Well, today is beer day (bottling, transferring 2 to secondaries and brewing), so I thought I'm able to get you some feedback on this one.
I used the kit as it came:
6 lb. Dark liquid malt extract
8 oz. Chocolate Malt
4 oz. Flaked Barley
4 oz. Caramel 60L
4 oz. Roasted Barley specialty grains
1/2 oz. Cascade pellet hops
1 oz. Fuggles pellet hops
1 packet Safale S-04
12/11/10
I started with 3 gal H2O and added the grains to steep at 158 F for 35 min.
Steep finished at 153 F and sat for 5 min
Boil:
60 min Cascade
30 min Fuggles
15 min Irish Moss (I always use it)
Cooled using ice bath and ice blocks in wort (previously made in GladWare containers)
Pitched yeast @ 70 F
O.G. 1.049 @ 61.5 F
1/13/10
F.G. 1.020 @ 58 F (-.007 correction)= 1.0193
(Supposed to be 1.010-1.012, so I hit lucky #1.020)
ABV 3.93%
Tastes a bit too malty sweet, but has a nice smoothness.
For the coffee, I heeded the advice of others here and did a cold brew. The hope was to avoid adding oils to the beer which is bad for head retention.
I ground the beans and put them into a 2 quart measuring cup and added cold water.
Left in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Pouring into secondary using a strainer to get as much of the grounds out as possible (this was not easy and there is probably a better method).
I put it back in my closet (temporary fermentation cabinet) which holds at about 68 F.
Feel free to ask any questions and I will attempt
to answer them.
Hope you like this and that it helps!