chocolate coconut stout for 1st time all-grain?

[spiderwrangler]

Batch sparge. Harder to fuck up. Fly sparging is not worth doing if it isn't done right.

[Ozwald]

Batch sparge. Harder to fuck up. Fly sparging is not worth doing if it isn't done right.

+1

[Steelers&Beer]

definitely batch sparge, much easier. remember to keep track of water in and water out. RDWHAHB! Drew

[Afterlab]

Before even considering heating your strike water for your first all grain brew, make sure you have a firm understanding on how to troubleshoot all the things that can possibly go wrong during the process. All grain brewing is certainly not rocket science but what can go wrong probably will go wrong your first time and you don't want to find out 5 hours into it that you did something catastrophically wrong.

[BeaverBarber]

I'd brew that stout if I were you because that's what you want to brew and stouts have a high level of foregiveness. I'd do a few things differently though:

1. I'd get rid of the Special B. It just adds a raisin flavor which we'll adress later.
2. For complexity, I'd bake the oats at 350 until they smell delicious before I add them to the mash.
3. I'd mash the beer at 150 because that gives you some leeway for your first all grain brew. If you try for 156 and hit 162 you might not like the results, but 150 is a hard one to screw up.
4. If you want that raisin flavor, go ahead and try a British Ale yeast. Those are a bit fruitier.
5. Don't put the coconut extract or any other extract into your beer. Believe me, I've done it. Just brew a great beer and add the extract to your pint glass. Get a dropper and add a drop of that extract to a pint of your beer. If you love that flavor, then figure out how many drops you need for a whole batch and add that level next time. That way you're guaranteed good beer, and maybe great beer.
6. Make it low gravity 1.050 or less.
7. Invite over some friends and drink a bunch of stout for inspiration.

Brew Strong.