Input on my next three Brews

[Dave258]

I am getting ready to place an order with Austin Home Brew. I will probably order Monday so I get it Thursday or Friday so my beer kits don't sit in UPS hubs all weekend.
I am thinking of ordering these three recipe kits:
1. Nut Brown Ale because my first brew was a brown ale that I loved figured I try Nut Brown.
2. Milk Chocolate Stout, think this will be good around Christmas instead of a holiday spice ale?? It won't be an everyday beer for me but a good one every once and a while.
3. AHS Black Ale. I recently had Saranac Bavarian Black Beer and loved it. I hope this will be like it.

For all 3, the recommended dry yeast is Danstar Windsor. Should I use that or some of the others I see people talking about here all the time? For the milk Chocolate Stout they recommend Double Pitching the yeast because the OG is 1.071. Would you?

Any feed back or other recomendations on recipes is welcomed!!! I am still doing partial boil extract with steeping. I wanted to move to Partial Mashes by now, but I can not boil more then 3 gallons at a time. Did not get the turkey fryer yet.
If I get all three next week (flat shipping) do I just put the yeast in the fridge, or the steeping grains too?

Thanks in advance!
Dave

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Just put the yeast in the fridge. As long as your grains are unopened and in a cool dry place, you'll be fine. Put your hops in the freezer. I would double pitch yeast on a 1.071 or make a starter. It's up to you. Also, use the yeast that's recommended.

 

[Grinder12000]

I've done many many AHS recipes but oddly none of those. The Double Chocolate Stout is fantastic and the Fat Tire clone is really good if you are not going to hold them to tasting exactly like Fat Tire.

I'm a nut brown ale lover but have never tried theirs opting for the Hammer and Nail Clone which is very good.

 

[torque2k]

I wanted to move to Partial Mashes by now, but I can not boil more then 3 gallons at a time.

Years ago, I brewed with a buddy who did partial boils, and I swore that if I ever got back into brewing I'd not do it until I had a large kettle.

I picked up a 40qt aluminum kettle at a restaurant supply site for $50 shipped, no lid. I use my neighbor's propane burner and my own gas. Best thing I bought, that big kettle. That, and a bottle tree and vinator.

You can pick up Bayou burners on Amazon for $40. For $90 total, you're up and running with full boil brews, much less worry about boilovers, far quicker boil temps and less smells in the house (happy wife, happy life)! I'd personally skip one of those batches (granted, awesome choices) and get my full boil on.

 

[Dave258]

Thanks for the advice torque. I was debating the same thing. At home depot they had a turkey fryer with 7.5 gal pot for 69 bucks. The main reason I am hesitant in buying it is I have two young kids, 4 &1. Most of my brewing stuff I do at night after they and the wife are in bed. I don't know about running a turkey fryer outside from 9:00-12:00 at night. Saturday and Sunday days are wrapped up doing family things.
I am trying to figure things out!
Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Yooper]

You can do a partial mash, and only do partial boils. I did that when I first started PMs, and it worked out great! don't let the size of your pot stop you- it's definitely doable!