I need a recipe

**derosa** · 22nd January 10, 09:47 PM

So I've got my mead transplanted to the carboy for the next few months while it finishes its final settling and clears up. This leaves me with a large, clean, empty bucket and a lack of instant gratification. Which also leaves me with an urge to try something else and I got to thinking that beer is always tasty and from my understanding it brews up a bit quicker as well. Needless to say this leaves me looking for a recipe for some sort of Scotch ale or Irish stout. Anyone have something they would care to recommend? This will also serve as a back up should the mead not be fully ready to come out when the kid is and I need something to celebrate with.

**Detroitpete** · 23rd January 10, 01:08 PM

Not sure of how advanced a recipe you'd like, but try here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowHomebrewRecipes.asp

**NewEnglander** · 23rd January 10, 01:14 PM

I'm still brewing extract batches and I usually just order a kit from either MoreBeer or Northern Brewer. The beer I'm drinking as I type this is a 70/- from a NB kit. If you go with that kit (or any, I suppose) just be sure to check the amount of priming sugar you use when bottling. Most of the suppliers send out a stock amount of priming sugar and even cutting back a bit, my 70/- is over-carbonated, in my opinion. I'll be using half the provided amount when I bottle my stout next weekend.
Cheers!

**kilted_brewer** · 23rd January 10, 01:39 PM

Here's a great resource I no longer use as much as I once did when I was just starting out homebrewing: Cat's Meow on the Brewery at HBD.org. There's also this page for when you need your next mead advice or recipe.

**wvpiper** · 23rd January 10, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by 91tbrick

So I've got my mead transplanted to the carboy for the next few months while it finishes its final settling and clears up. This leaves me with a large, clean, empty bucket and a lack of instant gratification. Which also leaves me with an urge to try something else and I got to thinking that beer is always tasty and from my understanding it brews up a bit quicker as well. Needless to say this leaves me looking for a recipe for some sort of Scotch ale or Irish stout. Anyone have something they would care to recommend? This will also serve as a back up should the mead not be fully ready to come out when the kid is and I need something to celebrate with.

Just google 'extract recipes'
Scottish Wee Heavy extract recipe
Irish stouth extract recipe

I have the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing which has some recipes in it.
My last batch, a Steam Beer, was brewed using the recipe in this book
Or, go with a kit from one of the suppliers. Whatever you choose, 'relax, have a homebrew'

**jkane** · 25th January 10, 08:28 AM

I love the cat's meow! Even participated in it's creation.

Keep in mind ... those were all experimental brews. They came from a group of home brewers discussing what they were making, not bragging about how good what them made was! Not every one turned out as expected. Use it as a guide, not an exact recipe to duplicate. Take all the ones in a particular category, and come up with your own. Use it to learn from.

Not sure what your level of experience is. But sounds like this would be your first batch. If so, and extract kit is the way to go. Any store you can buy it from will work. The stout and scotch ale are OK as kits since they are very "forgiving" styles. What I mean by that is they are fuller bodied and darker so they cover up a lot of mistakes. An American Lager being the hardest to make since any flaw is very noticeable.

I do all grain brewing, so any recipe I give you will require a lot of hardware to make.

Simple rules. 6-7 lbs of extract. 1-4 oz of hops. 5 gallons of water. 1/2 - 1 lb of grains steeped. Steeping means don't get them above 180 degrees and keep them above 148 for at least 5 minutes. You are not getting sugar from them, just flavor. Over 180, and it starts to pull tannins out which are bitter. With the Stout, 8 oz of malto dextrin will give more body to the beer.

If you really want to learn recipe making, get Beer Smith and play around with it. It will guide you as you add and delete ingredients telling you if it will land in style for color, bitterness, and alcohol content.

Good luck!

**derosa** · 29th January 10, 10:38 PM

Thanks for the replies. I picked up a nice book to get more of the details on and I also found a decent looking recipe for an Irish stout. It's mostly extract but does use some grain to learn how to get into grain brewing. Unfortunately all the ideas have gotten my brain buzzing which is always a bad thing. End result is I'll be giving this recipe a try in the next week and looking into equipment to try harder stuff.