# Help - Brewcraft Guinness Recipe Kit



## big78sam (15/11/08)

I normally just do a basic brew with wort/sugar and thought I'd try a kit with a few more ingredients to get a better brew

Just bought a brewcraft Guinness recipe kit. I opened it and I'm confused by some of the ingredients. The shop is now closed and I wanted to brew this tomorrow (shop not open sundays)

It contains:

Tin of Muntons export stout wort
# 74 kit converter (1kg)
500 grams dark malt extract
15g golding hops
a better quality muntons yeast
10ml liquorice extract
another plastic packet with half white powder and half some sort of dark brown grain/seed thing. (weighs just over 100 grams)

The recipe included says nothing about hops or the other packet. Should I use these? How? I gather from other posts that this sort of recipe could be too sweet, and that the addition of hops could add a bit more bitterness

I've read in other posts that I shouldn't use all the liquorice extract (maybe just over half). 

I also had recommended one "bar" of dark chocolate. I guess this would be a couple of rows if I'm breaking of a block. The guy in the shop suggested I should dissolve with water in microwave and stir, then microwave agin and stir again to ensure it's fully liquid, then adding to mixture just before I add the yeast.

Any suggestions would be appreciated...


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## cozmocracker (17/11/08)

Hi, i just started my first brew ever on saturday, it was a brewcraft becks style recipe kit. the brewcraft instructions mention to put hops in 300ml of water, boil, simmer for 2 minutes then let rest for 15 minutes. you can add the entire contents to brew or chose to strain and use liquid only. i chose to strain and use half the pulp that was left. 

the number 74 kit converter gets added to the hot mixture.

grains and seeds need to be crushed, put in 500ml water, boil, simmer 20minutes, add strained liquid to brew.

muntons premium gold yeast 18-22 degrees celcius.

hope some of this helps.


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## Supra-Jim (17/11/08)

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWebPa...p;idDetails=401

At a guess i would say the grains are pre-crushed for you, steep these in 2 litres of hot water (approx 65-70deg) in a saucepan. Strain these into your fermenter. Dissolve the can of goo and the converter and dark malt in hot water (can be done in a saucepan if large enough or straight into the fermenter). Boil the hops in about 1-2 litres of water for approx 10minutes (this is usually what is done with Brewcraft Hop additions)

Then top up your fermenter to 15 litres. Add the licorice extract to the fermenter and mix in (this is to aid with a nice creamy guiness style head).

Hope this helps.


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## big78sam (17/11/08)

Thanks guys. I put off the brew and spoke to the shop today. Turns out I should be using all the ingredients which seemed logical. Don't know why the recipe didn't include them...

Anyway I appreciate the feedback. The descriptions how to use these were helpful!

Sam.


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## ascent (17/11/08)

Here is a brief list of what to do with the supplied ingredients.

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wawcs0137215/i...These%20Recipes


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## Pennywise (18/11/08)

Except where they tell you to simmer the grains, this can extract tannins from the grain. Follow supra-jim's advice and steep them in 65-70 deg water for 20-30 mins


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## brettprevans (18/11/08)

I think your questions been covered. but dont expect it to taste anyting like guinness. I made of of these in my early days. It came out nothing like a guinness. IMO just about all of the stouts ive made from guess work and recipe creation have been better.

They are crappy instructions arent they? they are the same generic instructions htye put in all their premade clone packs.

This recipe below shits on the brewcraft guinness (even if you left the hops out and used normal ale yeast, it still shit on it!)
1 x coopers Stout, 
1 x Cascade Choc Mahag Porter, 
500g DDME, 
10ml liquorice extract (optional)
0.25kg Choc Malt Grain 
0.100kg carapils (optional)
28g. EKG @ 15min.
12g Fuggle @ 15 min.
22L
pitched 0.6L of yeastcake (Wyeast 1098) from a PA 
OG 1.060, FG 1.022, 5.6% (6.1% after bottling)
Stout flavours took over a bit whilst young.


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## big78sam (2/12/08)

I need some further advice. Ive had a read of some other posts about stalled fermentation but need some specific advice.



I brewed the kit as suggested in above posts. Steeped the grains for 25 minutes, boiled the hops for 5 minutes and strained them, into the fermenter, along with the wort, dry malt extract, all the liquorice extract, etc. I also added half the strained hops and grains into the fermenter for good measure. Also added was 50 grams of dark chocolate melted in half a cup of water. Total volume 17 litres.



Yeast was added at 26 degrees. The brew then dropped to 22 degrees and continued to ferment away happily. I did have 1 to 2 days where the fermenter got to 26 during the day. 



