# Thomas Coopers Selection Irish Stout



## ajoesmith (3/5/10)

I'm currently making my first homebrew and cant wait until it finishes and i can start my next.

It will be the Thomas Coopers selection 'Irish Stout'

I'm trying to get the 'Guinness' taste.

Has anyone done this with good results? Any recipes out there with this can?


----------



## waggastew (3/5/10)

There are some ideas here:

http://www.hbkitreviews.com/view-id-239-co...rish-stout.html


----------



## MisterJingosSmile (4/5/10)

waggastew said:


> There are some ideas here:
> 
> http://www.hbkitreviews.com/view-id-239-co...rish-stout.html



Good advice, there are some intersting options there.

I've just done a Thomas Coopers Selection Irish Stout and added a "Better Black Beer" pack (500g Dex, 500g dark DME, 250gm dried corn syrup) from the LHBS plus 250g dried oat extract and 10ml licorice extract. Personally I wouldn't add more than the 10ml as its pretty strong, although this would most likely mellow with age but who wants 23L licorice tasting beer right?

I boiled my "Better Black Beer" pack and oats in a liter of water for 10 mins with 5g yeast nutrient (to steralise it more than anything else) and then added the kit. I transferred this to the fermenter and topped it up with water I had chilling in the fridge over night, using the chilled water really helps to get it down to pitching temp nice and quickly. I aerated for 15 min with aquarium pump + inline air filter, pitched rehydrated yeast and then fermented at 18 C. 

Mine's been fermenting for just over a week and has a nice mocha coloured head and good rich stout flavor. Next time I will add some hops when I boil as well.

Good luck with your stout, the T.C. Irish Stout is a good one.


----------



## RobboMC (4/5/10)

Get yourself a small amount, say 500g, of Black malt.

when you brew, steep about 100g in a tea cup in HOT but not boiling water. You won't believe the aromas that come off
this small amount of grain, and the flavour it adds to your guiness clone is wonderful.

Once you've done this with 100g you can up the amount of grain at your will/peril as it's pretty easy to go overboard
and get an undrinkable result.


----------



## davedoran (4/5/10)

Hey guys,
Im brewing an Irish stout at the moment. Gonna bottle it tonight actually.

Tastes ok, A little bit sweet but i imagine that will ease off after a few months in a bottle.
I used 

1 Tin Munton Export Stout
2kg of Dark liquid malt
15g Fuggles hops 
150g Black Grain
10ml Liquorice Essence
Safale Yeast

Ferment @20 - 22 deg for 7- 8 days now

Have noticed that there is no real head on the stout. Does anyone know if this will improve in the bottle?


----------



## leonjw (4/5/10)

hey dave,

you won't get any head until its carbonated (thats if your looking for head before you bottle or keg it), the head will also improve after ageing.
I have been drinking my coopers stout variation after it being in the keg for a few weeks now and i've noticed a slow improvement of the head which was not so good after just 1 week.

cheers!


----------



## RdeVjun (4/5/10)

Hey dave,
it has been a while since I used it, but I liked that Munton's tin, quite a nice one IMO. I'm not sold on the liquorice essence, but Star Anise is also worth trying if you like adding spiciness to stout.
2kg malt extract, while not an outrageous amount, is a fair bit and may be giving it that residual sweetness. Before bottling I'd also just check that it is finished by measuring with the hydrometer over three days, if it is the same each day then it should be right to bottle. It won't hurt to leave it in the fermenter a few more days once it is done either, better that than ending up with a batch of bottle bombs!

Anyway, to your question- so long as the yeast is healthy then it should carbonate up fine, a lack of krausen in the fermenter doesn't translate into poor head in the glass. Probably don't want an outrageous head on a stout, just a little is fine IMO.


dave doran said:


> Hey guys,
> Im brewing an Irish stout at the moment. Gonna bottle it tonight actually.
> 
> Tastes ok, A little bit sweet but i imagine that will ease off after a few months in a bottle.
> ...


----------



## ajoesmith (6/5/10)

RobboMC said:


> Get yourself a small amount, say 500g, of Black malt.
> 
> when you brew, steep about 100g in a tea cup in HOT but not boiling water. You won't believe the aromas that come off
> this small amount of grain, and the flavour it adds to your guiness clone is wonderful.
> ...



So basically get 100grams of black malt as per your instructions then simply add it to the fermenter and ferment as per the can instructions?

does this produce a better stout/guinness like beer?


----------



## ajoesmith (7/5/10)

One more thing

Do i still need to use the carbonation drops with this as Guinness is not fizzy....

also the Coopers recipe is:

Ingredients
# 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Irish Stout
# 500g Light Dry Malt
# 300g Dextrose

If i use 100Grams of Black malt do i still need the 500grams of light dry malt?

Sorry just slightly confused by all the different recipes


----------



## ajoesmith (8/5/10)

Need some help here guys

Went to the LHBS today and the guy wasnt that helpful and didnt/couldnt answer my questions.

I have the Thomas Coopers special Irish Stout and would like to make it taste like guinness

Firstly he recommended using a mixture of 250grams dextrose, 250g corn syrup and 500g Light dry malt, is this ok?

He also recommended using an english ale yeast, not teh yeast from the coopers tin, however the coopers tin yeats is 7g and the english ale yeast i bought is 15grams, do i add all of it? or just 7 grams?

The LHBS guy also receommended fuggles hops for the stout, do i need it?

A member mentioned adding 100grams of dark dry malt, just throw this in or steep it for 30-45 mins?

Finally, what about secondary fermentation, i dont want a fizzy stout! Guinness isnt fizzy! do i have to add the carbonation drops?

Please help a noob

EDIT: forogt to add that i read that to get a more creamier stout to reduce the volume to 18-20 litres, is this correct?


----------



## OLDS2006 (8/5/10)

maybe try this recipe
http://www.thbs.intas.net/kit_recipes.htm#Guinness


----------



## Mayor of Mildura (9/5/10)

Hello Mate

Take a look at the spreadsheet here View attachment Kit___Extract_Beer_Designer_V2.2.xls
. I have plugged in your recipe. Have a play with it. 
Trying to make a kit taste exactly like guiness may be difficult. Making a nice tasting stout from the kit is easy. 

To answer some of your questions. 

1. yeast. use the whole packet. 
2. I think RobboMC was talking about roast barley (or some other dark grain) see here not dark extract. If you want to use the grain you need to steep it as RobboMC suggested. strain the grains out, boil to kill bugs, and add the resulting liguid to your brew. you will still need the other malt extract as this will add flavour, colour, aroma but no fermentables. 
3. priming. If you don't want it too fizzy use one drop instead of two or look into bulk priming. 
4. hops. I'd add them in dry to the fermenter. This will add aroma to the stout. (but it will be nothing like guiness  )

Good luck mate

MOM


----------



## ajoesmith (9/5/10)

ok thanks

I dont have grains, i just bought 500grams of dark dry malt, will this do?


----------

