Chocolate Stout/Porter: Pre-made versus recipe

Quick question. I have my very first beer in the fermenter (True Brew Pale Ale) and am thinking about what to make next. I am thinking a Porter/Stout that is a bit more on the chocolatey side. My question is:

Would it be best to stick with a standard Porter/Stout mix since this will be only my second batch, or try one of the recipes in the forums for one that is more to my tastes. When I read the forums I feel a bit intimidated because they don't have super specific directions (which made my first batch a lot easier).

If one of the recipes, does anyone have one that you would recommend that includes more specific directions.

Thanks for the feedback.

Primary 1: Pale Ale
Primary 2: TBD

I would go with kits until you get the basics down well. Once you have the basics down you'll be able to look at a recipe and know what needs to be done.

I'd suggest looking through the recipe database for porters and stouts, read the descriptions and find some that you think sound tasty, then pick among them for the ones that sound like you feel up to brewing. If your last brew was an all extract, you might look at the recipes that feature steeping grains or smaller partial mashes. Those would be an easy step up from what you've done on the last one.

I have a chocolate stout recipe that I think is damned good, but then I'm biased. The database is FULL of great recipes for all skill levels, but if you're still nervous, you can check out some of the homebrew websites and find a kit that sounds good. That'll give you all the ingredients in one package with some pretty straightforward directions.

i just bottled my first brew from an extract kit and this week im gonna start my next batch from brewers best. id say it is the next step after extract but kinda before partial mash because you dont have to mash anything, only steep the grains. check those kits out theyre a good deal too

The Double Chocolate Stout from Austin Homebrew is a great kit!