AndyG4 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 hi all i've been getting progressively more adventurous with my brews - as my sig will attest, i started with the basic lager, and progressively added more flavour and "fullness" with each brew. the decision to go with the cerveza next was purely to 'reset' on the more full flavoured beers and go back to a session beer (as well as to get some of the BE2 out of my cupboard). but i'm now wondering if, now that i'm on a roll, it might be worth having a crack at a stout. i've tasted the commercially available irish beers - but as far as i'm concerned, i think kilkenny and beamish are both ales. so i think guiness is the only stout i've ever drunk. i don't like guiness, but from what i hear, guiness might not be the best indicator of whether i like stout or not. can anyone suggest any good commercial stout beers so i can try and gauge whether this is something that i want to make? cheers. edit: yes, this was obviously inspired by the coopers newsletter today :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 It had been many years since I had tried one but I had a Coopers Best Extra Stout last week. I bought a longneck of Sheaf Stout to make a beef stout pie and drank the remainder whilst it was cooking. I was pleasantly surprised with the Sheaf Stout. It didn't have the biggest body but Ilike them like that. I drank the Coopers Stout whilst eating the pie and it was sensational (both the beer and pie) [love] I think I might make this beer a regular purchase over winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I, like Hairy, picked up a Coopers Stout last week and [love] [love] [love] . My palette has "matured" in the last few years, so I enjoy that sorta beer more. I didn't like Guinness either, until I had it in Ireland. It's a totally different beer there, but now I don't mind a pint here. Harrington's from NZ make some nice beer. Their Clydesdale Stout is fairly nice, as is their Dark Ale, but it's nothing on the best Dark Ale, the Coopers. They also do a lovely Porter. Back to Stout though, I've tried the Young's Double Chocolate Stout, but am still unsure on it - it's too sweet and had no bite for me. Also tried an Orkney Brewery (Scotland) Dragonhead stout - usues goldings hops. I was in Cork a few years ago for work so got myself introduced to Beamish and also Murphy's, which are now made in the same factory by the look of it. It's amazing how three different Stouts made in the same country can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyBycrikey Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Stouts and porters are the same right? Bought a carton of james squire porter on a whim and within a month went from "the f#$k is this made with, burnt toast?" to "the f#$k drank all my damn porters?". Definitely recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Nah Mikey, Stout is a heavier version of a Porter - initially called "Stout Porter", but it's a beer unto itself now. Check out the BJCP Style Guidelines if you really wanna know. I love Porter too. Hell, I love all beer [love] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 f***!!! i just went to order the stout kit tonight having had a couple of Coopers stouts. sold out! [devil] [devil] [devil] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 I drank the Coopers Stout whilst eating the pie and it was sensational (both the beer and pie) [love] I' date=' like Hairy, picked up a Coopers Stout last week and [love'] [love] [love] . i picked up a couple of brews at Dan's tonight, and you blokes are right - this beer is sensational. like you adam, apparently my palate has matured. i drank one of the Cooper's stouts a couple of years ago and didn't rate it - the one to night was tremendous [love] would the TCS Irish Stout with a dark malt get close? or do i need to start looking at grain steeping to get somewhere close? (if the answer is affirmative, that might be ok - i've got some money coming in the next few weeks hopefully, so it's probably as good a time as any to at least look at buying a thermometer and steeping grains - i think i'm a fair way off mashing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 As far as im concerned, every kit brew is better with added grain and hops, we cam do amazing things with a few hundred grams of grain and some hops.. Once you have steeping grains down pat, mashing is easy, getting to know your equipment is the hard bit. Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 As far as im concerned, every kit brew is better with added grain and hops, we cam do amazing things with a few hundred grams of grain and some hops.. Once you have steeping grains down pat, mashing is easy, getting to know your equipment is the hard bit. Yob +1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Hmmmm, I think the description of the Best Extra Stout recipe has changed in the last week. It now says This recipe is an approximation to the former version of Best Extra Stout at 6.8% ABV, which was also sold as a bottled-aged product called Special Old Stout. But you could try that Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 +1000 That's cheating Bill. You are supposed to write +1 in 1,000 posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 lol if I was a post whore I would [innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordEoin Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I'm still learning about the whole brewing process, and appreciate all the help I've got so far, but now for payback with something I actually know about.. Drinking Stout/porter.... (Correct me if I'm wrong) i think kilkenny and beamish are both ales Both kilkenny and beamish export a red ale. Oddly enough I find it hard to find their red ales here in Ireland(which I love), but when I go on holidays I can find them in any Irish Bar, you probably got the export ales. Also, when abroad i find it very hard to find anything other than guinness when looking for a stout. can anyone suggest any good commercial stout beers so i can try and gauge whether this is something that i want to make? Look for 'Guinness Foreign Extra'. They don't make it in ireland, and it's actually pretty hard to find here, but it is a fantastic stout. Andstrong at 7.5%if i remember correctly. I didn't like Guinness either' date=' until I had it in Ireland[/quote'] The guinness we get in Ireland is brewed in Ireland- although that looks like it will change as the main Dublin (James' Gate)brewery is shutting. The rest of the world gets the stuff brewed cheaper, presumably with diffeent water and growing conditions for the materials. got myself introduced to Beamish and also Murphy's' date=' which are now made in the same factory by the look of it[/quote'] Beamish is a more bitter brew, even than Guinness. Murphy's is in my opinion by far the bestof the 3. Softer, sweeter, creamier. Unfortunately, the Beamish Brewery closed down last year but they've started hosting brewfests on the grounds (i didn't like it much myself anyway, cheaper but more bitter). I'm not sure where it is brewed now - probably the Heineken Brewery. Murphy's is now brewed in the Cork Heineken brewery, compliments of ourbeloved Diagio and their catch phrase 'drink responsily'. On another note, the south end of the city used to smell like a bakery on certain points of the Beamish brewing. The smell on the north side is amazing when the Heineken brewery is malting (pure 'roll the car windows down and breathe deeply' pleasure). Stouts and porters are the same right? Very similar, but no. Stouts are made with almost burned barley, whereas porters' barley is less roasted. This results in stout being more bitter and darker(brown to black), while porter is softer and a bit lighter color (very dark red to dark brown). But you'll only see the color difference in a narrow glass or with a strong light. They all look black in a pint glass, with a creamy white/cream head. A good example of porter is Murphy's but its hard to get outside Cork, and A good example of stout is 'Guinness Foreign Extra' (normal guinness is made with a lower OG since WW1. 'Traditional' stout is more like the export, which is not exported, we have to import it into Ireland, ironic) But yeah, stouts and porters are almost identical and most palates can't taste the difference. Even if you look at the Murphy's site http://www.murphys.com/index.php?page=products you'll find it hard to see the word 'stout' anywhere because it sells better than 'porter' would. would the TCS Irish Stout with a dark malt get close? The darker the malt the better if you're aiming for a proper stout, but as far as i know, the main difference is in the roasted grain. In conclusion, i you want to try an awesome commercial stout, grab 6 or 12 Guinness 'Foreign Export' (the ones with the yellow/orange lable http://www.guinness.com/en-ie/thebeer-fes.html ) and if you want to try a fantastic porter fly to Cork and have a Murphy's (it will be the most expensive pint you'll have ever had, but you're welcome to crash on my couch [wink] ' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 ....Both kilkenny and beamish export a red ale. Oddly enough I find it hard to find their red ales here in Ireland(which I love)' date=' but when I go on holidays I can find them in any Irish Bar, you probably got the export ales. .......[/quote'] Mmmm [unsure] I have only tried Kilkenny once, it was on tap in an Irish Pub in Albury in about 1998. I don't know whether it was a Red Ale or not but I do remember that I didn't like and only had the one. Now this is a worry because I am putting down an Irish Red on Monday. However my palate has matured so I should find it OK [cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordEoin Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I don't think Kilkenny even make a Stout. I'm pretty sure that you got Red Ale. Now I want one... Thank god it's paddy's day. To the pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I believe Kilkenny here is an Irish Red. A nice drop too if I must say. Look out for the green cans in the bottle shop Scott. Try one and I am sure you will like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 When I visited Cork for work I really liked a Celtic Red Ale that was on tap at the hotel. Unfortunately I have the same reaction to that as I do with Fat Yak - very windy nights. Murphy's Beamish and Guinness were all delicious, the Murphy's I definitely wouldn't call a stout as it is more creamy and no burnt taste like a stout has. But, they still call it a stout on wikipedia and it's never wrong [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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