feeling crazy you could have some fun adding some Turbinado sugar toward end of the boil

There are a million variations to that kit, but its a very good place to start for a basic dry stout, the only downside if the OG On the bright side using #1 and/or #3 above you can help that out a little and get it up in the high 5's or about 6%

Let me know if you end up doing any of these options as I will be curious how they turn out.

__________________
Upcomming: Meyers Oak Aged Oatmeal Stout
Primary: Glacial Melt IPA
Secondary: Both are empty :(
Bottled: Dark as Hell Irish Stout, Brown Dog Breakfast Ale

stevo4361

Recipes 

I would add any chocolate nibs, cherries, or vanilla in secondary. I just brewed this kit and basically left it alone to try first, then doctor it up after trying it first. Good luck though with your experiments!

JimRausch

Recipes 

Haven't done this particular kit, but last year I did NB Cherry Stout kit. Added oats and rye to the (partial) mash, cocoa and coffee and honey in the last 10 minutes of boil, and 4oz. cherry extract to secondary. Real nice- tasted alot like Lion Stout to me.
I'm going to do it again within the next 4 weeks. This time, my plan is to cold brew some expresso, and extract 2 oz. cocoa nibs in vodka, and add all this to the secondary, along with the cherry extract. I'm also going to up the hops just a little. Although it should be around 6.5% instead of the 8.8% of Lion, I'm thinking the flavor should be closer.

Toasty27

Recipes 

i just got some cherry extract to add to my irish stout kit.

JediSpam

Recipes 

you can add maltodextrin for more body. i'd say about 4 ounces