Stout kit

[martinp]

Have had some success with various kits this year (MYO APA, Mangrove Jacks Pink Grapefruit and Juicy IPAs amongst others) and am looking to brew a stout for winter.

There are MYO and Mangrove Jacks kits (maybe I should just brew one of each ) but would be keen to get views on these/any other kits from those that have tried them.

 

[trummy]

I have brewed MJ Irish stout and think its really good. (as do others) Festival Old London Porter I brew every year and thats good too. Got St Peters Cream Stout kit ready to go when a FV becomes free.
I reckon any of the 3KG plus kits will give good results. Only large kit a bit disappointed with was Bulldog four finger jack -(bit sweet)

 

[Random Badger]

I have brewed MJ Irish stout and think its really good. (as do others) Festival Old London Porter I brew every year and thats good too. Got St Peters Cream Stout kit ready to go when a FV becomes free.
I reckon any of the 3KG plus kits will give good results. Only large kit a bit disappointed with was Bulldog four finger jack -(bit sweet)

I agree. You want plenty of malt in a stout and I have been underwhelmed with one can stout kits (including the Coopers Irish Stout that some people seem to rave about) even when adding malt extract or brew enhancer rather than sugar.

The other option is a "Toucan" where you brew two kits together. The good thing as that as long as one is a stout then you can experiment with what second kit you add (bitter, lager, mild, old ale or whatever you can get cheap) because it's adding "more" body and flavour to the stout and not taking anything away.

 

[damienair]

Youngs American Mocha Porter has had very good reviews.
It has made it into these guys top 12 kits. They also rate Coopers Irish Stout 10/10 but it doesn’t make it onto their top 12 list.

 

[Stevieboy]

Looking back at my notes -
Youngs Mocha Porter and Festival Pride of London Porter were very good.

 

[martinp]

Thanks all. Will give the Festival kit a go.

 

[Weatherman]

I have a St. Peter’s cream stout on at the minute. Went off like a rocket and had to switch to a blow tube rather than a bubbler as was concerned about the ceiling colour! It’s been on a week and has slowed down and is sat at 3.4%. Tastes really nice though, especially if you think it has another week at least and then bottle conditioning.

 

[Tommo 2]

Saw a review by the partridge brothers the other day about muntons imperial stout and they gave it ten out of ten.

 

[White Rose Al]

Youngs American Mocha Porter all day long, stuck them in 500ml PET and after 2 months in bottles it is incredible

 

[BridgeBrew]

Coopers Irish Stout with 250g of cold steeped chocolate malt. I think its better than Guinness, and a lot cheaper,

 

[benludo]

Coopers Irish Stout with 250g of cold steeped chocolate malt. I think its better than Guinness, and a lot cheaper,

I use the chocolate malt but warm steep at about 65 to 70 degrees c for 30 minutes. Used with simply export stout tastes like the old bottle Guinness used to. Bottled and left for 4 weeks it carbonates well. I sometimes leave straight from brew in the pressure barrel and it good but tastes different to the bottle.

 

[Tommo 2]

Coopers Irish Stout with 250g of cold steeped chocolate malt. I think its better than Guinness, and a lot cheaper,

So no dry malt extract or dextrose, or beer kit enhancer? Just 250g of chocolate malt cold steeped and one can of coopers Irish stout

 

[benludo]

So no dry malt extract or dextrose, or beer kit enhancer? Just 250g of chocolate malt cold steeped and one can of coopers Irish stout

Yes that’s ok but I add 500g of light cane sugar

 

[gar]

I brew the coopers irish and simply export stout regularly. You need to add a kilo of extra fermentables to obtain 4%(ish). i also add a few hundred grams of choc malt and roasted barley. (Hot or cold steeped, sieved and boiled). Works a treat.

 

[BridgeBrew]

So no dry malt extract or dextrose, or beer kit enhancer? Just 250g of chocolate malt cold steeped and one can of coopers Irish stout

You obviously need to add your base fermentables to a kit. As well as them I add 250g of cold steeped chocolate malt. With the Cooper's I add 1kg of dark DME. Suppose you could just brew the kit short say 20pts, and throw the chocolate malt in. Always fancied doubling up on this kit. If I ever see them on offer I'll do that.

 

[martinp]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Went for the Mangrove Jacks kit as I've had great results with various of their other kits and it's turned out really well.

Will try the Festival Pride of London Porter and see how they compare.

 

[GhostShip]

Bottling day for me - my St Peter's Cream Stout for winter/Christmas. I've done this kit before and am experimenting with fresh coffee (which I've used before with good success) and cocoa nibs (which I haven't used before). Will post a review in due course.

 

[Nidger]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Went for the Mangrove Jacks kit as I've had great results with various of their other kits and it's turned out really well.

Will try the Festival Pride of London Porter and see how they compare.

You probably can't go wrong with mangrove jack's, their lager and juicy IPA are very nice.

I'm going to get a Wilko chocolate stout with extra dark malt extract on the go now having just bottled a Cooper's Australian lager.
I'm going to add 500g of sugar too .

 

[chrisbardell]

I'm going to get a Wilko chocolate stout with extra dark malt extract on the go now having just bottled a Cooper's Australian lager.
I'm going to add 500g of sugar too .

Did that last autumn, and it was very good indeed. I'd say the 500g of dextrose is right; I used 1kg and it might have made it a bit thin. Did take a little while after bottling for the body to develop. Only medium spraymalt in stock at the time, so went for that (500g). Your 1kg of extra dark should work a treat. Only my 4th brew, so was learning a lot. Cocoa taste not pronounced, but does come as it warms up in the glass.

Have fun with it. Please post a future update?

 

[chrisbardell]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Went for the Mangrove Jacks kit as I've had great results with various of their other kits and it's turned out really well.

Will try the Festival Pride of London Porter and see how they compare.

Doing two winter brews this year: MYO Irish Stout (as per instructions, i.e. just kit + 1kg brewing sugar) and Coopers Devils Half Ruby Porter (with 1kg dark DME + 250g muscovado, no brewing sugar). First time for both, so will see how it goes. Had a porter as a taste test the other day (only day 40 of 2+2+2 schedule). Developing well but definitely needs to be served slightly warmer than you'd normally serve stout. Flavours came out much more as it warmed up.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions here, loads more to try.