I forgot the measure the OG, but after one day the SG was 1074. I racked the brew off into a second fermenter after 5 days. It continued to bubble very slowly, and there was a small amount of condensation under the lid so it was still brewing, albeit much slower. The brew seems to have stalled now with 3 days at a constant SG of 1025 (after 5 days in the secondary fermenter). Hydrometer tests spot on with water.



It tastes/smells pretty good (Im pretty pleased actually) now so I dont think theres an infection problem.



Should I be concerned with this SG reading. Based on the high OG Im considering just bottling it on the weekend. It will have had just over 2 weeks in the fermenters.

Will this be OK? Any advice as to what I should do? 



Im also curious about the final alcohol content and am annoyed I forgot to measure the OG. Can anyone estimate how much the SG would have dropped in the first 24 hours?


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## WarmBeer (2/12/08)

You've got a lot of non-fermentables in a low volume there, so I wouldn't be too concerned about the FG being pretty high. The Brewcraft #72 must contain a bunch of lactose or other non-fermentable sugar, cause I did a Newcastle Brown ale that had an FG of 1022.

If you've had consistent readings for 3 days, I say bottle it!

As to your question as to how much fermentation in the first 24 hours, my understanding is that the yeast would have spent the majority of that time multiplying from their relatively small quantity you pitched, so at most probably a couple of points.

My advice, spend less time worrying about the numbers, more time enjoying the taste of your beers.

Cheers


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## MHB (2/12/08)

Be assured that Guinness doesnt have either Liquorice or Chocolate added to it.

I am not a fan of either of these things ib beer, liquorice is supposed to be a head improver, where this comes from I dont know but to me it just makes a good beer taste like someone has dropped a lolly into it.
Chocolate, I love good chocolate, but in beer it can be a big head killer if you dont use it right, or get the wrong stuff.

Use some Chocolate Malt or some Roast Barley, but any beer that has lots of malt in it wont (well shouldnt) have any problems with either enough flavour or head retention.

MHB


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## big78sam (6/12/08)

OK, now I'm really puzzled. This brew has had 10 days in the secondary fermenter, 15 in total. It's still bubblling through the airlock, only slowly, once every 1 to 2 minutes. It's been hot and so I've had a damp towel on the fermenter to keep the temp down. it especially bubbles when I pour more cold water over the towel. It's been sitting pretty constant on 20-22 degrees for the last few days

However, the SG has not changed (1025) for over a week. Any ideas what's going on? If I bottle now will I likely have a problem with exploding bottle?


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## big78sam (6/12/08)

I just read the thread about bubbling without yeast so I sat by the fermenter for 20 minutes to see if it was just the temp change that causes the bubbling. The bubbling slows quite a bit once the temp settles, probably only every 5 minutes now. Based on the advice in that thread I'm just bottling it unless anyone has any advice to suggest otherwise...


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## bradsbrew (6/12/08)

big78sam said:


> I just read the thread about bubbling without yeast so I sat by the fermenter for 20 minutes to see if it was just the temp change that causes the bubbling. The bubbling slows quite a bit once the temp settles, probably only every 5 minutes now. Based on the advice in that thread I'm just bottling it unless anyone has any advice to suggest otherwise...


If you are concerned use one PET bottle and you can check it in a week or so to make sure it is not over carbonating. And have a taste before bottling as well.

Cheers Brad

Edit: And if your up for doing another stout give citymorgues recipe above a shot looks pretty good. Dont know about the licorice though <_<


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## fergi (6/12/08)

WELL 1025 IS A BIT HIGH BUT I HAVE HAD THEM FINISH AT 1022, SOUNDS LIKE ALL THE FERMENTABLES HAVE gone so i would bottle them, i usually dont put a full amount of sugar in the bottle for gassing up, i use the little plastic measure that you get from lhbs, i use large 750 ml bottles and only use 3/4 of a measure, dont want this style too bubbly. it will take a little longer to carb up but will be better for the xtra time in the bottle, give it a couple of weeks to carb up then stick one in the fridge overnite and try it, if its gassy enough for you stick them in the beer fridge to mature a bit, and of course to drink. if not quite gassy enough leave them another week or two and do same test
cheers
fergi


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## big78sam (19/1/09)

citymorgue2 said:


> I think your questions been covered. but dont expect it to taste anyting like guinness. I made of of these in my early days. It came out nothing like a guinness. IMO just about all of the stouts ive made from guess work and recipe creation have been better.
> 
> They are crappy instructions arent they? they are the same generic instructions htye put in all their premade clone packs.
> 
> ...



So I brewed both the brewcraft guinness clone and the above toucan and I can heartily agree with citymorgue, the toucan is streets ahead. I can drink the brewcraft kit but the toucan is fantastic! I'll be happy to let my mates try the toucan but I'll be hiding the other away for just me to drink. Or should I be doing that the other way round.....

For anyone else wanting to brew a stout for winter give the toucan a go!


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