# Show Me Your Darkies! Looking For Dark Beer Recipes



## The Giant (21/4/11)

Howdy All

I've been going through the recipe DB looking for some dark beer recipes to make for my old man, and myself of course.

Haven't found any in particular that stood out, so wondering if anyone has some they know are winners.

Preferably K&K recipes, doing my first extract this weekend, so if you have any extract ones post them up as well. I havent done anything with grains just yet though.

Probably looking for something along the lines of a porter maybe? I love kilkenny, Dad loves Guiness and Tooheys Old, but don't want to do an old.

Latest beer mag had wee heavys and scottish ales which i'm very tempted to try.

So lets see what u got?

Cheers
Steve


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## bum (21/4/11)

I don't mean to be a smart arse (this time) but have you any experience with the Coopers dark ale or stout kits? Both are pretty much universally well regarded - even when done as straight up k&k. Or are you after something else?

Anyway, Bribie's headbanger toucan stout is oft discussed. You should be able to find that pretty easy if you're after something a bit bigger than a standard k&k.


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## beerbog (21/4/11)

Coopers dark and stout combined together make an excellent K & K beer, just ditch the 2nd K. 2 cans is more than enough for the right ABV. :beerbang:


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## enuun (21/4/11)

I am a big fan of Munton's Conkerwood Kit. Makes a rich darkish ale
Other days I am always a Coopers Dark Ale kit person
Recipe for a simple Dark ale:

1 x Coopers Dark Ale or Coopers Stout
500g Dark malt extract
500g dex (most pple go for another 500g of malt extract, this is jus a personal preference)
200g Caravienna steeped (or whatever crystal malt you fancy)
10g EKG or Fuggles @10mins
10g EKG or Fuggles dry hopped after 2nd day.


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## Pennywise (21/4/11)

Pretty common kit recipe round my parts is

Coopers Dark Ale
1kg ldme
200g dex
300g Pale Choc (steeped)
Willamette as a flamout addition, or as a 10-15 min addition if you want a tiny bit more bitterness, but I never though it needed it.
Wyeast 1968, 1084, 1056 or (dare I add) the kit yeats. Depending on which way you want to go but with all these yeasts I've had great results with this recipe.

I've made quite a few variations on this one, sometimes using some brown malt in place of _some_ of the choc. I damn wish we could still get choc chit malt, man that stuff was awesome.


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## The Giant (21/4/11)

bum never done any dark beer so no, dont have any experience with either cans so open to suggestions and what people have done well

as i said i like kilkenny as a dark beer. Had a wicked cherry porter down in Melbourne from True South i think. So prob looking for something kind of creamy and malty. I'm not a big fan of old, just dont love the burnt taste and how thin the beer is, but the old man doesnt mind it

Hope this helps


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## petesbrew (21/4/11)

The Giant said:


> bum never done any dark beer so no, dont have any experience with either cans so open to suggestions and what people have done well
> 
> as i said i like kilkenny as a dark beer. Had a wicked cherry porter down in Melbourne from True South i think. So prob looking for something kind of creamy and malty. I'm not a big fan of old, just dont love the burnt taste and how thin the beer is, but the old man doesnt mind it
> 
> Hope this helps


Posted it before but I'll post it again. My FIL loves it.
Coopers Stout
Coopers Dark Ale
500g brown sugar
both kit yeasts
mix to 23L

Make sure it's not over carpet, cos this volcanoes out the airlock (or you could use a blow off tube)


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## Bribie G (21/4/11)

The toucan headbanger, at around 9% ABV can knock you around terribly after a couple of pints. 

If you have access to a good LHBS I can recommend the Morgans Ironbark Dark Ale plus a kilo of LDME plus some dry hopping with Cascade or similar. If you add some Pride of Ringwood it would come out more like an Old.


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## big78sam (21/4/11)

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=36056&st=0

i asked a similar question some time ago...


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## going down a hill (21/4/11)

enuun said:


> 1 x Coopers Dark Ale or Coopers Stout
> 500g Dark malt extract
> 500g dex (most pple go for another 500g of malt extract, this is jus a personal preference)
> 200g Caravienna steeped (or whatever crystal malt you fancy)
> ...






Pennywise said:


> Coopers Dark Ale
> 1kg ldme
> 200g dex
> 300g Pale Choc (steeped)
> ...



Both of these recipes look great, standard choc malt grain is a winner as well, it has a coffee flavour that goes well in this style. I have only heard about the awesomeness of choc chit malt, got into the game too late for that one.

Good luck getting a Kilkenny/Guinness texture, but if you want more mouth feel add some lactose into your recipe, it can thicken it up a bit.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (21/4/11)

going down a hill said:


> Both of these recipes look great, standard choc malt grain is a winner as well, it has a coffee flavour that goes well in this style. I have only heard about the awesomeness of choc chit malt, got into the game too late for that one.
> 
> Good luck getting a Kilkenny/Guinness texture, but if you want more mouth feel add some lactose into your recipe, it can thicken it up a bit.



Or a less attenuative yeast, such as windsor


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## going down a hill (21/4/11)

I have used Windsor in a couple of times now and think it's a great little yeast, but I haven't really noticed that it adds all that much to the thickness of the beer, I honestly have never really thought or looked for it. It makes perfect sense that the beer would be a little heavier seeing it doesn't ferment the sugars as much as a normal yeast.


