suggestions for next brew please

[sloth]

Hi again, I'm looking to brew a Guinness like stout, or a nice porter for my second brew. Any suggestions, and why?
Thanks in advance...

 

[RNVET]

I'm about to put on a Coopers Stout after reading the reviews

 

[FatCol]

Hi again, I'm looking to brew a Guinness like stout, or a nice porter for my second brew. Any suggestions, and why?
Thanks in advance...

A little while back I made a Simply Export Stout using 500g Extra Dark DME and 2 x jars of Holland and Barrett Malt Extract and it was spot on. I kegged it and primed with 75g Dark Muscovado sugar. Superb body, rich deep flavour, great head retention and a beautiful pint. There was the slightest little hint of liquorice on the finish and everyone that tried it, raved about it.

Just writing that out has me thinking I should be getting it on again...

FatCol

 

[sloth]

I have heard of people adding dark spray malt to the coopers - does it really help? Fatcol yours sounds interesting.
The other thing I have heard about is using nitrogen gas to pressurise the keg. This gives smaller bubbles and a creamier head, right?

 

[Slid]

I have heard of people adding dark spray malt to the coopers - does it really help? Fatcol yours sounds interesting.
The other thing I have heard about is using nitrogen gas to pressurise the keg. This gives smaller bubbles and a creamier head, right?

Coopers Stout plus 1kg Dark DME + 800g sugar and brewed to 25L is ready to drink in a month or two. Great beer, but maybe a bit blander than what you are after. The extensive thread on Beer Kit reviews for Coopers Original Stout has loads of other suggestions. Cinnamon sticks, Vanilla pods, 10g mixed spice, mixed dried fruit out a blender in the primary FV - everything is in there for sure.

"Smaller bubbles and a creamier head" sounds like something that made an advertising executive rich at the expense of people who believe irrational soundbites they are fed by TV Adverts to sell mediocre beer. (No offence to your good self, mate).

You can make better beer than you can buy, just from the kits you can buy anywhere.
And it is easy.

 

[FatCol]

I have heard of people adding dark spray malt to the coopers - does it really help? Fatcol yours sounds interesting.
The other thing I have heard about is using nitrogen gas to pressurise the keg. This gives smaller bubbles and a creamier head, right?

You are correct - N2O does give a more or less cream flow feel to a beer. I tend to use CO2 on my ales and N2O on my stouts and porter style beers. It is apparently due to the absorption rate being higher than that of CO2.

As for my recipe, I can highly recommend it - it turned out superb and is on the FatCol list of "to be made again". Note that I used Extra Dark Spraymalt, not just the ordinary dark.

HTH
FatCol :

 

[Orval62]

I'm half way through a keg of Coopers stout, made with a 454g tin of treacle and a 1kg bag of Muntons beer enhancer. It produced a really good malty drink. Lots of positive reviews on coopers stout. Give it a go.

 

[sloth]

Thanks everyone for the replies. On advice from another thread I visited the home brew shop in colchester, where they were very helpful, and I ended up with my 3yr old daughter choosing St Peters cream stout as it had a logo with a black bird on! In the ferm bucket as of this afternoon.
Thanks all...