Great Stout!

Review by Jeffrey S. on 5/12/2010

Pros: This was an easy brew and it was my first stout, so reading other reviews, I additionally steeped a pound of black patent and a pound of roasted malt, which was was worth it. Next time I plan on spoiling a couple of bottles from this batch and adding them to the wort - I don't want to make Guiness but this method has proven results to get that slight Guiness-like sour taste.

Cons: No cons - but maybe this kit should come with some specialty grains.

One smooth beer!!

Review by Jennifer M. on 2/6/2010

Pros: Simple to make, easy to drink. This is one of the best beers that I have made.

Excellent

Review by John W. on 2/6/2010

Pros: Brewed this as my 3rd and 4th brews and I have had LOTS of compliments on it, even from those that say they normally don't like a stout. Just the right amount of balance between sweetness and hop.

Cons: Hard to keep ahead of how quickly folks want to drink this...

William's Stout: Our favorite kit so far ...

Review by Arlin A. on 2/6/2010

Pros: We're still pretty new at brewing. We started with (and liked very much!) Red Ale. William's Ale was our second brew. We chose it after reading some other reviews, and followed the advice of others while adding some or our own experiments. We brewed with less water (our kitchen range's power burner isn't powerful enough to keep a good boil going on lot's of water) and ended with 4 gallons total instead of five (on advice for a "thicker" finish). On bottling day, we added about a quart of cold-brewed coffee from our home-roasted beans. We call our personalized brew "Coffee Stout". The finished product? Yummmm! The first tasting (a couple of days before the directions said the beer would be ready) was wonderful, and subsequent servings have shown the flavors to improved beyond wonderful as time has passed. We'll be brewing this one again -- and again! Another way to enjoy Stout: We heard about a bar in San Francisco that serves Stout Shakes. We decided to try a Coffee Stout Float with a small amount of beer and heaping tablespoon of vanilla ice cream. It's VERY GOOD!

Cons: I can't think of any cons ...

One heck of a stout, no really!

Review by David A. on 2/5/2010

Pros: Wow!!! great extract. I entered this beer in a Maryland contest and received comments like "the perfection needed to craft the malt subtleties and flavors etc." or "what a great breakfast stout". Funny, I made an extract and entered it just to see how far it got....what a surprise... and what's a breakfast stout? Not sure what that says about the tasters or the brewer. Either way it worked and I've used it lately with steeped Williams Crystal, black patent, and roasted barley to up the perceived chocolate and coffee flavors. Yum Yum

Cons: Extract kit by itself was sort of thin on viscosity and head lacing. Add the steep grains and problem taken care of. Mash a little flaked barley and problem really taken care of.