Brew your own stout with this simple recipe

A fantastic stout is rich, flavourful, and pairs well with all of your favourite meals. The only thing more satisfying is when you brew it yourself. Here's a simple recipe that captures a stout's iconic malty flavour.

Here's what you'll need for this recipe. The quantities used will produce thirty 750 millilitre (three cup) bottles.

• 60 ml (1/4 c) hop flowers
• 300 ml (1 1/3 c) cracked black barley grain
• 500 ml (2 c) cracked crystal barley grain
• 1.5 ml (6 c) light dried malt extract
• 500 ml (2 c) dark dried malt extract
• 500 ml (2 c) sugar
• 200 ml (2/3 c) lactose
• 1 packet ale yeast
• 5 ml (1 tsp) liquorice extract. The liquorice adds a pleasant background flavour but can be omitted if you don't like the taste.

1. Prepare a yeast starter 4 to 12 hours before you begin to brew. Sterilize a bottle. Mix together one tablespoon of dried malt extract, one tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid into 500 millilitres (two cups) of water, and boil for five minutes. Allow the mixture to cool to  24°C (75°F),then add the contents of the yeast packet, mix well, and pour into the bottle. Cover with a cotton wool plug and let stand at an even temperature for 4 to 12 hours.
2. Place the hops and grains into a large container on a stove, fill with 4.5 litres (4 1/2 quarts) of water, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Then, strain this mixture (the wort) through muslin cloth into a sterilized container and thoroughly extract all of the liquid by rinsing with five litres (five quarts) of hot water (this liquid becomes part of the wort). Dissolve the malt extract, sugar, lactose, and liquorice extract (if used) into the wort and pour into a sterilized fermenter. Add enough cold water to the mixture to make up a total of 22.5 litres (six gallons) of liquid.
3. When the temperature of the wort is 24°C (75°F), add the yeast starter to the brew. Seal the fermenter with the lid and airlock, and leave the mixture to ferment at a temperature of 21°C to 24°C (70°F to 75°F).
4. Fermentation should be nearly finished in five to seven days. Use a hydrometer to check that the specific gravity is 1005, then siphon the brew into bottles. Add one rounded teaspoon of sugar to each 750 millilitre (three cup) bottle. Leave the bottled beer in a warm place for at least two weeks, then transfer it to a cool place for two weeks more. The beer will taste better if it's left to mature for an additional five to eight weeks after this.

Once your stout's finished brewing and fermenting, there's only one thing left to do: crack one open and find a reason to celebrate!