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## seamad (21/4/11)

Try The SMOTY from coopers, 
1 can dark
1 can pale ale
Some EKG hops

I've made it with Wyeast 1084 ( irish ale) very drinkable.
Also have made the stout/dark ale toucan with .5kg brown sugar again with 1084 and pretty fine drop especially if you can hide it in a difficult to access spot for a while.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (21/4/11)

going down a hill said:


> I have used Windsor in a couple of times now and think it's a great little yeast, but I haven't really noticed that it adds all that much to the thickness of the beer, I honestly have never really thought or looked for it. It makes perfect sense that the beer would be a little heavier seeing it doesn't ferment the sugars as much as a normal yeast.



gdah (I'm lrg, abbrev. rool), I'm not sure if you AG, but I found windsor works well when you mash grain at a higher temp (thus rendering the beer less fermentable), couple it with windsor (fairly neutral taste) and get a nice thick beer. My Dark Ale finished at 1.022, and was just a fantastic drop - so much so, I didn't get to drink much of it or enter it into a comp - all those who like dark beer scoffed it on me.

I suppose when I say "it adds to the thickness", I really mean "it doesnt eat as much (lower attenuation) and therefore leaves the beer thicker".

I also added 250g of good quality honey and a jar of cherries from ALDI (500g or so), and it was to die for. It's about to be repeated this year.

Goomba


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## GrumpyPaul (21/4/11)

I just drank my last of this recipe....

It went down well with everyone that tried it.

over time the coffee flavour mellowed and left a slight smokiness

I dont think it matters what can you use...mine was an out of date old one i got given to me

*Choc Coffee Ale

*1 Can ESB Darling Downs Draught.
1kg LDME
250ml expresso coffee
120g Black Patent Malt
120g Chocolate Malt
120g Dark Crystal Malt
45 g Willamette Hops @ 45 mins
10g Willamette @10mins
Nottingham yeast


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## Brewer_010 (21/4/11)

try this porter (love this one it works well as an extract/partial)

80% base grain/extract
8% wheat
5% chocolate malt
4% crystal
3% roasted malt
35-40 IBUs nothing fancy (i.e. 60+20mins)

happy easter


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## J Grimmer (22/4/11)

nice and simple 2 cans of coopers dark both yeasts, i did not fint it bitter but quite smooth i carbed with 1 carb drop and ended up with a creamy head. Morgans iron bark is also good if you can get it.

jan


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## The Giant (24/4/11)

Thanks People

Got some brewing to do!!


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## KGB (24/4/11)

Gibbo1 said:


> Coopers dark and stout combined together make an excellent K & K beer, just ditch the 2nd K. 2 cans is more than enough for the right ABV. :beerbang:



I've done this one a few times with success, usually with 500g of brown sugar thrown in as well, although you don't need it for the %ABV, the 2 cans will be plenty.


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## timryan (26/4/11)

Just put down a Petesbrew Toucan looking foward to watching the fermentation...

Coopers Stout
Coopers Dark Ale
500g brown sugar
both kit yeasts
mix to 23L


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## petesbrew (26/4/11)

timryan said:


> Just put down a Petesbrew Toucan looking foward to watching the fermentation...
> 
> Coopers Stout
> Coopers Dark Ale
> ...


It's someone elses toucan. Can't remember who, I only pped the brown sugar and passed it on for all to share!

Totally vouch for Windsor in a porter or stout. It's awesome.


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## timryan (26/4/11)

Does the brown sugar fully ferment pete?


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## petesbrew (26/4/11)

timryan said:


> Does the brown sugar fully ferment pete?


Pretty bloody sure it does, Tim.
You can take hints off what others have done with grain & malt additions and keep improving with this recipe.
Just don't add mulberries.... didn't work too good for me.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (26/4/11)

petesbrew said:


> Totally vouch for Windsor in a porter or stout. It's awesome.



Glad to hear. Awesome dried yeast for British style beers.

Goomba


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## timryan (26/4/11)

Awesome.. Why brown sugar and not dextrose? Does it change the flavour?


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (26/4/11)

timryan said:


> Awesome.. Why brown sugar and not dextrose? Does it change the flavour?



From my (admittedly anecdotal) evidence - yes, it tends to deepen the flavour, i love using brown sugar in brown and stouts, and normally I hate using any sugar, dextrose or otherwise, in beers.

Goomba


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## petesbrew (26/4/11)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> From my (admittedly anecdotal) evidence - yes, it tends to deepen the flavour, i love using brown sugar in brown and stouts, and normally I hate using any sugar, dextrose or otherwise, in beers.
> 
> Goomba


Yeah, it's kinda caramelised somewhat, so it'll add some flavour where dex will only add alcohol.
I only use dextrose in bottling. Sugar I mainly use in strong belgians. If you go check out the asian supermarkets you can pick up some awesome palm & coconut sugars as well for experimenting.


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## felten (26/4/11)

brown sugar is just regular processed white sugar with molasses added to it, they go to all that effort to remove it all just to add it back in


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## petesbrew (27/4/11)

felten said:


> brown sugar is just regular processed white sugar with molasses added to it, they go to all that effort to remove it all just to add it back in


Love AHB, You learn something new everyday! :icon_chickcheers: 
Tastes nice on porridge too.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (27/4/11)

felten said:


> brown sugar is just regular processed white sugar with molasses added to it, they go to all that effort to remove it all just to add it back in



It's funny, because I've used molasses and treacle (separately mind you) in dark/stout beers. I find you have to back off the roasted grains in a stout when adding molasses or that burnt tasting starts to get overpowering. When balanced with the effect of roasted grain (I even did a dark beer without any roasted grain, just a tad of choc), it works really well.

Goomba


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