I recently got this Märzen kit from my local brew shop hoping to make a nice Märzen style beer aveilable for drinking as it starts to get warmer around here. The kit came with some Cinnamon sticks to throw in with the boil to give at a "zing". I'm not sure about this. I'm considering just leaving the cinnamon out unless anyone can tell me if it would be good to leave them in? I know the recipie will not be affected by the addition or removal or the cinnamon, but i'm just not so sure if that would be any good... Has anyone made beers with Cinnamon? Are they good?

The recipie i'll be using is:

7lbs LME syrup
1/2 lb crystal malt
1/4 lb chocolate malt
2 oz Hallertauer hops pellets
Cinnamon sticks
and Saflager S-23 Lager yeast.

This will also be my first attemp at a Lager-style beer. To keep the fermentation cold, i'm considering having my brew bucket inside an icechest to act as a big cold water bath. The chest will have to be open, but if I add a bucket of ice each day and drape the bucket with wet towels, should that be enough to keep tempurature sufficiantly low durring fermentation?

One additional thought, I would really love to get that nice red color most Märzens exibit. Should these ingrediants produce that? Is there anything else I could do to get that nice red color?

Thanks for any input.

I've used cinnamon in a cranberry spiced ale before but for a Märzen I believe I'd leave them out.

I mean, if good if you are going for a spiced beer but I suspect the Märzen would be better without it.

If this kit comes out good you might want to try it with the cinnamon some time but....

Oh well...those are just my two cents worth.

- Scott