baden (06/29/82)
In response the the "Art of Brewing Beer" recipie: I have my own variation of the recipie: I use three 54 oz. cans of dark ( 1 can be stout malt) malt syrup, and NO sugar (except for bottling). I also use 1/2 lb. of patent black malt instead of the crystal malt. This adds to the strong flavor of the beer. Try substituting the juice of a fresh lemon for the citric acid. The licorice is not the kind you buy in the candy store, but a special variety supposedly sold in pharmacies (I say supposedly because my brewer's book was written in England). I've never used licorice so I don't know if it is readily available. As far as aging goes: it should sit for at least 3 months! Heavily malted beers age much more slowly than lighter beers do, and you'll be much happier with the result. I advise aging in the secondary for at least 2-3 months before bottling. I'm very conservative about aging but, "the proof is in the ale". Scott Baden