Hi all, I have a couple cans of Sticky Wicket and wanted to mod the recipe to add a bit more ABV and body with any available ingredients I have. Wondering if anyone can help me make something delicious?

This is what I have:
Sticky Wicket kit 2 cans w/yeast packets
1 vanilla bean soaking in vodka
Brown sugar
Molasses
~200gm quick oats
~50gm cocoa

Any ideas? I don't need to use all of it, but hoping to get the vanilla in there if possible (I absolutely love Dieu Du Ciel's Aphrodisiaque which is as awesome vanilla stout)! Was just going to stick that in the basic recipe, but wanted a bit more ABV and body.

I was also going to consider adding some lactose during bottling to a few bottles... since I've never had a milk stout, I thought I'd experiment.


Thanks!

lots of ways to go with this one. the base has to be the two cans of sticky wicket. i'd leave out all the sugars and molasses. now, you could cook the oats according to the directions on the can (except use twice the amount of water they call for), drain the oats, and use that liquid for the initial water you'd bring to a boil, kill the heat, and stir the HMEs into... then proceed as normal. i'd add the vanilla bean and vodka it's been soaking in after 7 days of ferment. wait another seven days, and bottle. that'd give you a nice vanilla oatmeal stout.

Well, the only thing you have that could boost body would be the quick oats. If you have a muslin sack, cheesecloth, or even just a strainer, you can boil a cup of the oats in 4 cups of water (in a tied off sack or cheesecloth if you have it, if not, you can just strain them out with the strainer) for about 5 minutes, then use the water left behind for the beer.

You can certainly add the vanilla bean to the fermentor as well. How much vodka is it soaking in? I'd suggest quartering it and adding it after primary fermentation has died down (about a week or so into fermentation).

With the ingredients you have, I wouldn't try to boost the ABV, because any of the sugars you have are very nearly entirely simple sugars, which will boost the alcohol level, but also thin out the body of your beer.

If you have an LHBS, you could pick up a pound of DME...Amber DME might be ok, as it would have a relatively large amount of unfermentable sugars in it, to help boost the body.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you decide to do!

Excellent, thank you! Any way to get a bit more Abv? What about a pack of booster? Taste is of course more important, but if I can do it I might as well?

Edit: I do have cheesecloth, so ill try your method. Thanks, will add vanilla after week or so (that way it can soak a bit longer too).

Cheers

If you have a pack of booster, go ahead and add it. It's about 20% unfermentables (maltodextrin), so it should boost ABV without reducing the body.

And, since you've got two cans of malt as a solid backbone of the recipe, the booster shouldn't give you an end result of a thin and watery beer.

I will suggest you rehydrate the two yeast packs, especially if you're going to be adding any more fermentables (like the pack of booster).

And if you can, ferment a little cooler than normal (somewhere that's around 64-65° F is pretty ideal) for 2-3 weeks before bottling.

Good luck, and head on over to the welcome center and introduce yourself!

chase flavor. skip worrying about boosting the ABV... my opinion, of course.

The single vanilla bean is soaking in about 1 - 1.5oz of vodka (in the little container the bean came in). I just put it in there an hour or so ago.

Thanks all, this is starting to sound fun! My first two batches (High Country Canadian Draft and the Pale Ale that came with it) were a bit disappointing... but a good learning experience. For someone that drinks a lot of rare and extreme craft beers, I really want to get into the interesting stuff in home brew! I think I'll get just as much enjoyment at a small fraction of what I used to fork out for that stuff!

Welcome! I look forward to hearing how this comes out.

Thanks all for the replies!!

Okay, here's what I did (all today)... any thoughts?

Slit vanilla bean lengthwise as soaking in about 1.5oz 100 proof vodka

Sanitized keg and equipment with packet

Boiled 1 cup of quick oats in a cheesecloth bag for ~5 minutes. Gave the bag a little squeeze, then removed from water.

Topped up water to 4 cup mark (was 625ml, so added another 375ml) and brought almost to a boil before realizing I wanted to add the booster. so removed from heat, then added booster until dissolved. Brought back to boil and added two Sticky Wicket HME's.

I had previously boiled 1 cup of water, and removed from heat (allowing to be about 100 degrees or so). Placed yeast packets in the water I boiled, allowed to cool to about 80 degrees. A few times, added some wort but realized my wort once added back to LBK would be colder than 70 degrees (which is the tempratore I was trying to get it to before i added the hydrated yeast).

Placed wort in sink with ice water until around 70 degrees. Added this to LBK, then added yeast from last step (forgot to mix in the wort as per instructions).

Waited 5 minutes, stirred vigorously and closed lid.



Will wait approximately one week before I added the Vanilla/Vodka infusion.



Cheers,

Jeremy

^ sounds like you made beer!

Yup, nice description of your process. Sounds like you'll have a tasty vanilla oatmeal stout on your hands in about six weeks!

i'd say it's going to be more of a oatmeal vanilla stout.

Let's compromise and say oatnilla (because vameal just sounds perverse).

It will be tough to compare it to my favourites... St. Ambroise Oatmeal stout and Dieu Du Ciel's Aphrodisiaque! But I will have pride in drinking this one... not possible with store bought brew!

Thanks, and Done... posted an intro here:

http://www.mrbeerfans.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/253422.html#Post253422

Okay, so I know it's not yet finished bottle conditioning yet but I did try one last Friday and then again tonight. So far with this one I'm thinking back and wishing I did 3 things...

1) No booster (still has a slight homebrew "tinge")... maybe will get better? Would like to maybe try DME next time or another can of sticky wicket.

2) Use more than 1/2 tsp sugar for bottle conditioning, there's hardly any carbonation in these ones... and barely any head after 10 days bottle conditioning. I have no problem with this stout being a bit more carbonated.

3) Use slightly less vanilla... it's a bit overpowering. I did soak 2 beans in vodka for a week then took one of the beans out. I dumped the remaining infusion plus one of the beans in (without really cutting it up, but did peel it open a bit) after a week fermenting. Still a bit too strong.

One thing I still can do and I will do is wait on it and maybe try one each week. Hopefully the flavours will come together a bit better!

Cheers,

J