I was hoping to get some opinions from the assembled wisdom, here...
I am a relatively new brewer with about a dozen kits or extract recipes under my belt. I've done 2 BIABs but right now can't spend the longer time for an all-gran brew, so I'm only doing extract for a while...
I would love to have a well-aged dark beer for this winter, but not sure whether I should go with an Imperial Stout or a Porter.... The few RIS I've tried before were way too sweet for me - I love darker beers, but I've found I definitely like them drier. I am actually a big fan of Guinness (bottled as well). Many of the other commercial stouts I've tried though, are too sweet for me...
I've brewed Northern Brewer's "Dry Irish Stout" extract kit a few times, and really liked the coffee and hint of chocolate notes that develop after a month or 2.
I'm a fan of peaty single-malt scotch as well, if that gives you any idea of my tastes <g>.
I want to brew my first "big beer" in the next month, with the hope it will be ready to drink come winter. I'm looking at 2 kits from NB:
RIS: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/imperial-stout-extract-kit.html
Baltic Porter: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/baltic-porter-extract-kit.html
Some of my indecision is just not knowing the firm differences between those 2 styles...
So I'm hoping someone reading this who has similar tastes will be able to chime in and opine whther one of these would be more to my taste? Both of them have multiple raving reviews, so I doubt I would be making a "mistake" with either one, but given my dislike of sweeter stouts I thought someone here might be able to give me some guidance????
All opinions are welcome!
(BTW - I am doing a 5 gall boil, am comfortable with starters, and have a temp controlled ferm chamber to let it age in, but I was going to bottle condition instead of kegging or using a long secondary...)
Thanks in advance!
I am a relatively new brewer with about a dozen kits or extract recipes under my belt. I've done 2 BIABs but right now can't spend the longer time for an all-gran brew, so I'm only doing extract for a while...
I would love to have a well-aged dark beer for this winter, but not sure whether I should go with an Imperial Stout or a Porter.... The few RIS I've tried before were way too sweet for me - I love darker beers, but I've found I definitely like them drier. I am actually a big fan of Guinness (bottled as well). Many of the other commercial stouts I've tried though, are too sweet for me...
I've brewed Northern Brewer's "Dry Irish Stout" extract kit a few times, and really liked the coffee and hint of chocolate notes that develop after a month or 2.
I'm a fan of peaty single-malt scotch as well, if that gives you any idea of my tastes <g>.
I want to brew my first "big beer" in the next month, with the hope it will be ready to drink come winter. I'm looking at 2 kits from NB:
RIS: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/imperial-stout-extract-kit.html
Baltic Porter: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/baltic-porter-extract-kit.html
Some of my indecision is just not knowing the firm differences between those 2 styles...
So I'm hoping someone reading this who has similar tastes will be able to chime in and opine whther one of these would be more to my taste? Both of them have multiple raving reviews, so I doubt I would be making a "mistake" with either one, but given my dislike of sweeter stouts I thought someone here might be able to give me some guidance????
All opinions are welcome!
(BTW - I am doing a 5 gall boil, am comfortable with starters, and have a temp controlled ferm chamber to let it age in, but I was going to bottle condition instead of kegging or using a long secondary...)
Thanks in advance!