Winter is coming and so too are the styles best enjoyed in chilly weather. I haven’t done many stouts before, so I figured there was no time like the present to dive right into a milk stout. Recipe below:

I’ll be honest – King Maker is far from my best brew (naming a beer that perhaps tempted the fates a bit too much) but there’s nothing particularly offensive about it either. The truth of the matter is this is a sweet, malty milk stout but it isn’t really all that interesting. I do believe it would have benefited massively from more carbonation – a craft I’m slowly relearning after the opening of the second brewhouse and its lack of force-carbing equipment.

That said, I am proud that I didn’t make something wholly undrinkable (though stouts in general aren’t typically what I would consider “crushable” beers). Homebrewing is a journey, a constant battle for improvement. I’ll work to get better at this style with time, but for now I’ll just grab a second bottle.

P.S. – For our more perceptive readers, you’ll notice this photo’s background is different than what I’ve typically used. I recently bought an aerogarden to grow lettuce, occupying the space I’ve used for photos in the past – check out the new hell I live with below:

Until next time, friends!