Best way to modify stout kit

[frenhie31]

I bought Midwest Supplies groupon kit for my buddy and got their Irish Stout extract kit with it. He was looking to do an espresso stout or chocolate cream stout. Would this kit base be okay to start with? If so what should be added to obtain each of the two options above? Thanks, Josh
The ingredients are:
6# dark LME
4 oz Chocolate malt
4 oz Caramel 10L
4oz roasted barley
4 oz Flaked barley
½ oz Nugget
1oz Willamette
Muntons dry yeast (don’t mind switching this out)

[tlael]

First thing I'd do is switch the yeast out for a wlp004 then add some Crystal 40 or 60 since you're going for a Chocolate or coffee stout.

I'd personally go coffee since it's a little easier and you'll more easily obtain your desired taste.

As far as the crystal is concerned, you could probably go with a half pound of 40 since the lme is dark. In the future, I'd steer clear of dark extracts if I were you. It's easy to make up the color if you just use a light malt extract.


Oh, for the coffee... I'd cold press 8oz of quality coffee in 10-12 oz of water and add that after primary fermentation has completed.

You'll probably get a lot of opinions, but this is what I would do for a simple extract solution.

Enjoy!

[siwelwerd]

Oh, for the coffee... I'd cold press 8oz of quality coffee in 10-12 oz of water and add that after primary fermentation has completed.

That sounds like a bit much to me. I have found 1/4 lb in a quart of water, cold toddy, added at packaging to be about right for a 5 gallon batch.

To elaborate: A day or two before you plan to bottle, coarsely grind 1/4 lb of your favorite locally roasted coffee (Schlafly and I both like Kaldi), add to a large jar/flask with a quart of water. Stick this in the fridge; every time you walk past the fridge, open it up and give the coffee a good shake. On packaging day, pour it through a filter. Assuming you are bottling: Rack from your primary fermenter (you didn't do that secondary voodoo, did you? If so, you must mix the coffee with holy water, but I digress... ) into the bottling bucket. Add about half of the filtered coffee. Stir well (but do not aerate) with a sanitized spoon; taste (I like a sanitized wine thief for pulling out a tasting sample). If you want more coffee flavor, add some more coffee, stir, taste. Then, remember to add your priming sugar, stir well (but do not aerate), and bottle as normal.

I agree with everything else Tim said (especially the part about light extract and multiple opinions )

[Witch Doctor Dale]

Holy water makes better tasting coffee......except for the secondary part, Drew is spot on!