Dark Reconnaissance All-Grain Kit

Dark Reconnaissance — Sweet Stout (Milk Stout)

ABV: 6.0%   |   IBU: 28   |   Color: 44 SRM (jet black)

Every mission has its dark side. Dark Reconnaissance is a rich, full-bodied Milk Stout built on a complex grain bill of Maris Otter, flaked oats, flaked barley, and Midnight Wheat, with Chocolate Malt and lactose rounding out a deep, velvety finish. Notes of dark chocolate, subtle roast, and a creamy sweetness make this a beer that moves quietly but hits with precision. Complex enough to challenge the experienced brewer, structured enough to guide you through every step. Brew it. Recon complete.

What’s in the Box

Grain Bill

• Maris Otter — nearly half the bill, for rich malt character
• Flaked Oats — a silky, smooth mouthfeel
• Caramel 60L and Caramel 20L — layered caramel sweetness
• Midnight Wheat and Chocolate Malt — deep color and roasted flavor without harsh bitterness
• Flaked Barley — extra body and classic stout creaminess
• Lactose (milk sugar) — unfermentable sweetness, stirred in with 10 minutes left in the boil for the signature milk stout finish

Hops

Magnum for bittering and Fuggle late in the boil — hops play a supporting role while the malt and lactose take the lead.

Yeast

LalBrew Nottingham (dry)

Tasting Notes

Jet black with a tan head, aromas of chocolate and light roast, a smooth and creamy body, and a subtly sweet, dessert-like finish.

Good For

Stout lovers, cold-weather brewing, and anyone who wants their first all-grain batch to taste like it came from a nitro tap.

Every Kit Includes

• A pre-milled, vacuum-sealed grain bill — no scale, no mill required
• Hops pre-weighed and bagged by addition, so you add what the recipe calls for, when it calls for it
• A reliable dry yeast strain — no starter, no smack pack, no temperature-sensitive liquid yeast
• Any specialty ingredients, such as lactose, lemon peel, whirlfloc, or yeast nutrient, pre-measured and bagged
• A full recipe instruction card with mash schedule, boil time, and water volumes
• Bottle caps, sized for your full batch — not something you have to source yourself
• Priming sugar, pre-measured for bottling day — ready to go when your beer is

A Premium Kit Without the Premium Price

A lot of the big-name kit sellers stop at grain, hops, and instructions — yeast, priming sugar, bottle caps, and even grain bags get sold as separate add-ons. MoreBeer, for example, states outright that its recipe kits “DO NOT include grain bags, yeast or priming sugar.” Add those items up at most retailers and you're looking at another $10–$15 on top of the kit price before you can actually finish a batch.

Every Kettle & Keg kit already includes the dry yeast, the bottle caps, and the priming sugar. What you see is what it costs to go from box to bottle — no surprise add-ons at checkout.

Never brewed before? Head to our Brewer's Resources page for a full walkthrough of every step, written for someone doing this for the very first time.