First Beer Recommendation

I'm new to home brewing and looking for recommendations for my first beer to brew. I'm a fan of stouts and heard that these are good to start with because they can hide some small mistakes better so at least you have a drinkable beer in the end. Would you recommend a stout as a first beer to brew? If so, any recommendations on a recipe? I've looked a bit through the stout forms and notice a lot of good stouts call for added coffee and/or chocolate. I assume I should avoid this for my first brew and keep it simple to just grains and malts. Thanks for your help.

~Brian

if you like coffee, i recommend the java stout from midwest. the coffee addition is a pretty easy additional step, but mine turned out really good...

keep it simple and get a nice dry stout kit from one of the big guys, NB, Midwest, AHS, etc. dry stout is a great first beer, very easy, doesn't take very long 2+ weeks in the fermenter, 3 weeks in bottles.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

keep it simple and get a nice dry stout kit from one of the big guys, NB, Midwest, AHS, etc. dry stout is a great first beer, very easy, doesn't take very long 2+ weeks in the fermenter, 3 weeks in bottles.

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+1 to this.. Make any beer that you are familiar with the style.. That way you know if it's good...

Not a big fan of the dry stouts. I think I might look at a coffee stout. I think it won't be too bad if I'm just adding coffee rather then also adding chocolate like the breakfast stouts have.

rancineb said:

Not a big fan of the dry stouts. I think I might look at a coffee stout. I think it won't be too bad if I'm just adding coffee rather then also adding chocolate like the breakfast stouts have.

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sure, a sweet stout is a good starter kit as well. some of the sweet stout kits available are chocolate stouts.

just noticed you're in grayslake, i grew up in the north burbs myself, lake forest, vernon hills and crystal lake to be specific.

Northern Brewer Oatmeal Stout. Do it!
I want to brew this one next and throw it on the mystery tap.

FYI, I plan on going all-grain so not looking for a kit but a good, simple recipe. I'll look for the java stout you mentioned.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

just noticed you're in grayslake, i grew up in the north burbs myself, lake forest, vernon hills and crystal lake to be specific.

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Nice. I grew up in Libertyville, then lived in Chicago after college and now back in Grayslake. Got a few friends that moved up to Minneapolis.

Isn't their Oatmeal Stout a partial mash? If so not impossible, but it will require a little more effort and planning.

rancineb said:

Nice. I grew up in Libertyville, then lived in Chicago after college and now back in Grayslake. Got a few friends that moved up to Minneapolis.

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hah! small world. my last place there before i moved was a condo in vernon hills, right by Hawthorne Mall. you mention libertyville, and i'm thinking how much i miss the Firkin on milwaukee ave!

Peace Coffee Java Stout ALL-GRAIN Kit

there are more reviews of the extract version if you don't want to take my word for it...

All of the big stores sell extract and AG recipes. I'm sure there are several varieties of stouts you can buy, or use to make your own recipe. There are many good recipes in the database on this site too.

A stout is as easy as any other basic recipe. There really isn't any difference between that and most other beers at the basic level. If you start getting into water chemistry, then you might think one or the other is slightly easier.

The nice thing about stouts is that they can also mask some off-flavors so if you did make a mistake there is a better chance it won't taste bad.

Just sanitize well for post boil, and maintain good fermentation temps (near 65 for a stout). All will be well.

rancineb said:

FYI, I plan on going all-grain so not looking for a kit but a good, simple recipe. .

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Triple X sweet stout (From: Brewing Classic Styles)

10lbs British pale ale malt
1 lb black patent malt
.75 lbs crystal 80L
.5 lbs pale chocolate
1 lbs Lactose Powder


1.5 oz Kent Goldings 5% AA @ 60 min

Mash @ 151

Yeast: WLP006

NordeastBrewer77 said:

hah! small world. my last place there before i moved was a condo in vernon hills, right by Hawthorne Mall. you mention libertyville, and i'm thinking how much i miss the Firkin on milwaukee ave!

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Ah, the Firkin. Love that place. We go there at least once a week. Have you been to Happy Gnome in St. Paul?

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check out some of the AG kits and some of the stout recipes on the site. Glad to hear that my assumption was correct that stouts can mask some of the mistakes and a good starter brew.

rancineb said:

Ah, the Firkin. Love that place. We go there at least once a week. Have you been to Happy Gnome in St. Paul?

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not yet, but heard that they have great beer, i really should.