Trying to decide which to brew next...

Ok, so I have just under a week to decide what I'll be brewing next... Figured that gives me enough time to post a poll and see what the general feeling is...

Here's some of the details on the choices (all are 5 gallon batches)...
1. Dirty Blonde ale
12# UK 2 Row base malt
.25# Honey malt
.375# Victory Malt
.5oz Northdown hops (9.60% AA) 60 min
.5oz EKG (5.00% AA) 20 min
.5oz EKG whole hops, dry hop for 5-7 days
Yeast: Wyeast 1332 or 1335

2. Barley Wine
20# UK 2 row base malt
1# British Dark Crystal Malt I (85 SRM)
.5# Crystal Maris Otter (55 SRM)
.5# Honey Malt
.375# Victory Malt
2oz Northdown (9.6% AA) 60 min
1oz EKG (5.00% AA) 15 min
Yeast: Wyeast 1728

3. Breakfast Stout
10# UK 2 row base malt
.75# Roasted Barley
.5# British Crystal Malt II (65 SRM)
.25# Flaked Barley
1oz Northdown (9.60% AA) 60 min
.25oz Northdown (9.60% AA) 15 min
4oz Cacao nibs added post fermentation for ~7 days
4oz chocolate powder added in last 5 minutes of boil
8oz of ground coffee beans (~1/2 gallon), cold pressed and added post fermentation
16oz Maple Syrup added at end of primary (before other additional flavor elements)
1 pint cold pressed coffee used instead of water for priming solution
Yeast: Wyeast 1084

If anyone has advice on the Breakfast Stout, this would be a good time to post... I have almost everything I need to make any of the recipes. I'm about to bottle a brew that's been sitting on 1335, so that will be harvested/washed. It should have enough time to settle and be put into smaller jars before brew day. I have the other yeast on hand, and will be making a starter for the one being used (probably ~2 days prior to brew day)...

All good choices, but the Breakfast Stout could be put away until the fall. There is a good recipe around here for a Founders Clone, or maybe build a KBS clone!

The Dirty Blonde would be better to drink right away.

See, there's my issue... I could make the stout or barley wine and let them age for a while... I'm figuring that the barley wine will need at least several months to age out... The breakfast stout could be good until summer is in full swing, then it would be set aside until it cools down a bit more...

I also think the blonde would be ready for drinking sooner. Probably in bottles about a month after the yeast goes in... Then it's just a matter of getting carbonated before enjoying her...

There's a sponsored brew day coming up at the start of May... Maybe I'll use that to brew the barley wine... I would at least get the base malt for free then... I have everything else I would need for the recipe...

Keep the votes coming, plus thoughts posting...

I voted for barleywine, but only because I just tasted Bigfoot for the first time earlier this week (loved it!), and as soon as I can free up a glass carboy I am going to brew me a big time barleywine and let it sit till christmas!

I would do the breakfast stout or barley wine now, age it until the fall. Then do the blonde in a few weeks for summer drinking

You gotta add some more breakfast to that breakfast stout with oats, I would nix the flaked barely and sub in more oats imho. That gets my vote!

Oh and if you are wanting to get more flavor out of the maple syrup use grade B (its a bit more expensive but it's worth it).

I have the flaked barley on hand, and hadn't planned on getting any flaked oats anytime soon... Not really brewing much that uses them... Also don't see any difference between using flaked barley or flaked oats, by their descriptions at least... Both do the same things for a brew. So it's either use what I already have on hand, or spend more to get something else that I'll use very infrequently (doubt I would use the balance of the pound within a year)...

For the grade B maple syrup... IF I can find some local, I'll go for it. Problem is, getting it... Also, depending on how expensive it actually is, I might not be able to. Between jobs right now, so I'm more inclined to either use what I have, or not spend more than I need to.

I do have a honey cream ale that I expect to bottle tomorrow (can't do it today due to other things going on)... I can wait until the May 7th brew day to do the blonde, which would make it a free brewing. Well, other than propane use. By then, I'll have at least tasted my honey cream ale recipe and have a better idea of how much honey malt I want to use moving forward.

Anyone have thoughts on the chocolate/cocoa powder, cacao nibs and coffee additions in the breakfast stout? BTW, it's not breakfast in a glass... More of something to go along with your regularly scheduled breakfast... Maybe a coffee replacement, or enhancer if nothing else... OJ, coffee, breakfast stout along with a nice stack of pancakes, eggs, sausage and BACON!! :rockin: