Combine water and Bullion hops. Boil for 20 minutes.

Add dark malt extract. Boil for 20 minutes.

Add black patent malt through Irish moss. Boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add Golding hops. Steep for 5 minutes.

Cool and add yeast nutrient and ale yeast. When fermentation has stopped, add priming sugar and bottle.

* Double stout beer - I would not recommend making this as your first beer, but if you are into brewing and like a strong stout, then give this one a try. Don't be in a hurry to drink it, though, it really benefits from a long aging. I got the original recipe from Peter Lester in rec. Food. Drink, and formatted it for my local brewfriends. Then I thought that the net at large might enjoy it, too, so here it is with some additional notes from my experience at making it. Yield: Makes about 2 cases.

* Lester's initial specific gravity was 1.086 and his final specific gravity was 1.020 (alcohol about 8 percent). His fermentation time was 11 days (a slow batch).

My batch fermented in about a week (house temperature ranging between 60 and 68). It was barely drinkable after 6 weeks, but delicious after 3 months. As far as I can tell, it's still getting better (a year later), so try not to drink it all up right away.

* Ingredient note: I didn't know what a licorice stick was, until I asked the clerk at my brewstore. The one he gave me was about 1/3 inch in diameter and about 3 inches long. It was dark black, and not sweet to the taste at all. It seems to be a standard brewing ingredient. Sorry I can't be more specific about it.

Usa