Wilko Dark Velvet Stout pimping up suggestions

[BeerLanark]

Just picked up a cheap Dark Velvet Stout kit from Wilko, any suggestions on what I can do to pimp it up a bit. This will only be my 4th kit so still new to this.
I'm thinking of replacing standard sugar with Muscovado sugar, would this actually add anything to it in terms of flavour?
Any and all advice greatly received.

 

[user 23602]

I made this as my very first home brew back in March. Truth is, is turned out quite nicely as it is. But I get your urge to mess around with it. Maybe try some Aged Oak Flakes? Give it a Bourbon or even Cognac flavouring? Or whack in 500g of Lactose, increase the body of it. Go to Waitrose and grab some Vanilla Pods and/or Cocoa Beans to add at second fermentation? So much to do with Stouts and Porters.

 

[BeerLanark]

I'm liking the idea of Vanilla pods that could be rather nice. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[terrym]

Try these for a few ideas
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/wilkos-dark-velvet-stout.28049/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/coopers-original-stout-review.17817/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/coopers-irish-stout-review.17818/
Whatever you do I suggest you brew short say 19 litres to concentrate the flavours. I do that to my Coopers stouts and they have more LME than the Wilko basic kits.

 

[BeerLanark]

Will have a look at them, thanks. Yeah was thinking of brewing it to 18 or 19 litres.
Sorry for the newbie question but what is LME?

 

[Gulpitdarn]

Liquid Malt Extract
DME is Dry Malt Extract

 

[BeerLanark]

Liquid Malt Extract
DME is Dry Malt Extract

Ahh should have guessed that lol

 

[RichK]

I brewed one very short (15l) & used dark brown sugar (to about 5%) & was well impressed.

 

[Gulpitdarn]

I brewed one very short (15l) & used dark brown sugar (to about 5%) & was well impressed.

I also brewed this short but only 20 litres, I also put in 500g dark brown muscavardo sugar and 500g medium dry malt extract. Well impressed as well. I reckon next time I might add 100g lactose milk sugar as well.

 

[Kenboy]

Just picked up a cheap Dark Velvet Stout kit from Wilko, any suggestions on what I can do to pimp it up a bit. This will only be my 4th kit so still new to this.
I'm thinking of replacing standard sugar with Muscovado sugar, would this actually add anything to it in terms of flavour?
Any and all advice greatly received.

I bought this three weeks ago and "pimped it up". I added 500g light spray malt and 500g glucose when mixing. Brewed a little short to get the OG to about 40. I want it to be about 4%abv. It bubbled well for a week and was done feferferme (22c).

Left another week then diluted 200g of lactose powder, added 80g of glucose to my botrling bucket. Then added about 20ml of vanilla extract, 50ml of pure chocolate extract.

FG was 1.010. the taste was already as great as I would expect. It's been carbonating for a week. One more and it's in the garage for at least one month before I try the first bottle.

I'm also now starting to enjoy a mango IPA I added lactose to.

 

[Arcs]

Solid work there Ken. Personally i'd just go for some extra dark DME and then work from there on in. There's no point in pimping something unless you actually know what the original taste of it was. Therefore the creative process will come to mind as to what needs to be done after tasting it in its original form.

Get that abv to 1060 and down to 1010 for that kick to see what it can do and then start thinking extra flavour for that 1040 to 1000. I am actually going to buy this kit next week which is why I took an interest.

Funnily enough no one here mentioned a capochino twist to it which I have tasted recently in the Wethy local. Nice, would be interesting to see if you could have a Vanilla Capo without overpowering the stout which I find that because the selling point is the added flavour, the stout becomes irrelevant as does the taste of it.

Kinda thinking like a cook there, I wanna taste all the flavours without overpowering the beer in favour of one flavour.

 

[Kenboy]

Solid work there Ken. Personally i'd just go for some extra dark DME and then work from there on in. There's no point in pimping something unless you actually know what the original taste of it was. Therefore the creative process will come to mind as to what needs to be done after tasting it in its original form.

Thanks, I'm getting more creative with each brew. I definitely wanted to do more than pimp this stout as I was looking for a milk stout with a chocolate twist. Think I will try the cappuccino next time as I do love coffee and have enjoyed a Titanic Cappuccino Stout. Next on the cards I think.

 

[Farley]

I done this kit with 500g medium spray malt, 500g dark brown sugar & 200g treacle.
came out at 4% nice stout
Treacle adds something a bit different but only add a bit as it can be overpowering!!
I recommend st peters cream stout as well, was very good
Need to try a Cooper's next maybe

 

[BeerLanark]

Finally got round to making this kit up last night.
I used 1kg Muscovado dark sugar and 500g of demerara and just 17 litres of water. And just used the yeast that came with the kit.
The SG was 1.066 so I think this is going to be a strong one lol.
Thinking of adding a couple of vanilla pods after it's been in the fv a few days.

 

[Gulpitdarn]

Thinking of adding a couple of vanilla pods after it's been in the fv a few days.

I've not had much luck with vanilla pods, even when splitting them in half. I reckon if I used them again I'd soak them for a day or two in rum or vodka.

 

[BeerLanark]

I've not had much luck with vanilla pods, even when splitting them in half. I reckon if I used them again I'd soak them for a day or two in rum or vodka.

I wonder if steeping them in hot water for a bit would work.

 

[gar]

I just made one of these up to half volume, no added fermentables...
hoping for taste and body over strength.

 

[gar]

Came out about 3.5%, I guess there's a lot of unfermentables in the tin.
Anyway, as Bob mortimer said, it's as black as a witches knickers. Rich, full bodied and very stoutly.

 

[terrym]

Came out about 3.5%, I guess there's a lot of unfermentables in the tin.
Anyway, as Bob mortimer said, it's as black as a witches knickers. Rich, full bodied and very stoutly.

Just over 3.5% ABV is about right given what you did. LME has about 20% water so you are right to say there were a lot of unfermenatables in the tin. Further the cheap Wilko kits are only 1.5kg of LME and rely on addition of plenty of extra solid sugars or brewing well short to give you a beer of reasonable strength and/or quality. In comparison if you had used a 1.7kg one can like Coopers you would have got between 4 and 4.5% and it would have been even more tasty. Nevertherless hope you enjoy it.

 

[user 23602]

Came out about 3.5%, I guess there's a lot of unfermentables in the tin.
Anyway, as Bob mortimer said, it's as black as a witches knickers. Rich, full bodied and very stoutly.

Well done! Hope you enjoy!